Cross validation of the 2-8/8-2 MMPI code type for young adult psychiatric outpatients

Young adults attending a college student mental health center and obtaining 2 and 8 as their highest scale elevations (and not scale 7 as the third elevation) on the MMPI were compared to other patients at the center on 175 descriptors obtained from intake interviews. Those items which discriminated (chi2, p less than .05) 2-8/8-2 patients from others in the sample are presented in relationship to the descriptors obtained for this code type by other investigators. The statements generated by the Marks and Seeman interpretive system for adults were then reanalyzed by the Chi Square method to demonstrate the differential effect of statistical method upon code type interpretation. Although previously established correlates of 2-8/8-2 profiles were partially validated, a number of different descriptors emerge for males and females in this population. Questions are raised and discussed concerning methodologies for generating interpretive statements for various clinical populations.