FACTOR STRUCTURE O F THE MMPI IN A PSYCHIATRIC POPULATION

A multi-stage factor analysis of the 373-item short form of the MMPI revealed six factors consistent with item-level analyses of a number of other investigators and with those previously identified by the authors in analysis of the first 168 items: (1) Somatization, (2) Feminine Interests, (3) Depression, (4) Psychotic Distortion, (5) Low Morale, and ( 6 ) Acting Out. Scoring keys for the six factors are presented along with 2'-score profile sheets and T-score equivalents of raw factor scores derived from a normal college population with clinical profiles comparable to those reported for other college groups. Factor scoring, with its more homogeneous content, promises to simplify pattern interpretation insofar as the more common code types tend to be represented in single factors. Moreover, since the MMPI-168 shows a factor structure consistent with the longer form, it seems justified to use it in situations requiring an abbreviated administration.