Second-order factors of the MMPI item pool in a psychiatric sample

Finn's (1986) two second-order MMPI factors, based on the factor scales of Johnson, Butcher, Null, and Johnson (1984), were examined in a psychiatric sample (N = 2,027) by a confirmatory factor analytic procedure. The two-factor model was rejected in the psychiatric sample, and a three-factor model was derived using exploratory factor analysis. An Anti-social factor was present in the current study, but not in that of Finn (1986). The similarities between the second-order factors identified in this study and other factor analyses, including Finn's (1986), also are discussed.