AN EXTENSION OF HATHAWATS MMPI PROFILE

CODING SYSTEM
BY GEORGE S. WELSH
UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA

HE METHOD of coding MMPI

T profiles for classification developed
by Hathaway [2] has proved to be very
written. The method outlined by Hath-
away for filing the high scores is fol-
lowed except that in this instance the
helpful in interpretation of profiles and duplicate cards will be arranged with
useful for research. In work with neu- the digits reading from right to left. It
ropsychiatric patients, however, where is also somewhat easier to check the
many scores lie above 70 it is often de- codes developed by this method.
sirable to indicate the amount of eleva- In order to indicate the amount of
tion more accurately. Similarly it is elevation more accurately the following
often helpful to know the lowest scores symbols are used: all scores 90 or over
in such profiles even though they may will be followed by *, 80 to 89 by ", 70
lie between 46 and 54; these are not to 79 by ', 60 to 69 by -, 50 to 59 by /,
coded in the original method. 40 to 49 by :, and 30 to 39 by |. All
Accordingly in the extended profile scores below 30 then will appear to the
coding method all scale digits are used right of #. All these symbols appear on
and each profile code will contain nine standard typewriters and can be easily
digits (ten if 0 is used for I.E. [1]). made by hand.
The basic method is followed in that the In the clinic when we speak of a
highest score appears first and the "starred" profile we know that there are
others follow in descending order. It some scores 90 or over; a "double
differs in that there is no reversal for prime" profile means that some scores
the low scores since the middle scores are in the 80's; a "prime" profile will in-
are included and there is no break in the dicate one in which some scores are in
coding. the 70's.
The advantages of this method are As in the original method all scores
that the lowest scale always appears in lying within one point of one another
the code and is easier to find since it will will be underlined or set in italics if
always be the last digit at the right of printed. The code was followed by an X
the code. If the codes are being filed by if ? or L were 70 or more, or if F were
lowest scales they do not have to be re- 80 or more. In the extended method the
TABLE I
HYPOTHETICAL PROFILE DATA AND EXTENDED CODES
Scale Hs D Hy Pd Mf Pa Pt Sc Ma
Scale No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Code
A 74 86 75 79 55 69 92 95 46 (87*2"4 W6-5/9)
B 65 82 68 50 49 46 55 57 29 (2"'13-87 4/5 6:*9)
C 52 46 51 49 46 47 50 47 64 (9 137/4 6825)
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sign of the invalidating scale will follow
the profile code instead of an X. For ex-
ample, if the L score is 73 the code will
be followed by an L. An elevation of K
to 70 or more may be similarly in-
dicated.
If it is necessary to distinguish the
extended code from the original method
the extended code may be enclosed by
parentheses.
Examples of the extended coding
method are given in Table I. It will be
seen that from any such a code all
MMPI profiles with scores lying be-
tween 99 and 20 can always be recon-
structed on the basis of the code alone
to an accuracy of five points for any
scale. Ordinarily the accuracy will be
within two or three points.
REFERENCES
1. DRAKE, L. E. A social I.E. scale for the
Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inven-
tory. J. appl. Psyckol, 1946, 30, 51-54.
2. HATHAWAY, S. R. A coding system for
MMPI profile classification. /. consult.
Psychol, 1947, 11, 334-337.