Mexican Americans' performance on the MMPI as a function of level of acculturation

Previous researchers have concluded that differences in MMPI performance between Anglo and Mexican American surnamed subjects were due to cultural differences. The present research directly investigated this assumption by comparing MMPI scale score differences of 365 Anglo and Mexican American college students, with Acculturation, Age, and Socioeconomic status statistically controlled. Anglos scored significantly differently from Mexican American subjects on 10 of the 13 MMPI scales. With Acculturation and Age statistically controlled, however, Anglo vs. Mexican American subjects differed on only the L and MF scales. These results support previous conclusions that most MMPI differences between Anglo and Mexican American subjects are due to culture, or Acculturation. Our results are consistent with major findings within the MMPI literature and also support the hypothesis that personality differences identified by the L and MF scales reflect genuine characteristics of the Mexican-American culture.