Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2-Restructured Form Research Articles

"False feigners": Examining the impact of non-content-based invalid responding on the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 Restructured Form content-based invalid responding indicators.

Misinterpretation of non-content-based invalid (e.g., random, fixed) responding as overreporting or underreporting is likely to adversely impact test interpretation and could bias inferences about examinee intentions. We examined the impact of non-content-based invalid responding on the following Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF) content-based invalid responding indicators: Infrequent Responses (F-r), Infrequent Psychopathology Responses (FP-r), Infrequent Somatic Responses (FS), Symptom Validity (FBS-r), Response Bias Scale (RBS), Uncommon Virtues (L-r), and Adjustment Validity (K-r). In 4 samples from which invalid responders were excluded, we systematically inserted increasing percentages of random, acquiescent, or counter-acquiescent item responses ranging from 0% to 100% and examined the impact that non-content-based invalid response styles had on the content-based invalid responding indicators. F-r, FP-r, FS, RBS, and L-r were susceptible to non-content-based invalid responding, whereas FBS-r and K-r were unaffected. Individuals with Variable Response Inconsistency (VRIN-r) and True Response Inconsistency (TRIN-r) elevations were removed, and the frequencies of content-based invalid responding elevations were then reexamined for false indications of feigning. Findings were consistent across samples and emphasize the need to screen for non-content-based invalid responding before screening for content-based invalid responding in the assessment of personality and psychopathology. VRIN-r and TRIN-r were useful in detecting most-but not all-cases of non-content-based invalid responding. A small but meaningful percentage of the remaining individuals were misclassified as overreporters (i.e., false feigners) by FP-r and FS. Clinicians should interpret FP-r and FS with some caution in the presence of moderate levels of non-content-based invalid responding. Post hoc examinations of scale characteristics indicated that the most susceptible scales were brief, consisted of rarely endorsed items, included a relatively high percentage of true-keyed items, and required a low percentage of endorsed items to reach clinical significance. (PsycINFO Database Record

Clinical utility of the memory complaints inventory to detect invalid test performance

Objective: This investigation was designed to examine the classification statistics of Memory Complaints Inventory (MCI) scores relative to the Medical Symptom Validity Test (MSVT) and the Non-Verbal Medical Symptom Validity Test (NV-MSVT), as well as various validity scales on the Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI) and Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 Restructured Form(MMPI-2-RF). Method: The sample consisted of 339 active duty service members with a history of concussion who completed performance validity tests (PVTs), symptom validity tests (SVTs), and the MCI. Results: Those who failed the MSVT and NV-MSVT had significantly higher scores across all MCI scales. In addition, those who scored above specified cut scores on the evaluated PAI and MMPI-2-RF validity scales also had significantly higher MCI scale scores. Receiver operator characteristics analysis demonstrated acceptable area under the curve (AUC) across the evaluated SVTs for the mean of all MCI subtests with values ranging from (.77 to .86), with comparable findings for PVTs (MSVT AUC = .75; NV-MSVT AUC = .72). Conclusions: In general the MCI scales demonstrated better classification statistics relative to SVTs vs. PVTs, which is consistent with the nature of the MCI as a self-report instrument.

Graze eating among bariatric surgery candidates: prevalence and psychosocial correlates

BackgroundGraze eating is defined as repetitive, unplanned eating of small amounts of food throughout the day. Little consensuses exist regarding whether graze eating, like binge eating disorder (BED), is characterized by feelings of loss of control (LOC). Furthermore, little is known about how patients who graze eat with and without LOC differ psychologically. ObjectivesThe present study seeks to better characterize graze eating by examining differences between graze eating with LOC (+LOC) and without LOC (–LOC) among presurgical bariatric patients. SettingA large, Midwestern academic medical center. MethodsThe sample consisted of 288 adult bariatric surgery candidates (mean age 45.8, standard deviation [SD] 12.57) who underwent a presurgical psychological evaluation. Graze eating, BED, and other mental health diagnoses were evaluated using a semistructured interview. Participants were also administered the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory–2–Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF) and binge eating scale (BES). Data were collected using a retrospective chart review. ResultsAmong the 33% (n = 95) of the sample who reported preoperative graze eating, 32% (n = 30) also endorsed LOC. Graze eating, particularly with LOC, was associated with Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition, Text Revision (DSM-IV-TR) diagnoses of anxiety disorders and BED, and multiple measures of internalizing dysfunction on the MMPI-2-RF. ConclusionsBariatric surgery candidates who graze eat experience a greater degree of overall distress and psychopathology including anxiety and depression. The minority who experience grazing+LOC appear to have even greater risk of psychopathology. Moreover, there appears to be significant overlap with BED. Future research should explore whether these 2 maladaptive eating patterns benefit from similar treatment.

