A comparison of clinical accuracy ratings of interpretive approaches for adolescent MMPI responses

This study examined profile characteristics and clinical accuracy ratings of three interpretive approaches commonly employed with adolescent MMPI responses. Subjects were 26 male (average age = 14.3 years) and 34 female (average age = 15.2 years) inpatient adolescents. Each MMPI protocol generated three multiple paragraph narratives based upon: adult norms using adult descriptors (adult interpretive approach); adolescent norms and adolescent descriptors (adolescent interpretive approach); and adolescent norms and adult descriptors (mixed interpretive approach). Narratives were rated for accuracy by the patients' individual therapists following a minimum of five psychotherapy sessions. While the adolescent interpretive approach was rated significantly less accurate than either the adult or mixed interpretive approaches, all three interpretive approaches were judged to be of limited clinical accuracy.