MINNESOTA MULTIPHASIC

PERSONALITY INVENTORY
 MMPI
• Original instrument developed in late 1930’s
• Most widely used and extensively researched
of all psychological tests
• REVISED IN 1951 by Hathaway and McKinley
• 1989--MMPI-2
 MMPI
• Popularity of the instrument due to 3 aspects
of its development
– Multiphasic nature of the test
– Formal assessment of test taking attitude
– Empirical basis for item selection
MMPI CLINICAL SCALE DEVELOPMENT
• authored by Hathaway and McKinley at the
university of Minnesota hospitals
• Selected a pool of over 1000 items from a
variety of sources, psych texts, interviews, and
their own clinical experience
• Deleted duplicate items and eliminated those
not useful for their purposes leaving a pool of
550 items
 MMPI Introduction
• It has 4 validity and 9 clinical scales
• Age range 16 years and upward
• The only intellectual requirement is that the subject is
able to read
• Time required from administration varies on an
average it takes between 30 to 90 mins
• Items presented as first person declarative statements
to which subject responded either
– true
– false or
– cannot say
 MMPI VALIDITY SCALES
1. The Question Score (?)
• It is not actually a scale but simply the number of
test items marked as cannot say

2. The Lie Score (L)

• It consist of 15 items originally constructed to
detect deliberate lying, choosing response that
places the subject in most acceptable light socially
• L score may be of interest in its own right as a
measure of a special personality trend.
 MMPI VALIDITY SCALES
3. The validity Score (F)
• It consists of 60 items
• If the F score I high the other scales are invalid
either because the subject was careless or
unable to comprehend the items
 MMPI VALIDITY SCALES
4. The K score (K):
• It consists of 30 items to detect more subtle attempts
to deny faults or present oneself favorably
• Derived from those questions that could discriminate
between “normals” and patients with known
pathology who produced normal profiles
• It is a measure of test taking attitude
• It may indicate defensiveness against psychological
weakness and may indicate a defensiveness
 MMPI
• CLINICAL SCALES
1. HYPOCHONDRIASIS Hs
2. DEPRESSION D
3. HYSTERIA Hy
4. PSYCHOPATHIC DEVIATE Pd
5. MASCULINITY-FEMININITY Mf
 MMPI
6. PARANOIA Pa
7. PSYCHASTHENIA Pt
8. SCHIZOPHRENIA Sc
9. HYPOMANIA Ma
0. SOCIAL INTROVERSION Si
 SCORING