The Generalizability of Overreporting Across Self-Report Measures: An Investigation With the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2-Restructured Form and the Personality Assessment Inventory in a Civil Disability Sample.

Elevated overreporting Validity Scale scores on the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2-Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF) are associated with higher scores on collateral measures; however, measures used in prior research lacked validity scales. We sought to extend these findings by examining associations between elevated MMPI-2-RF overreporting scale scores and Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI) scale scores among 654 non-head injury civil disability claimants. Individuals were classified as overreporting psychopathology (OR-P), overreporting somatic/cognitive complaints (OR-SC), inconclusive reporting psychopathology (IR-P), inconclusive reporting somatic/cognitive complaints (IR-SC), or valid reporting (VR). Both overreporting groups had significantly and meaningfully higher scores than the VR group on the MMPI-2-RF and PAI scales. Both IR groups had significantly and meaningfully higher scores than the VR group, as well as lower scores than their overreporting counterparts. Our findings demonstrate the utility of inventories with validity scales in assessment batteries that include instruments without measures of protocol validity.

Identifying Aggression in Forensic Inpatients Using the MMPI-2-RF: An Examination of MMPI-2-RF Scale Scores and Estimated Psychopathy Indices

Prior research has examined the relationship between personality characteristics and problematic behaviors, suggesting the utility of self-report personality measures in assessing risk of aggression. This study examined the relationship between select Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF) scales and estimated psychopathy indices derived from MMPI-2-RF scales, and institutional aggression among hospitalized pre-trial defendants. Scores on Thought Dysfunction (THD), Aberrant Experiences, Juvenile Conduct Problems, and Psychoticism-Revised (PSYC-r) were associated with mild-severe aggression. Similarly, THD and PSYC-r were associated with moderate-severe aggression. Regarding psychopathy, impulsive-antisociality, but not fearless-dominance, was associated with both aggressive outcomes. Overall, the relevant MMPI-2-RF scales demonstrated higher classification accuracy than the estimated psychopathy indices.

Associations between DSM-5 section III personality traits and the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory 2-Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF) scales in a psychiatric patient sample.

Our aim in the current study was to evaluate the convergence between Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition (DSM-5) Section III dimensional personality traits, as operationalized via the Personality Inventory for DSM-5 (PID-5), and Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory 2-Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF) scale scores in a psychiatric patient sample. We used a sample of 346 (171 men, 175 women) patients who were recruited through a university-affiliated psychiatric facility in Toronto, Canada. We estimated zero-order correlations between the PID-5 and MMPI-2-RF substantive scale scores, as well as a series of exploratory structural equation modeling (ESEM) analyses to examine how these scales converged in multivariate latent space. Results generally showed empirical convergence between the scales of these two measures that were thematically meaningful and in accordance with conceptual expectations. Correlation analyses showed significant associations between conceptually expected scales, and the highest associations tended to be between scales that were theoretically related. ESEM analyses generated evidence for distinct internalizing, externalizing, and psychoticism factors across all analyses. These findings indicate convergence between these two measures and help further elucidate the associations between dysfunctional personality traits and general psychopathology.

Reliability and validity of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2-Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF) in evaluations of chronic low back pain patients.

The purpose of the current study was to investigate the reliability and concurrent validity of Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI)-2-Restructured Form (2-RF) (Ben-Porath & Tellegen, 2008/2011) scores in a sample of 811 chronic low back pain patients (346 males, 529 females) beginning treatment in a short-term interdisciplinary pain rehabilitation program. We calculated internal consistency coefficients, mean-item correlations, and SEM for all substantive scales, as well as zero-order correlations with collateral medical record information and self-report testing. Results indicated reliability and validity for most of the MMPI-2-RF substantive scales. Implications of these findings and limitations of this study are discussed.

A Prorating Method for Estimating MMPI-2-RF Scores From MMPI Responses: Examination of Score Fidelity and Illustration of Empirical Utility in the PERSEREC Police Integrity Study Sample.

