PERSONALITY INVENTORIES

PSYCHOMETRY

1. PSYCHOMETRY TOPIC : PERSONALITY INVENTORIES: MMPI and 16 PF

2. Introduction A personality inventory is a self-report inventory which is a type of psychological test in which a person fills out a survey or questionnaire with or without the help of an investigator . Personality inventories include questions dealing with situations, symptoms, and feelings. Test-takers-are asked to indicate how well each item describes themselves or how much they agree with each item . Inventories are different from tests in that there is no objectively correct answer; responses are based on opinions and subjective perceptions.

3. Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI)  The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) is one of the most frequently used personality tests in mental health. The test is used by trained professionals to assist in identifying personality structure and psychopathology. The MMPI is currently commonly administered in one of two forms — the MMPI-2, and the newer MMPI-2-RF, published in 2008. While the MMPI-2-RF is a newer measure and takes about half the time to complete (usually 30 to 50 minutes), the MMPI-2 is still the more widely used test because of its existing large research base and familiarity with psychologists. (Another version of the test — the MMPI-A — is designed exclusively for teenagers.)

4. The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory is considered a protected psychological instrument , meaning it can only be given and interpreted by a psychologist trained to do so (you cannot find the test online ). While it’s commonly administered by computer nowadays (and requires no direct professional involvement during its administration), psychological testing is nearly always preceded by a clinical interview by the psychologist who is doing the testing . After the computer scores the test results, the psychologist writes up a report interpreting the test results in the context of the person’s history and current psychological concerns . 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 .

5. Versions of MMPI   MMPI The original MMPI was developed in 1939 using an empirical keying approach, which means that the clinical scales were derived by selecting items that were endorsed by patients known to have been diagnosed with certain pathologies. I t was atheoretical (not based on any particular theory) and thus the initial test was not aligned with the prevailing psychodynamic theories of that time . However , because the MMPI scales were created based on a group with known psychopathologies, the scales themselves are not atheoretical by way of using the participants' clinical diagnoses to determine the scales' contents.

6. MMPI-2 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. 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 was also introduced over many years to help clinicians interpret the results of the original clinical scales, which had been found to contain a general factor that made interpretation of scores on the clinical scales difficult. The current MMPI-2 has 567 items, all true-or-false format, and usually takes between 1 and 2 hours to complete depending on reading level.

7. 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 older MMPI-2 is made up 10 clinical subscales, which are a result of answering certain questions on the test in a specific manner.

8. Clinical scales Scale 1 ( the  Hypochondriasis  Scale)  Measures a person's  perception and preoccupation with their health and health issues. Scale 2 ( the Depression Scale)  Measures a person's  depressive  symptoms level. Scale 3 ( the  Hysteria Scale)  Measures the  emotionality  of a person. Scale 4 (the  Psychopathic Deviate Scale)  Measures a person's need for control or their rebellion against control. Scale 5 (the Femininity/Masculinity Scale)  Measures a  stereotype of a person and how they compare. Scale 6 ( the  Paranoia  Scale)  Measures a person's inability to trust. Scale 7 ( the  Psychasthenia  Scale)  Measures a person's anxiety levels and tendencies. Scale 8 (the  Schizophrenia  Scale)  Measures a person's unusual/odd cognitive, perceptual, and emotional experiences Scale 9 ( the  Mania  Scale)  Measures a person's energy. Scale 0 ( the Social Introversion Scale)  Measures whether people enjoy and are comfortable being around other people.

9. The 4 Validity Scales The MMPI-2 is not a valid measure of a person’s psychopathology or behavior if the person taking the test does so in a way that is not honest or frank. A person may decide, for whatever reasons, to overreport (exaggerate) or underreport (deny) the behavior being assessed by the test. The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2) contains four validity scales designed to measure a person’s test-taking attitude and approach to the test: Lie  (L) – The Lie scale is intended to identify individuals who are deliberately trying to avoid answering the MMPI honestly and in a frank manner. The scale measures attitudes and practices that are culturally laudable, but rarely found in most people. In other words, people who make these items are often trying to make themselves look like a better person than they really are (or that anybody is). The scale contains 15 items.

10. F  – The F scale (the “F” does not stand for anything, although it is mistakenly sometimes referred to as the Infrequency or Frequency scale) is intended to detect unusual or atypical ways of answering the test items, like if a person were to randomly fill out the test . It taps a number of strange thoughts, peculiar experiences, feelings of isolation and alienation, and a number of unlikely or contradictory beliefs, expectations and self-descriptions. If a person answers too many of the F and Fb scale items incorrectly, it will invalidate the entire test. Contrary to some descriptions of the scale, F scale items are scattered throughout the entire test up until around item 360. The scale contains 60 items. Back F  ( F b ) – The Back F scale measures the same issues as the F scale, except only during the last half of the test. The scale has 40 items. K  – The K scale is designed to identify psychopathology in people who otherwise would have profiles within the normal range. It measures self-control, and family and interpersonal relationships, and people who score highly on this scale are often seen as being defensive. The scale contains 30 items.

11. MMPI-A A version of the test designed for adolescents, the MMPI-A, was released in 1992.  The MMPI-A has 478 items, with a short form of 350 items.

