Comparison among different revisions of MMPI

Submitted to; Dr. Rabia

Submitted by; Aneela Begum
Registration no. 305-FSS/MSEP/F19
Faculty of Social Sciences
Department; MS Psychology

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Table of contents

Topics page no.

MMPI Introduction 03
History 03
MMPI 05

MMPI 2 08
MMPI-A 11
MMPI-2-RF 13

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Objective Test

Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI)

Introduction

The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) is the most widely used and

researched standardized psychometric test of adult personality and psychopathology.

Psychologists and other mental health professionals use various versions of the MMPI to

develop treatment plans; assist with differential diagnosis; help answer legal questions

(forensic psychology); screen job candidates during the personnel selection process; or as part

of a therapeutic assessment procedure. The original MMPI, first published by the University

of Minnesota Press in 1943, was replaced by an updated version, the MMPI-2, in 1989. A

version for adolescents, the MMPI-A, was published in 1992. An alternative version of the test,

the MMPI-2 Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF), published in 2008, retains some aspects of the

traditional MMPI assessment strategy, but adopts a different theoretical approach to personality

test development.

History

MMPI

The original authors of the MMPI were Starke R. Hathaway, PhD, and J. C. McKinley,

MD. The MMPI is copyrighted by the University of Minnesota. The MMPI has been

considered the gold standard in personality testing ever since its inception as an adult measure

of psychopathology and personality structure in 1939. Many additions and changes to the

measure have been made over time, including the addition of dozens of supplemental, validity,

and other content scales to improve interpretability of the original Clinical Scales, changes in

the number of items in the measure, and other adjustments.

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◾ In 1989, the MMPI became the MMPI-2 as a result of a major re-standardization project that

was undertaken to develop an entirely new set of normative data representing current

population characteristics; the re-standardization produced an extremely large normative

database that included a wide range of clinical and non-clinical samples; psychometric

characteristics of the Clinical Scales were not addressed at that time.

◾ In 2003, the Restructured Clinical Scales were added to the published MMPI-2, representing

a major psychometric reconstruction of the original Clinical Scales; this project was designed

to address known psychometric flaws in the original Clinical Scales that unnecessarily

complicated their interpretability and validity, but could not be addressed at the same time as

the re-standardization process [4] Specifically, Demoralization - a non-specific distress

component thought to impair the discriminant validity of many self-report measures of

psychopathology - was identified and removed from the original Clinical Scales. Restructuring

the Clinical Scales was the initial step toward addressing the remaining psychometric and

theoretical problems of the MMPI-2.

◾ In 2008, the MMPI-2-RF (Restructured Form) was published after nearly two decades of

extensive efforts to psychometrically and theoretically fine tune the measure [5] The MMPI-2-

RF contains 338 items, contains 9 validity and 42 homogeneous substantive scales, and allows

for a straightforward interpretation strategy. The MMPI-2-RF was constructed using a similar

rationale used to create the Restructured Clinical (RC) Scales. The rest of the measure was

developed utilizing statistical analysis techniques that produced the RC Scales as well as a

hierarchical set of scales similar to contemporary models of psychopathology to inform the

overall measure reorganization. The entire measure reconstruction was accomplished using the

original 567 items contained in the MMPI-2 item pool. The MMPI-2 Re-standardization norms

were used to validate the MMPI-2- RF; over 53,000 correlations based on more than 600

reference criteria are available in the MMPI-2-RF Technical Manual for the purpose of

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comparing the validity and reliability of MMPI-2-RF scales with those of the MMPI-2. Across

multiple studies and as supported in the technical manual, the MMPI-2-RF performs as good

or, in many cases, better than the MMPI-2.

The MMPI-2-RF is a streamlined measure. Retaining only 338 of the original 567

items, its hierarchical scale structure provides non-redundant information across 51 scales that

are easily interpretable. Validity Scales were retained (revised), two new Validity Scales have

been added (Fs in 2008 and RBS in 2011), and there are new scales that capture somatic

complaints. All of the MMPI-2-RF's scales demonstrate either increased or equivalent

construct or criterion validity compared to their MMPI-2 counterparts.