The purpose of the current study was to identify Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2-Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF) correlates of police officer integrity violations and other problem behaviors in an archival database with original MMPI item responses and collateral information regarding integrity violations obtained for 417 male officers. In Study 1, we estimated MMPI-2-RF scores from the MMPI item pool (which includes approximately 80% of the MMPI-2-RF items) in a normative sample, a psychiatric inpatient sample, and a police officer sample, and conducted analyses that demonstrated the comparability of estimated and full scale scores for 41 of the 51 MMPI-2-RF scales. In Study 2, we correlated estimated MMPI-2-RF scores with information about subsequent integrity violations and problem behaviors from the integrity violation data set. Several meaningful associations were obtained, predominately with scales from the emotional, thought, and behavioral dysfunction domains of the MMPI-2-RF. Application of a correction for range restriction yielded substantially improved validity estimates. Finally, we calculated relative risk ratios for the statistically significant findings using cutoffs lower than 65T, which is traditionally used to identify clinically significant elevations, and found several meaningful relative risk ratios.

Using presurgical psychological testing to predict 1-year appointment adherence and weight loss in bariatric surgery patients: predictive validity and methodological considerations

BackgroundPrevious studies suggest that presurgical psychopathology accounts for some of the variance in suboptimal weight loss outcomes among Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) patients, but research has been equivocal. ObjectivesThe present study seeks to extend the past literature by examining associations between presurgical scale scores on the broadband Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2-Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF) and suboptimal weight loss and poor adherence to follow-up 1 year postoperatively after accounting for several methodologic considerations. SettingCleveland Clinic Bariatric and Metabolic Institute, Cleveland, Ohio, USA. MethodsThe sample consisted of 498 RYGB patients, who produced a valid presurgical MMPI-2-RF protocol at program intake. The sample was primarily female (72.9%), Caucasian (64.9%), and middle-aged (mean = 46.4 years old; standard deviation [SD] = 11.6). The mean presurgical body mass index (BMI) was 47.4 kg/m2 (SD = 8.2) and mean percent weight loss (%WL) at 1 year postoperatively was 31.18 %WL (SD = 8.44). ResultsAs expected, scales from the Behavioral/Externalizing Dysfunction (BXD) domain of the MMPI-2-RF were associated with worse weight loss outcomes and poor adherence to follow-up, particularly after accounting for range restriction due to underreporting. Individuals producing elevated scores on these scales were at greater risk for achieving suboptimal weight loss (<50% excess weight loss) and not following up with their appointment compared with those who scored below cut-offs. ConclusionsPatients who are more likely to engage in undercontrolled behavior (e.g., poor impulse control), as indicated by presurgical MMPI-2-RF findings, are at greater risk for suboptimal weight loss and poor adherence to follow-up following RYGB. Objective psychological assessments should also be conducted postoperatively to ensure that intervention is administered in a timely manner. Future research in the area of presurgical psychological screening should consider the impact of underreporting and other discussed methodologic issues in predictive analyses.

The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2-Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF): incremental validity in predicting early postoperative outcomes in spine surgery candidates.

A substantial proportion of individuals who undergo surgical procedures to relieve spine pain continue to report significant pain and dysfunction after recovery. Psychopathology and patient expectations have been linked to poor results, leading to an increasing reliance on presurgical psychological screening (PPS) as part of the surgical diagnostic process. The original Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI; Hathaway & McKinley, 1943) and the MMPI-2 (Butcher, Graham, Ben-Porath, Tellegen, & Dahlstrom, 2001) were among the measures most commonly used in PPS evaluations and research. This study focuses on the newest version of the test, the MMPI-2-Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF; Ben-Porath & Tellegen, 2008/2011; Tellegen & Ben-Porath, 2008/2011) as a predictor of outcomes for spine surgery candidates. Using a sample of 172 men and 210 women who underwent a PPS, we examined the ability of MMPI-2-RF scale scores to predict early surgical outcomes independent of other presurgical risk factors identified by other means, as well as patients' presurgical expectations. MMPI-2-RF results accounted for up to 11% of additional variance in measures of early postoperative functioning. MMPI-2-RF scales that assess for emotional/internalizing problems, specifically Demoralization, measures of somatoform dysfunction, and interpersonal problems contributed most to the prediction of diminished outcome.

Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2-Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF) predictors of police officer problem behavior and collateral self-report test scores.

