Do high scores on the Adolescent-School Problems and Immaturity Scales of the MMPI-A have implications for cognitive performance as measured by the WISC-III?

Abstract

High scores on the Adolescent-School Problems (A-Sch) content scale and the Immaturity (IMM) supplementary scale of the MMPI-A have been associated with poor school performance and possible learning disabilities (Archer, 1997). The aim of the present study was to determine whether these scales were associated with cognitive performance as measured by the WISC-III. Subjects completed the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, Third Edition (WISC-III) and the MMPI-A. Their scores for the WISC-III sub-tests and SCAD were calculated. The A-Sch content and the IMM supplementary scales were extracted from the MMPI-A. The results indicated that A-Sch was associated with lower WISC-III scores in males and predicted poorer performance in Full Scale IQ (FIQ), Verbal IQ (VIQ), Information, and Arithmetic. For females however, there was little evidence to suggest a relationship between A-Sch and cognitive performance. The association between IMM and the WISC-III sub-tests was found to be a result of its correlation with A-Sch. The implications of these findings, in particular, those involving gender differences, were discussed. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.