Relations between the family environment scale (FES) and the MMPI

Area of Science:

• Psychological Assessment
• Personality Psychology
• Family Psychology

Background:

• The Family Environment Scale (FES) assesses perceptions of family social-environmental characteristics.
• The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) is a widely used psychometric test.
• Understanding the relationship between these instruments is crucial for accurate psychological evaluation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the interrelations between Family Environment Scale (FES) and Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) scales.
• To examine the association between social desirability and the endorsement of FES items.
• To discuss the implications for the research and clinical application of the FES.

Main Methods:

• A sample of 185 college students participated in the study.
• Correlational analyses were employed to assess the relationships between FES and MMPI scales.
• Social desirability and FES item endorsement rates were analyzed.

Main Results:

• FES scales were generally not highly redundant with MMPI variables.
• MMPI Scale K (defensiveness) demonstrated significant relationships with several FES scales.
• A strong positive correlation (approximately .80) was observed between social desirability and FES item endorsement rates.

Conclusions:

• The findings suggest distinct, though sometimes overlapping, constructs measured by the FES and MMPI.
• MMPI defensiveness may influence family environment perceptions.
• The high correlation between social desirability and FES endorsement highlights the need to consider response biases in interpreting FES results.