Ethnic differences on the MMPI Overcontrolled-Hostility Scale

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Measurement of Fronto-limbic Activity Using an Emotional Oddball Task in Children with Familial High Risk for Schizophrenia
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Measurement of Fronto-limbic Activity Using an Emotional Oddball Task in Children with Familial High Risk for Schizophrenia

Published on: December 2, 2015

H E Hutton1, M H Miner, J R Blades

  • 1Program I, Atascadero State Hospital, CA 93423-7001.

Journal of Personality Assessment
|April 1, 1992
PubMed

Insights

Race significantly impacts scores on the Overcontrolled-Hostility (O-H) Scale, with Black patients scoring higher than White patients. This suggests potential racial bias in the O-H Scale

Area of Science:

  • Forensic Psychiatry
  • Psychometric Assessment
  • Racial Bias in Clinical Tools

Background:

  • The Overcontrolled-Hostility (O-H) Scale by Megargee, Cook, and Mendelsohn (1967) is used to assess personality traits.
  • Concerns exist regarding the scale's validity and potential biases in diverse patient populations.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the influence of race on O-H Scale scores in male forensic psychiatric inpatients.
  • To examine the validity of the O-H Scale in relation to demographic and clinical factors.

Main Methods:

  • Regression analysis was performed on a sample of 412 male forensic psychiatric inpatients.
  • Analyses of variance (ANOVAs) were used to examine criminal history and clinical problems in a subsample of 224 subjects.

Main Results:

  • Race was the sole significant predictor of O-H scores; Black patients scored higher than White patients.
  • Black patients scored an average of 5 T scores higher, with 43% exceeding a score of 69.
  • No correlation was found between O-H scores and prehospitalization employment, education, criminal history, or clinical problems.

Conclusions:

  • The O-H Scale may exhibit racial bias, potentially leading to mislabeling of Black patients as overcontrolled-hostile.
  • Further research is needed to validate the O-H Scale across different racial and ethnic groups in forensic settings.

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