12. MMPI-2 RF A new and psychometrically improved version of the MMPI-2 has recently been developed employing rigorous statistical methods that were used to develop the RC Scales in 2003 .  The new MMPI-2 Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF) has now been released by Pearson Assessments. The MMPI-2-RF produces scores on a theoretically grounded, hierarchically structured set of scales, including the RC Scales.

13. 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 have been extensively researched since their publication in 2003. 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 homogenous condition that is additive. 

14. Advantages of MMPI-2 1.The  MMPI-2 provides information about the person's test-taking attitude, which alerts the clinician to the possibility that clients are careless, defensive, or exaggerating their problems. 2. The MMPI-2 covers a wide range of problems in a direct and efficient manner 3.Because  the MMPI-2 is scored objectively, the initial description of the person's adjustment is not influenced by the clinician's subjective impression of the client. 4.The MMPI-2  can be interpreted  in an actuarial fashion,  using  extensive banks of information regarding  people who respond to items in a particular way .

15. Limitations of MMPI-2 1.The test is not particularly sensitive to certain  forms of psychopathology, especially those that have been added with the publication  of  DSM-III and DSM-IV-TR. 2 . The test depends on the person's ability to read and respond to written statements.

16. Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire (16PF) The Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire (16PF) is a comprehensive measure of normal range personality found to be effective in a variety of settings where an in-depth assessment of the whole person is needed . The 16PF traits, are the result of years of factor-analytic research focused on discovering the basic structural elements of personality (Cattell, R.B., 1957, 1973 ). In addition to discovering the sixteen normal-range personality traits for which the instrument is named, these researchers identified the five broad dimensions – a variant of the ‘Big Five’ factors (Cattell, R.B., 1957, 1970).

17. From the beginning, Cattell proposed a multi-level, hierarchical structure of personality: the second-order global measures describe personality at a broader, conceptual level, while the more precise primary factors reveal the fine details and nuances that make each person unique, and are more powerful in predicting actual behaviour. Due to its scientific origins, the 16PF Questionnaire has a long history of empirical research and is embedded in a well-established theory of individual differences.

18. Since its first publication in 1949, there have been four major revisions – the most recent release being the 16PF fifth edition ( Cattell , R.B. et al., 1993 ). T he instrument has been adapted into more than 35 languages worldwide . These are not simply translations, as many questionnaires provide, but careful cultural adaptations, involving new norms and reliability and validity research in each new country . Introduction of Web-based administration in 1999 allowed international test-users easy access to administration, scoring, and reports in many different languages, using local norms.

19. The latest edition contains 185 multiple-choice items, with a threepoint answer format. Item content is non-threatening, asking about daily behavior , interests, and opinions . The questionnaire is written at a fifth grade reading level, and meant for use with people 16 years and older . The instrument provides scores on the 16 primary scales, 5 global scales, and 3 response bias scales.

20. All personality scales are bipolar (have clear, meaningful definitions at both ends), and are given in ‘ stens ’ (standardized-ten scores) ranging from 1 to 10, with a mean of 5.5 and a standard deviation of 2.0 . Because the questionnaire is un-timed and has simple, straightforward instructions, administration requires minimal supervision in either individual or group settings. Administration time is about 35–50 minutes for paper-and-pencil format, and about 25–40 minutes for computer administration.

21. Uses and applications Because of its strong scientific background, the 16PF Questionnaire is used in a wide range of settings, including industrial/organizational , counselling and clinical , basic research , educational , and medical settings . The instrument’s ability to provide comprehensive, objective information in an efficient manner makes it a particularly powerful tool for industrial/organization applications, such as employee selection, promotion, development, coaching, or outplacement counselling . The questionnaire is also widely used in career counselling settings. Although the 16PF Questionnaire is a measure of normal-range personality, it can be used in counselling/clinical settings to provide an in-depth, integrated picture of the whole person.

22. Advantages Substantial strengths of this test are reliability of its manual, reasonable scoring method, quantitative measurement and scientific approach ( Cattell & Schuerger , 2003). Being a personality assessment test is its biggest strength. It is the most renowned instrument for assessing normal adult populations' personality attributes ( Cattell & Mead, 2008). The test also has strong reliability coefficient and standard error of measurement within the range of the test along with distinct justification and normed sample (Grossman & Craig, 1995).

23. Disadvantages Interpretation is quite complex and necessitates advanced training ( Cattell & Mead, 2008). Use of question mark suggested as the middle response may direct towards an infrequency response style. It may be difficult for a new user to understand the 16 factor personality structure due to its complexity (Coates, 2001). The test has also received some criticism due to the complexity of the factor analytical approach.

24. Reading level also deviates from 5th grade level in the technical manual ( Cattell & Mead, 2008 ). Certain questions necessitate sight ability so it is not appropriate for blind individuals ( Cattell & Schuerger , 2003 ). Clients , for whom English is second language, this assessment may present difficulties.

25. Conclusion The 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. With two different primary versions available (the MMPI-2 and the MMPI-2-RF), this test is a long form, true/false test that helps you find out more about yourself. The 16PF Questionnaire is a comprehensive and widely used measure of normal, adult personality which was developed from factor-analytic research into the basic structural elements of personality. First published in 1949, and now in its fifth edition, the questionnaire is based on Cattell’s multi-level personality theory, and measures 16 primary factors, 5 global or second-stratum factors (the original Big Five), and 2 third-stratum factors.

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