MMPI

Definition

The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) is a psychological test that

assesses personality traits and psychopathology. It is primarily intended to test people who are

suspected of having mental health or other clinical issues.

Explanation

The original MMPI was developed on a scale-by-scale basis in the late 1930s and early

1940s. Hathaway and McKinley used an empirical [criterion] keying approach, with clinical

scales derived by selecting items that were endorsed by patients known to have been diagnosed

with certain pathologies. The difference between this approach and other test development

strategies used around that time was that it was atheoretical (not based on any particular theory)

and thus the initial test was not aligned with the prevailing psychodynamic theories. The

atheoretical approach to MMPI development ostensibly enabled the test to capture aspects of

human psychopathology that were recognizable and meaningful despite changes in clinical

theories. However, the MMPI had flaws of validity that were soon apparent and could not be

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overlooked indefinitely. The control group for its original testing consisted of a very small

number of individuals, mostly young, white, and married people from rural Midwestern

geographic areas. The MMPI also faced problems with its terminology not being relevant to

the population it was supposed to measure, and it became necessary for the MMPI to measure

a more diverse number of potential mental health problems, such as "suicidal tendencies, drug

abuse, and treatment-related behaviours.’’

 Age Range: 16 years and older

 Other Languages: English, Spanish, French for Canada

 Administration: Paper and pencil, card form and booklet form

 Completion Time: 45-90 minutes

 Forms: 550 True-False items

 Publication Date: 1943

 Publisher: University of Minnesota Press

MMPI subscales

Clinical scales Validity scales

1. Hypochondriasis i. Lie scale (L)
2. Depression ii. Correction (k)
3. Hysteria iii. Validity (F)
4. Psychopathic Deviate iv. Cannot say scale (?)
5. Masculinity/Femininity
6. Paranoia
7. Psychasthenia
8. Schizophrenia
9. Hypomania
10. Social Introversion

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Usage:

MMPI is used to screen for personality and psychosocial disorders in adults (i.e., over

age 18) and adolescents age 14 to 18. It is also frequently administered as part of a

neuropsychological test battery to evaluate cognitive functioning.

Reliability of MMPI

Reliability was computed by test re-test method.

 Reliability coefficients for normal ranges from 0.57 to 0.83for six clinical scales by

Hathaway and McKinley in 1944. Time between testing varies from three days to more

than one year.

 Reliability coefficients for normal ranges from 0.46 to 0.91 for 10 clinical scales and

3 validity scales by Cottle in 1950 within one week.

 Reliability coefficients for psychiatric patients range from 0.52 to 0.93 for 10 clinical

scales and three validity scales by Holzberg in 1949 within three days.

Validity of MMPI

 For validity, a high score on a scale has been found to predict positively the

corresponding final clinical diagnosis or estimate in more than 60% of new psychiatric

admissions. This percentage is derived from differentiation among various kinds of

clinic cases, which is considerably more difficult than mere differentiation of abnormal

from normal groups. Even in cases in which a high score is not followed by a

corresponding diagnosis, the presence of the trait to an abnormal degree in the

symptomatic picture will nearly always be noted.

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MMPI-2

Definition

The MMPI 2 or else the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory 2 came in the

form of a revised version of the original MMPI as experts began to realize that it consisted of

certain flaws.

Explanation

The first major revision of the MMPI was the MMPI-2, which was standardized on a

new national sample of adults in the United States and released in 1989. The new

standardization was based on 2,600 individuals from a more representative background than

the MMPI. It is appropriate for use with adults 18 and over. Subsequent revisions of certain

test elements have been published, and a wide variety of subscales were introduced over many

years to help clinicians interpret the results of the original clinical scales. The current MMPI-

2 has 567 items, and usually takes between one and two hours to complete depending on

reading level. It is designed to require a sixth-grade reading level. There is an infrequently used

abbreviated form of the test that consists of the MMPI-2's first 370 items. The shorter version

has been mainly used in circumstances that have not allowed the full version to be completed

(e.g., illness or time pressure), but the scores available on the shorter version are not as

extensive as those available in the 567-item version. The original form of the MMPI-2 is the

third most frequently utilized test in the field of psychology, behind the most used IQ and

achievement tests.

