MMPI REPORT

Psychodiagnostic Lab

MPS 251

Pallavi Chopra

2239336

Submitted to

Dr. Sherin P Antony

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The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) Interpretation Report

Personality Introduction

The term personality refers to the persistent traits, interests, motivations, values,
self-concept, abilities, and emotional patterns that make up a person's particular way of adjusting
to life. Although different theories have varied explanations for the formation and organisation of
personality, they all concur that personality influences behaviour. The term personality originates
from the Latin word "persona," which denoted a mask worn by actors in the theatre to portray
various characters or conceal their true identities. There are several factors that can impact a
person's personality, and explanations may vary. Some of these factors may include genetic
influences, as well as the impact of the environment and experiences that shape an individual's
personality.

Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI)

The MMPI is a clinical assessment tool that has been extensively studied and is widely

used by mental health professionals to evaluate traits of personality and psychopathology and

diagnose mental health conditions. However, it has also found applications in other areas beyond

clinical psychology (Cherry, 2022). The MMPI-2 is the most widely used version of the MMPI.

It is a self-report inventory, consisting of 567 true and false items, that aims to assess one’s

psychological state. The various questions are designed to disclose the person's feelings about

taking the test, and whether they are being honest while answering the test questions, or either

over/under-reporting in an attempt to influence the results. The test takes nearly around 60 to 90

minutes to finish, and the responses aid mental health professionals in seeing if there are any

signs of a personality disorder or mental illness (Joy, 2020).

The MMPI has in-built clinical scales, which define an individual’s emotional processes

and response to stress. There are 10 clinical scales in the MMPI-2, which overlap and specify
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various psychological conditions, with higher scale scores pointing to an increased risk of having

a mental health illness (Lamoreux, 2022). The first scale is Hypochondriasis, which is designed

to measure a phobic worry over a person’s health, with items concerning their well-being and

bodily symptoms. The second scale is Depression, which aims to identify features pertaining to

clinical depression, with questions concerning life dissatisfaction, no hope for future, and poor

self-esteem and confidence. Next, the third scale is Hysteria, which is intended to detect features

like headaches, low physical health, neuroticism, distrust, and suspicion, in a person. The fourth

scale is Psychopathic Deviate, which was designed to identify people who are psychopathic,

measuring the absence of acceptance of authority, and societal deviation. Moving on, the fifth

scale, which is Masculinity-Femininity, aims to assess homosexual tendencies and stereotypical

gender roles, while the sixth scale is that of Paranoia, which is considered to recognize

personality aspects like suspicion, grandiosity, rigidity, and sensitivity. The seventh scale is

Psychasthenia, which measures compulsions, obsessions, extreme doubts, and irrational fears,

and describes symptoms that reflect disorders like OCD, depression, and anxiety. Furthermore,

scale eight is Schizophrenia, which identifies aspects like social alienation, bizarre thoughts,

impulse and concentration difficulties, poor relations, and experiencing hallucinations and

delusions, whereas the ninth scale, that is Hypomania, identifies features like grandiosity,

irritability, hallucinations, quicker speech and motor movement, and delusions. Lastly, the tenth

scale is that of Social Introversion, with items focusing on shyness, lack of social skills, and

inclination to pull out from social contacts and duties.

The MMPI also includes validity scales that are specifically designed to detect whether a

person attempted to present a false or distorted self-image while taking the test. These scales help
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assess whether the person's responses accurately reflect their true personality or if they were

intentionally trying to manipulate the results.

1. L scale (Lie scale)- measures whether the individual is deliberately trying to

present themselves in an overly positive light

2. F scale (Infrequency scale)- Detects whether the individual is answering randomly

or in a way that suggests they are exaggerating or faking symptoms

3. K scale (Defensiveness scale)- Assesses whether the individual is trying to deny

or downplay psychological symptoms.

4. VRIN scale (Variable Response Inconsistency Scale)- Measures whether the

individual is giving inconsistent responses or contradicting themselves.

5. TRIN scale (True Response Inconsistency Scale): Assesses whether the individual

is consistently answering questions in a true or false pattern.

History and Development of the Test

In 1937, the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI), a psychological

assessment tool, was created by Starke R. Hathaway, a clinical psychologist, and J. Charnley

McKinley, a neuropsychiatrist, while they were working at the University of Minnesota

(Drayton, 2009). Their aim was to design an objective measure that could evaluate various

mental health disorders and their level of severity. Originally, the test was intended for use within

the university's Department of Psychology.