The current study examined the predictive validity of Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2-Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF; Ben-Porath & Tellegen, 2008/2011) scores in police officer screenings. We utilized a sample of 712 police officer candidates (82.6% male) from 2 Midwestern police departments. The sample included 426 hired officers, most of whom had supervisor ratings of problem behaviors and human resource records of civilian complaints. With the full sample, we calculated zero-order correlations between MMPI-2-RF scale scores and scale scores from the California Psychological Inventory (Gough, 1956) and Inwald Personality Inventory (Inwald, 2006) by gender. In the hired sample, we correlated MMPI-2-RF scale scores with the outcome data for males only, owing to the relatively small number of hired women. Several scales demonstrated meaningful correlations with the criteria, particularly in the thought dysfunction and behavioral/externalizing dysfunction domains. After applying a correction for range restriction, the correlation coefficient magnitudes were generally in the moderate to large range. The practical implications of these findings were explored by means of risk ratio analyses, which indicated that officers who produced elevations at cutscores lower than the traditionally used 65 T-score level were as much as 10 times more likely than those scoring below the cutoff to exhibit problem behaviors. Overall, the results supported the validity of the MMPI-2-RF in this setting. Implications and limitations of this study are discussed.

A Response to Odland et al.’s Misleading, Alarmist Estimates of Risk for Overpathologizing when Interpreting the MMPI-2-RF

In a recently published article in this journal, Odland, Lammy, Perle, Martin, and Grote report Monte Carlo-simulated normative base rates of scale elevations on the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2-Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF). Their primary conclusion—reflected in the title of their article—is that MMPI-2-RF interpretation is associated with “high risk of pathologizing healthy adults” when the 40 substantive scales of the test are simultaneously interpreted. In this paper, we describe how their conclusion follows from several faulty premises, three of which were already debunked in an earlier article and remain false despite counterarguments proposed by Odland and colleagues. We also address these authors’ misinterpretation of their analyses and, furthermore, their premise that MMPI-2-RF interpretive guidelines are flawed because they “currently do not account for a basic statistical principle: Type I (or alpha) error inflation” (p. 1). This premise is irrelevant to psychological test interpretation and misaligned with neuropsychological testing literature cited in support of it. Consistent with suggestions by some of the authors they cite, we reiterate MMPI-2-RF interpretive guidelines designed to mitigate the impact of measurement error (not alpha error) by way of a scientific assessment approach that relies on integration of information derived from multiple sources.

Identifying Overreporting in a Correctional Setting

The current study examined the utility of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory–2 Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF) validity scales in a sample of incarcerated offenders. Utilizing an analogue simulation design, we compared a group of 36 inmates instructed to feign symptoms of mental illness with 56 inmates who had been referred for psychiatric treatment and completed the test under standard instructions. We also had a group of 63 inmates with no history of mental illness who completed the test under standard instructions. Our results indicated large effect sizes between the feigning and comparison groups for all the validity scales. Infrequent Responses (F-r) exhibited utility in discriminating between feigning and control inmates, whereas Infrequent Psychopathology Responses (Fp-r) and Infrequent Somatic Responses (Fs) exhibited the largest effect size in discriminating between the feigning and psychiatric inmate groups. Classification accuracy generally revealed greater specificity than sensitivity for the MMPI-2-RF validity scales.

Minnesota multiphasic personality inventory-2-restructured form (MMPI-2-RF) predictors of violating probation after felonious crimes.

We compared Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2-Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF) scores of 25 individuals convicted of felonies who violated probation within 1 year of sentencing with those of 45 similarly sentenced defendants who completed probation successfully. The sample (51 males, 19 females) ranged in age from 18 to 81 years (M = 35.2, SD = 13.8) and had 8 to 16 years of education (M = 11.7, SD = 2.1). The majority were Caucasian (85.7%), but African Americans were also represented (14.3%). Individuals in the sample were primarily convicted of mid-level felonies (F-1: 2.9%; F-2: 14.3%; F-3: 22.9%; F-4: 31.4%; F-5: 12.9%). As hypothesized, moderate to large statistically significant differences between probation completers and violators were found on several MMPI-2-RF scales, including Behavioral/Externalizing Dysfunction, Antisocial Behavior, Juvenile Conduct Problems, Substance Abuse, Aggression, Activation, and Disconstraint. Relative risk ratio analyses indicated that probationers who produced elevated scores on these scales were up to 3 times more likely to violate probation than were those with non-elevated scores. Implications of these results and limitations of our findings are discussed.

Associations Between Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory‐2‐Restructured Form (MMPI‐2‐RF) Scores, Workers' Compensation Status, and Spine Surgery Outcome

This study examines whether workers' compensation (WC) patients respond more poorly to spine surgery than non‐WC patients and whether poorer outcome is associated with individual differences in personality and emotional variables, as assessed by the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory‐2‐Restructured Form (MMPI‐2‐RF). Three‐hundred eighty‐two patients underwent presurgical psychological screening that included a diagnostic interview and psychometric testing. Pain level, functional ability, work status, medication use, and emotional distress were assessed at baseline and at an average of 6 months postoperative. WC patients showed significantly poorer response to spine surgery than did non‐WC patients on measures of pain level, functional ability, work status, medication use, and emotional distress. MMPI‐2‐RF scales assessing demoralization, somatic complaints, and low positive emotions were found to be incrementally associated with diminished surgery results.