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Basic Information

Authors

2001 Manual: James N. Butcher, Ph.D., John R. Graham, Ph.D., Yossef S. Ben-Porath,

Ph.D., Auke Tellegen, Ph.D., W. Grant Dahlstrom, Ph.D., and Beverly Kaemmer, Coordinator

for the Press

2003 RC Scales Test Monograph: Auke Tellegen, Ph.D.,Yossef S. Ben-Porath, Ph.D., John

L. McNulty, Ph.D., Paul A. Arbisi, Ph.D., John R. Graham, Ph.D., and Beverly Kaemmer

2009 FBS Test Monograph: Yossef S. Ben-Porath, Ph.D., John R. Graham, Ph.D., Auke

Tellegen, Ph.D.

 Publisher: University of Minnesota Press

 Distributor: Pearson Assessments

 Dates of Publication: 1989, 2001(revised), updated 2003 and 2009

 Administration: Computer, CD, or paper-and-pencil

 Length: 567 True-False items

 Administration Time: 60-90 minutes

 Minimum Reading Level: 5th grade (Lexile average), 4.6 grade (Flesch-Kincaid)

 Age: 18 years and older

 Norm Group: Nationwide community sample of adult men and women consists of

1,138 males and 1,462 females between the ages of 18 and 80 from several regions and

diverse communities within the U.S.

 Uses: MMPI 2 is used in psychological contexts as well as in legal and industrial

contexts as well.

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MMPI 2 Subscales

Clinical scales Validity scales

1. Hypochondriasis i. Variable Response Inconsistency (VRIN)

2. Depression ii. True Response Inconsistency (TRIN)

3. Hysteria iii. Infrequency (F)

4. Psychopathic Deviate iv. Back Infrequency (Fb)

5. Masculinity/Femininity v. Infrequency-Psychopathology (Fp)

6. Paranoia vi. Symptom Validity (FBS)

7. Psychasthenia vii. Lie (L)

8. Schizophrenia viii. Correction (K)

9. Hypomania ix. Superlative (S)

10. Social Introversion x. Cannot say scale (?)

Reliability of MMPI-2

 Reliability reported in the MMPI-2 manual (Butcher et al., 1989) indicates moderate

test-retest reliabilities. Reliabilities for normal males over an average interval of 8 days

ranged from a low of .67 for Scale 6 to a high of .92 for Scale 0 (Butcher et al., 1989).

A parallel sample of females over the same retesting interval produced similar

reliabilities ranging from .58 (Scale 6) to .91 (Scale 0). Standard error of measurements

for the different scales ranged from 2 to 3 raw score points (Butcher et al., 1989, 2001;

Munley, 1991).

Scores on MMPI 2

 The MMPI-2 Norms Originally, Hathaway and McKinley (1940, 1943) developed the

MMPI norms using a linear T-score transformation. As noted earlier, scores were

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 assigned a mean of 50 and a standard deviation of 10, even though the underlying

distributions were somewhat skewed.

MMPI-A

Definition

MMPI-A is an abbreviation used for the adolescent version of the Minnesota multi-

phasic personality inventory.

Explanation

The youth version was developed to improve measurement of personality, behavior

difficulties, and psychopathology among adolescents. It addressed limitations of using the

original MMPI among adolescent populations. Some concerns related to use of the MMPI with

youth included inadequate item content, lack of appropriate norms, and problems with extreme

reporting. For example, many items were written from an adult perspective and did not cover

content critical to adolescence (e.g., peers, school). Likewise, adolescent norms were not

published until the 1970s, and there was not consensus on whether adult or adolescent norms

should be used when the instrument was administered to youth. Finally, the use of adult norms

tended to over pathologies adolescents, who demonstrated elevations on most original MMPI

scales (e.g., T scores greater than 70 on the F validity scale; marked elevations on clinical scales

8 and 9). Therefore, an adolescent version was developed and tested during the re-

standardization process of the MMPI, which resulted in the MMPI-A. Strengths of the MMPI-

A include the use of adolescent norms, appropriate and relevant item content, inclusion of a

shortened version, a clear and comprehensive manual, and strong evidence of validity.