Initially, the test questions were chosen based on the responses provided by individuals

who had been diagnosed with various mental health disorders. Over time, the test gained

immense popularity and became widely used in different settings such as psychology clinics,
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hospitals, correctional facilities, and pre-employment screenings (Cherry, 2022). Currently, it is

the most commonly utilized clinical assessment tool and one of the most extensively researched

psychological tests in existence.

After its first release in 1943, the test has undergone numerous revisions to enhance its

precision and eliminate biases related to gender and race. During the updating process, some of

the original questions were removed or rephrased, while new ones were added to improve the

test's overall accuracy. Furthermore, new validity scales were incorporated into the modified

version of the test (Joy, 2020). There are several types of the MMPI that are in general use today:

· The MMPI-2 is the adult version of the assessment that has been commonly used as a

standard since it was initially released in 1989. It has undergone several revisions since then,

including in 2001, 2003, and 2009, to make it more culturally sensitive and inclusive. Despite

these changes, it remains the most widely used clinical assessment tool, comprising 567

true/false questions that can take between 60 to 90 minutes to complete.

● The MMPI-2-Retracted Form is a condensed version of the MMPI-2 designed for adults,

released in 2008. It includes 338 true/false items, which makes it significantly shorter

than the MMPI-2 and takes about half the time to complete, typically taking around 40 to

50 minutes.

● In 1992, the MMPI-Adolescent was introduced as a version of the test specifically

designed for adolescents aged 14 to 18 years old. This test includes 478 items and

typically takes around 60 minutes to complete.

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● In 2016, just like the MMPI-2-RF, the MMPI-A-Retracted Form was released as a shorter

version of the MMPI-A designed for adolescents and comprises of only 241 questions,

which take between 25 to 45 minutes to complete.

● The most recent version of the MMPI, the MMPI-3, was released in 2020 and includes

updated items, scales, and norms. It consists of 335 items and typically takes between 25

to 50 minutes to complete. The MMPI-3 is available in three languages: English, Spanish,

and French.

Psychometric Properties of the Test

An analysis was conducted on a selection of MMPI research published between 1970 and

1981 to determine the reliability and stability estimates for the various MMPI scales. Consistent

with previous research, the results showed that all scales had moderately high levels of reliability

and stability. Reliability values ranged from .71 to .84, while stability values ranged from .63 to

.86. The study included thousands of adult participants from various populations, including

college students, psychiatric patients, medical patients, individuals in alcohol or drug

rehabilitation programs, and prison residents (Drayton, 2009). The validity figures for the MMPI

vary depending on the specific clinical scales being assessed, as well as the population being

tested. The MMPI’s test-rest reliability is recorded as .50 to .80 where the first scale,

Hypochondriasis, has the highest reliability.

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Demographic Details

Name: P

Age: 23

Sex: Female

Educational Background: MSc Clinical Psychology

Occupation: Student

Family Type: Nuclear

Purpose of Test
The test was done to understand aspects of personality and the existence of components
of psychopathology for academic purposes.

Behavioural Observation:

The participant was eager to perform the test in the beginning but as the questions

progressed they seemed to lose interest. They started to fidget, lose focus and began showing

signs of tiredness. This could be due to the excessive number of items in the test and can impact

the accuracy of their responses.

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Test Results

Table 1

Validity Scales

Scales Raw Scores T Score

Frequency 1 41

Back Frequency 6 66

Infrequent Psychopathology 0 41

Lie 1 38

Correction 6 30

Superlative Self Preservation 16 39

The Infrequency T-score is 41. This implies that the participant accurately described their
psychological functioning. The Back Frequency T-score implies that the participant did not fake
the responses and there were no changes in the responses either. The
Infrequency-Psychopathology T-score suggests that the participant accurately described their
current mental health status. The T-score of the Lie scale can be interpreted as the participant
accepting their shortcomings and did not deliberately try to present themselves in the most
positive way possible. The T-score of the Correction scale suggests that the participant may be
faking bad, but there are no elevations in the Infrequency scales. Therefore the interpretation of
the Correction scale T-score is not warranted. The Superlative Self Preservation T-score is valid
and there are no signs of defensiveness.
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Table 2

