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MMPI Scale Five: its meaning, or lack thereof.

M R Wong1

  • 1Veterans Administration Medical Center, Battle Creek, Michigan 49016, USA.

Journal of Personality Assessment
|June 1, 1984
PubMed
Summary

The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) Scale Five (MJ) lacks consistent meaning, challenging its use in psychological assessments. Research indicates significant limitations in its structure and interpretation, questioning its validity.

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Area of Science:

  • Psychological Assessment
  • Personality Measurement
  • Psychopathology

Background:

  • The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) is a widely used tool for personality and psychopathology assessment.
  • Interpretations of MMPI scales, including Scale Five (MJ), are often provided through "cookbooks" and computer-generated reports, aiming for user accessibility.
  • Generalizations derived from MMPI Scale Five scores have been widely accepted, influencing critical life decisions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To critically evaluate the empirical basis and interpretability of MMPI Scale Five (MJ).
  • To examine the validity of generalizations made from MMPI Scale Five scores.
  • To investigate the structural integrity and explanatory power of MMPI Scale Five.

Main Methods:

  • Comprehensive literature review of empirical research on MMPI Scale Five (MJ).
  • Analysis of studies attempting to map the factor structure of MMPI Scale Five.
  • Examination of the theoretical assumptions underlying the development of MMPI Scale Five.

Main Results:

  • Empirical research fails to provide a consistent meaning for any score level on MMPI Scale Five.
  • Factor analysis of MMPI Scale Five reveals numerous factors, explaining a maximum of 30% of the variance.
  • The scale's structure is complex and lacks robust empirical support for distinct interpretations.

Conclusions:

  • MMPI Scale Five (MJ) exhibits significant shortcomings, questioning the validity of its interpretations.
  • The underlying assumptions of MMPI Scale Five, particularly regarding sex differences, are problematic.
  • The concept of sex difference is inappropriately defined, creating artificial boundaries in psychological assessment.

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