MMPI-2 profiles of men charged with murder or other offenses

This study describes MMPI-2 profiles of men charged with murder or other offenses and examines how well the MMPI-2 differentiates between these groups. Records of 135 men charged with murder and 82 charged with other offenses were examined. Results do not support the use of the MMPI-2 to differentiate between murder and other defendants. Both groups may be described as having 6-8/8-6 profiles. The mean MMPI-2 profile for the murder group was compared to the MMPI profile described by Holcomb, Adams, Ponder, and Anderson in 1984. These mean profiles have generally the same configuration and scale elevations but show important differences. This suggests that further research needs to be conducted examining the psychometric equivalence of the MMPI and the MMPI-2. Also, caution should be used when making predictions based solely on MMPI-2 profiles.