Raw Scores T Score

VRIN 7 58

TRIN 10 58T

VRIN T-Score is 58 and the TRIN T-score is 58F. These scores imply that the profile of the
participant is valid. The participant was able to understand and respond to the items in a
consistent manner.
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Table 3

Clinical Scales

Scales Raw Scores T Score

Hypochondriasis (Hs) 14 67

Depression (D) 28 66

Hysteria (Hy) 25 56

Psychopathic Deviate (Pd) 15 47

Masculinity-Feminity (Mf) 40 40

Paranoia (Pa) 13 59

Psychasthemia (Pt) 19 58

Schizophrenia (Sc) 24 66

Hypomania (Ma) 19 55

Social Introversion (Si) 26 49

The T-score on the Hypochondriases is high level. The participant may have general or vague
somatic complaints. They may be preoccupied with health problems and develop somatic
symptoms in times of stress. The Depression scale had a T-score level of high. This suggests that
the participant is dysphoric, meaning that they are unhappy, uneasy and dissatisfied with life
situations. They may lack the energy to carry out everyday tasks and have somatic complaints.
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They are anxious and introverted. Their interests may be restricted and they lack self-confidence.
The participant has a moderate level of hysteria meaning they have somatic complaints. They
may be in denial and act immaturely. The participant may come off as self-centred and
demanding. They are also suggestible and affiliative i:e they desire to form emotional bonds.
Although they may get easily swayed by these bonds. The T-score level on the
Masculinity-Femininity is low indicating that although the participant may have traditional
feminine interests they are not exclusive. The participant may be androgynous meaning they
have both feminine and masculine traits. The T-score level on the Paranoia scale is moderate
meaning that the participant is overly sensitive and guarded. They may have issues with trusting
people and may act angry and resentful. A moderate level on the Psychasthenia T-score indicates
that they are anxious, tense, uncomfortable, insecure and lacking in self-confidence. Though they
are meticulous, they are also indecisive. The participant may be shy and introverted. The
participant has a high-level T-score on the Schizophrenia scale suggesting that the participant has
unusual beliefs. They may exhibit eccentric behaviours and may withdraw socially. The
participant may also indulge in excessive daydreaming or fantasies. They have generalized fear,
and anxiety, and may feel sad. The participant may also have somatic complaints. A moderate
T-score on the Hypomania scale suggests that the participant is energetic, gregarious,
extroverted, rebellious, and seeks excitement. They are also creative and enterprising.

Impressions

The participant accurately described their psychological functioning and mental health status.
They present general or vague somatic complaints and are preoccupied with health problems.
They exhibit somatic symptoms in times of stress. Moreover, they experience dysphoria, anxiety
and are overly sensitive. They have low self-confidence, are in denial about some of their
symptoms and act immaturely. They can come off as self-centred and demanding. The
participant has the desire to form emotional bonds but is also easily swayed by them. Both
feminine and masculine traits are present but they have feminine interests. They are guarded and
distrustful of people. Although they are meticulous in the tasks they are performing, they also
show signs of indecisiveness. They indulge in excessive daydreaming and have fantasies.
Eccentric behaviours and unusual beliefs are present. Often, they withdraw socially. They do
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have days where they are extroverted, energetic, rebellious and seek excitement. The participant
is creative and resourceful.
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References

American Psychological Association. (n.d.). Personality.

https://www.apa.org/topics/personality#:~:text=Personality%20refers%20to%20t
he%20enduring,%2C%20abilities%2C%20and%20emotional%20patterns.

Cherry, K. (2022, November 18). What Is the MMPI Test? Verywell Mind.
https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-the-minnesota-multiphasic-personality-i
nventory-2795582

Drayton, M. (2009). The Minnesota Multiphasic personality inventory-2 (MMPI-2).

Occupational Medicine, 59(2), 135-136. https://doi.org/10.1093/occmed/kqn182

Joy, R. (2020, April 20). What to Know About the MMPI Test. Healthline.
https://www.healthline.com/health/mmpi-test

Lamoreux, K. (2022, April 29). All About the MMPI Personality Test. Psych Central.
https://psychcentral.com/lib/minnesota-multiphasic-personality-inventory-mmpi#
clinical-scales

Statistics Solutions. (2022, June 27). Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory

(MMPI) - Statistics Solutions.
https://www.statisticssolutions.com/free-resources/directory-of-survey-instrumen
ts/minnesota-multiphasic-personality-inventory-mmpi/