Supplemental Material for Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2-Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF) Predictors of Police Officer Problem Behavior and Collateral Self-Report Test Scores

Supplemental Material for Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2-Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF) Predictors of Police Officer Problem Behavior and Collateral Self-Report Test Scores

Supplemental Material for The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory–2–Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF): Incremental Validity in Predicting Early Postoperative Outcomes in Spine Surgery Candidates

Supplemental Material for The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory–2–Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF): Incremental Validity in Predicting Early Postoperative Outcomes in Spine Surgery Candidates

Validity of Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory – 2 – Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF) scores as a function of gender, ethnicity, and age of bariatric surgery candidates

BackgroundPresurgical psychological screening is used to identify factors that may impact postoperative adherence and surgical outcomes in bariatric surgery candidates. Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory – 2 Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF) findings have demonstrated utility for this task. ObjectivesTo explore whether there are clinically meaningful gender, ethnicity, or age differences in presurgical MMPI-2-RF scores and the validity of these scores in bariatric surgery candidates. MethodsThe sample was composed of 872 men and 2337 women. Ethnicity/race groups included 2,204 Caucasian, 744 African American, and 96 Hispanic individuals. A sample of 165 were not included in the ethnicity/race analyses because they were of another descent. Ages groups included 18–35 year olds (n = 454), 36–49 year olds (n = 1154), 50–64 year olds, (n = 1246), and 65 years old or older (n = 355). Validity data, obtained via a retrospective chart review, were available for a subset patients (n = 1,268) who were similarly distributed. Step-down hierarchical regression analyses were conducted to assess for differential validity. ResultsBariatric surgery candidates produced comparable MMPI-2-RF scores in all subsamples, indicating that the test norms generalize across demographic groups. Validity findings were also generally comparable, indicating that MMPI-2-RF scores have the same interpretive implications in demographically diverse subgroups of bariatric surgery candidates. ConclusionsThe MMPI-2-RF can assist in presurgical psychological screening of demographically diverse bariatric surgery candidates.

Underreporting on the MMPI-2-RF in a high-demand police officer selection context: an illustration.

Positive response distortion is common in the high-demand context of employment selection. This study examined positive response distortion, in the form of underreporting, on the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2-Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF). Police officer job applicants completed the MMPI-2-RF under high-demand and low-demand conditions, once during the preemployment psychological evaluation and once without contingencies after completing the police academy. Demand-related score elevations were evident on the Uncommon Virtues (L-r) and Adjustment Validity (K-r) scales. Underreporting was evident on the Higher-Order scales Emotional/Internalizing Dysfunction and Behavioral/Externalizing Dysfunction; 5 of 9 Restructured Clinical scales; 6 of 9 Internalizing scales; 3 of 4 Externalizing scales; and 3 of 5 Personality Psychopathology 5 scales. Regression analyses indicated that L-r predicted demand-related underreporting on behavioral/externalizing scales, and K-r predicted underreporting on emotional/internalizing scales. Select scales of the MMPI-2-RF are differentially associated with different types of underreporting among police officer applicants.

The Cross-Cultural Validity of the MMPI-2-RF Higher-Order Scales in a Sample of North Korean Female Refugees.

We investigated the cross-cultural factorial validity of the three Higher-Order (H-O) scales in the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF) among a sample of North Korean female refugees (N = 2,732). Given the importance of the H-O scales in the overall structure of the MMPI-2-RF scales and in interpretation, we were interested in exploring their cross-cultural validity. We conducted an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) on the nine Restructured Clinical (RC) scale raw scores and fitted and compared one- to three-factor models. The three-factor model, akin to the model in Tellegen and Ben-Porath, demonstrated the best fit to the data. Furthermore, the pattern matrices of loadings across the current sample and the U.S. samples were comparable despite some differences, such as the RC2 scale's salient, negative loading on a factor analogous to the Behavioral/Externalizing Dysfunction scale. We also investigated the unique psychological characteristics of the refugees, possibly resulting from the arduous, perilous journeys out of North Korea taken by this group of female refugees and discussed the results of EFA in light of those singular psychological traits and experiences. Overall, the three H-O scales of the Korean MMPI-2-RF evidenced reasonable cross-cultural factorial validity among the sample of North Korean female refugees.