Test of MCMI black norms for five scales

A 2 x 2 x 2 MANOVA was used to analyze the effects of race (Black vs. White), education (high school graduate vs. less than high school education), and diagnosis (schizophrenic vs. nonschizophrenic) on the MCMI Asocial, Avoidant, Schizotypal, Psychotic Thinking, and Psychotic Delusions scales that were obtained from 310 newly admitted psychiatric patients. The scales were selected because, according to the MCMI manual (Millon, 1983), they would be most apt to show differences between the schizophrenic and nonschizophrenic patients who participated in this study. The special norms for Black and White patients provided in the MCMI manual supplement (Millon, 1984) were used to compute the scale scores for the patients in this study. Race was the only significant (p less than .001) effect. Blacks scored higher than Whites on the Asocial, Avoidant, Psychotic Thinking, and Psychotic Delusions (p less than .04 for all scales). The results are discussed in terms of racial bias diminishing the usefulness of the MCMI.