• Hand scoring involves use of semi-

transparent templates placed over the
answer sheet
• Examine answer sheet for double marked or
omitted items & circle
• Separate answer sheets by gender
• Count # of responses in boxes
 MMPI
– This becomes the raw score for that scale which is
entered in appropriate space on profile sheet
– Profile sheets are two sided-m/f
– Plot validity scale scores by marking at the
elevation that reflects the raw score. Connect
validity scales with a line
 MMPI-2
– Before plotting clinical scales add appropriate “k
correction” to scales 1,4,7,8, and 9.
– Mark the elevation of the 10 clinical scales on
profile sheet.
– Connect with a line
– Record the uniform t score for each scale (on far
left and right column of profile sheet)
 MMPI INTERPRETATION
• First, determine the validity of the profile (
test taking attitude of the subject)
• Examine basic scales for clinical meaning
• T>65 is elevated
• T<40 low
 SCALE 1-HYPOCHONDRIASIS
• Designed to indicate a variety of personality
characteristics consistent with but not
necessarily diagnostic of hypochondriasis
 SCALE 1-HYPOCHONDRIASIS
• High scores suggestive of
– High concern with illness or disease
– Somatization as defense mechanism
– Sour, whiny, complaining attitude;
hostility/cynicism expressed indirectly
 SCALE 1-HYPOCHONDRIASIS
• Low scores suggestive of
– Cheerful, optimistic attitude
– Non endorsement of somatic complaints
 SCALE 2-DEPRESSION
• Designed to measure symptomatic
depression, an attitude characterized by poor
morale, lack of hope for the future, and a
general dissatisfaction with life
 SCALE 2-DEPRESSION
• Items deal with various aspects of depression-
denial of happiness & personal worth,
psychomotor retardation, lack of interest,
social withdrawal, physical complaints, &
excessive worry
• State measure--situational
 SCALE 2-DEPRESSION
• High scores suggestive of
– Depressed
– Worry
– Pessimism
– Indecision, doubt
– Hopelessness, suicidal ideation
 SCALE 2-DEPRESSION
• Low scores suggestive of
– Lack of depression, worry, pessimism
– Tendency to feel comfortable with life
– Cheerfulness, buoyancy, optimism
 SCALE 3-HYSTERIA
• It measures the degree to which subject has
developed conversion like hysteria
 SCALE 4-PSYCHOPATHIC DEVIATE
• Items reflect a primary dimension ranging
from constricted social conformity to
antisocial acting-out impulses
 SCALE 4-PSYCHOPATHIC DEVIATE
• High scores suggestive of
– General maladjustment
– Angry disidentification with convention and norms
– Impulse control problems
– Disregard for rights of others
– Unwilling to accept responsibility for behaviors
 SCALE 4-PSYCHOPATHIC DEVIATE
• Low scores suggestive of
– Overly conventional, conforming, & moralistic
– Avoid competitive situations
– Strong guilt over minor infractions
 SCALE 5 MASCULINITY-FEMININITY
(Mf)
• items measure the extent to which subject
endorses or identifies with culturally
stereotypic masculine or feminine interest
patterns, vocational choices, asthetic interests
and an activity-passivity dimension
 SCALE 5 MASCULINITY-FEMININITY
(Mf)
• A high score for either sex is indicative of
deviation
 SCALE 5 MASCULINITY-FEMININITY
(Mf)
• Males with high scores tend to be rather passive,
dependent, ambitious, sensitive, and interested in
cultural and aesthetic pursuits
• Males with low scores tend to be stereotypically
masculine and place great emphasis on traditionally
masculine behaviors
 SCALE 5 MASCULINITY-FEMININITY
(Mf)
• Females with high scores have rejected traditional
feminine role. Described as active, aggressive,
assertive, competitive, uninhibited, and domineering
• Females with low scores are passive, submissive
yielding and demure
 SCALE 6-PARANOIA (Pa)
• Items measures ideation ranging from
obviously psychotic to suspiciousness and self-
righteousness.
• Content of items is obvious making it easier to
fake than most
 SCALE 6-PARANOIA (Pa)
• High scores in range of t>60-70 indicates
hypersensitivity to criticism, basic mistrust,
tendency to harbor grudges, anger, hostility,
e.G. Paranoid tendences and /or paranoid
personality disorder
 SCALE 7 PSYCHASTHENIA (Pt)
• Items reflecting chronic anxiety, general
dissatisfaction with life, indecisiveness,
difficulty with concentration, self doubt,
rumination and agitated concern about self
and the obsessional aspects of ocd
 SCALE 8 SCHIZOPHRENIA (Sc)
• 78 items tap dimensions of feelings of being
different, isolated, bizarre thought processes,
poor family relationships, sexual identity
concerns, tendency to withdraw into wish
fulfilling fantasy
 SCALE 8 SCHIZOPHRENIA (Sc)
• High scores indicative of thought disturbances , loose
associations, poor judgment, misinterpretation of
reality
• Other non-psychotic high scorerers tend to feel
lonely alienated, isolated, misunderstood, not part of
social group
 SCALE 9 HYPOMANIA (Ma)
• Items that are a direct measure of energy level
• T scores >85 suggestive of manic disorder.
• T scores in range of 70-85 are restless, enthusiastic,
impatient, energetic, gregarious, exaggerated sense
of self worth and importance
SCALE 0-SOCIAL INTROVERSION (Si)
• Items assessing introversion-extroversion dimension
with high scores indicative of introversion
• High scores introverted, shy, socially inept with
tendency to withdraw
• Low scores adept in social situations, gregarious,
extroverted