Critiques of the MMPI-A include a non-representative clinical norms sample, overlap in what

the clinical scales measure, irrelevance of the mf scale, as well as long length and high reading

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level of the instrument. The MMPI-A is one of the most commonly used instruments among

adolescent populations.

Basic Information

 Test Authors

1992 Manual: James N. Butcher, Ph.D., Carolyn L. WIlliams, Ph.D, John R. Graham, Ph.D.,

Robert P. Archer, Ph.D., Auke Tellegen, Ph.D., Yossef S. Ben-Porath, Ph.D., and Beverly

Kaemmer

2006 Manual Supplement: John R. Graham, Ph.D., Robert P. Archer, Ph.D., Auke Tellegen,

Ph.D., Yossef S. Ben-Porath, Ph.D., and Beverly Kaemmer

 Publisher: University of Minnesota Press

 Distributor: Pearson Assessments

 Date of Publication: 1992 (Manual), 2006 (Manual Supplement)

 Administration: Computer, CD, or paper-and-pencil

 Length: 478 True-False items

 Administration Time: Approximately 60 minutes

 Minimum Reading Level: 4.9 grade (Lexile average), 4.4 grade (Flesch-Kincaid)

 Ages: 14-18 years

 Norm Group: The MMPI-A normative sample consists of 1,620 adolescents (805

boys; 815 girls) between 14 and 18 years of age who were selected as representative of

the U.S. population.

 Usage: MMPI-A is the first MMPI instrument designed specifically for use with

adolescents in clinical, counseling, and school settings for the purpose of assessing

psychopathology and identifying personal, social, and behavioral problems.

Subscales of MMPI-A

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 The MMPI-A contains sixteen basic scales, including ten clinical scales (identical in

name and number to those of the MMPI-2) and six validity scales (actually, a total of eight

validity scales given that the F scale is subdivided into F, F 1 , and F 2 scales). The validity

scales are Variable Response Inconsistency (VRIN), True Response Inconsistency (TRIN),

Infrequency (F), Infrequency 1 (F 1; specifically applicable to the clinical scales), Infrequency

2 (F 2; specifically applicable to the content and supplementary scales), Lie (L), Defensiveness

(K), and Cannot Say (?).

Clinical scales Validity scales

1. Hypochondriasis i. ? (CNS) - Cannot Say (reported as a raw score)

2. Depression ii. VRIN - Variable Response Inconsistency

3. Hysteria iii. TRIN - True Response Inconsistency

4. Psychopathic Deviate iv. F - Infrequency

5. Masculinity/Femininity v. F1 - Infrequency 1

6. Paranoia vi. F2 - Infrequency 2

7. Psychasthenia vii. L - Lie

8. Schizophrenia viii. K - Correction

9. Hypomania

10. Social Introversion

MMPI-2-RF

Definition

MMPI-2-RF: The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 Restructured Form

(MMPI-2-RF) is a self-report measure linked conceptually and empirically to modern theories

and models of psychopathology and personality.

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Explanation

A new and psychometrically improved version of the MMPI-2 has been developed

employing rigorous statistical methods that were used to develop the RC Scales in 2003 and

used in 2008. The new MMPI-2 Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF) has been released by

Pearson Assessments. The MMPI-2-RF produces scores on a theoretically grounded,

hierarchically structured set of scales, including the RC Scales. The modern methods used to

develop the MMPI-2-RF were not available at the time the MMPI was originally developed.

The MMPI-2-RF builds on the foundation of the RC Scales, which are theoretically more stable

and homogenous than the older clinical scales on which they are roughly based. Publications

on the MMPI-2-RC Scales include book chapters, multiple published articles in peer-reviewed

journals, and address the use of the scales in a wide range of settings. The MMPI-2-RF scales

rest on an assumption that psychopathology is a homogeneous condition that is additive.

Basic information

 Test Authors: Yossef Ben-Porath, Ph.D., and Auke Tellegen, Ph.D.

 Publisher: University of Minnesota Press

 Distributor: Pearson Assessments

 Date of Publication: 2008

 Administration: Computer, CD, or paper-and-pencil

 Length: 338 True-False items

 Administration Time: 35-50 minutes

 Minimum Reading Level: 5th grade (Lexile average), 4.5 grade (Flesch-Kincaid)

 Age: 18 years and older

 Norm Group: The MMPI-2-RF normative sample is drawn from the MMPI-2

normative sample and consists of 2, 276 men and women between the ages of 18 and

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 80 from several regions and diverse communities in the U.S. The MMPI-2-RF T scores

are non-gendered and non-K-corrected. No new norms were collected for the MMPI-

2-RF.

 Usage: MMPI-2-RF: The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 Restructured

Form (MMPI-2-RF) used by clinicians to assist with assessment of adult psychological

dysfunction and treatment planning.

MMPI-2-RF subscales

The 338 item MMPI-2-RF consists of 51 scales.

 Validity

 Higher-Order (H-O)

 Restructured Clinical (RC)

 Somatic/Cognitive

 Internalizing

 Externalizing

 Interpersonal

 Interest

 Personality Psychopathology Five (PSY-5)

Validity Indicators

CNS - Cannot Say

VRIN-r -Variable Response Inconsistency

TRIN-r -True Response Inconsistency

F-r - Infrequent Responses

Fp-r - Infrequent Psychopathology Responses

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Fs - Infrequent Somatic Responses

FBS-r - Symptom Validity

RBS - Response Bias

L-r - Uncommon Virtues

K-r - Adjustment Validity

Higher-Order (H-O) Scales

EID - Emotional / Internalizing Dysfunction

THD - Thought Dysfunction

BXD - Behavioral / Externalizing Dysfunction

Restructured Clinical (RC) Scales

RCd-(dem) -Demoralization

RC1-(som) -Somatic Complaints

RC2-(lpe) - Low Positive Emotions

RC3-(cyn) - Cynicism

RC4-(asb) - Antisocial Behavior

RC6-(per) - Ideas of Persecution

RC7-(dne) - Dysfunctional Negative Emotions

RC8-(abx) - Aberrant Experiences

RC9-(hpm) -Hypomanic Activation

Somatic / Cognitive Scales

MLS - Malaise

GIC - Gastro-Intestinal Complaints

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HPC -Head Pain Complaints

NUC -Neurological Complaints

COG -Cognitive Complaints

Internalizing Scales

SUI - Suicidal/Death Ideation

HLP - Helplessness/Hopelessness

SFD - Self-Doubt

NFC -Inefficacy

STW -Stress / Worry

AXY - Anxiety

ANP -Anger Proneness

BRF - Behavior-Restricting Fears

MSF -Multiple Specific Fears

Externalizing Scales

JCP - Juvenile Conduct Problems

SUB -Substance Abuse

AGG -Aggression

ACT - Activation

Interpersonal Scales

FML - Family Problems

IPP - Interpersonal Passivity

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SAV - Social Avoidance

SHY - Shyness

DSF - Disaffiliativeness

Interest Scales

AES - Aesthetic-Literary Interests

MEC - Mechanical-Physical Interests

PSY-5 (Personality Psychopathology Five) Scales, Revised

AGGR-r - Aggressiveness-Revised

PSYC-r - Psychoticism-Revised

DISC-r - Disconstraint-Revised

NEGE-r -Negative Emotionality / Neuroticism - Revised

INTR-r - Introversion / Low Positive Emotionality-Revised

Reliability of MMPI-2-rf

 Reliability reported in the MMPI-2-RF manual (Ben-Porath&Tellegen, 2008/2011)

indicates adequate internal consistency and moderate test-retest reliabilities. The

average test-retest reliability was .79. Standard error of measurements for the different

scales ranged from 3 to 7 raw score points (Tellegen & Ben-Porath, 2008/2011).

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References

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minnesota_Multiphasic_Personality_Inventory

https://www.upress.umn.edu/test-division/mmpi-2

https://www.upress.umn.edu/test-division/mmpi-a

https://www.upress.umn.edu/test-division/MMPI-2-RF

Sellbom, M., Toomey, J. A., Wygant, D. B., Kucharski, L. T., & Duncan, S. (2010). Utility of

the MMPI–2-RF (Restructured Form) validity scales in detecting malingering in a

criminal forensic setting: A known-groups design. Psychological Assessment, 22(1) 2.

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