PPT 3 Flashcards
Overview of Major Scale Sets
Clinical or Basic scales
- Harris-Lingoes sub-scales
- Martin-Finn sub-scales
- Si Scales
Validity scales
Content scales
- Content Component scales
Supplementary scales
PSY-5 scales
RC scales
AND Critical Items
K Scale
“Social desirability scale”
Subtle index of attempt to deny and down-play socially undesirable traits
Fb Scale
“Back page infrequency scale”
Similar to F scale but covering the last part of the test (after item 370)
If T-score > 80, be cautious in interpretation of those scales with items near the end of the test
If T-score > 120, clearly invalid back page
If F is valid but Fb is invalid, the person likely quit paying attention
S Scale
Superlative Scale
Detects presentation as highly virtuous, responsible, psychologically healthy
Fp Scale
Infrequency Psychopathology Scale
Arbisi & ben Porath, 1995
Useful in identifying conscious faking bad
- Useful in forensic cases
Mp Scale
Positive Malingering Scale
(Baer, Wetter, & Berry, 1992) (Cofer, Chance, & Judson, 1949)
Useful in detecting attempts to present in a favorable light
K Correction
Paul Meehl’s dissertation
- Meehl’s effort to adjust some scales susceptible to test defensiveness to a more accurate level
A way to adjust for excessive effort to downplay problems
Take an empirically determined proportion of K scale score and add it to clinical scales susceptible to the influence of social desirability
Nifty way to make clinical scale scores more realistic in light of one’s effort to look good
K Correction (cont)
Accomplished by adding a percentage of K scale raw score
Notice the table on the left of the profile sheet
Adopted early in the life of the MMPI, so much research has been done with K-corrected scores
BUT not without its problems - primarily, that it can distort interpretation
- E.g., a score on Scale 8 can be elevated almost exclusively from the added K and not from anything related to what the scale measures
- Thus, the uniformed can draw faulty conclusions (e.g., the person has a thinking disorder)
- BC careful in interpretation
In computer printouts, you often see non-K-corrected scores in addition to the K-corrected scores
Collaboration
Although the validity indicators are useful, there is no substitute for active, willing participation of the client
Principle of Profile on the MMPI
** The constellation of scales gives us more information than individual scales alone
Sample Validity Profiles
See handout
The Clinical Scales
Scale 1 - Hypochondriasis scale
Scale 2 - Depression scale
Scale 3 - Hysteria scale
Scale 4 - Psychopathic Deviate scale
Scale 5 - Masculinity-Femininity scale (added after original development)
Scale 6 - Paranoia scale
Scale 7 - Psychasthenia scale
Scale 8 - Schizophrenia scale
Scale 9 - Hypomania scale
Scale 0 - Social Introversion scale (added after original development)
Fundamentals of MMPI Interpretation: The Eight Basic Clinical Scales – Alex Caldwell
Video
https://www.caldwellreports.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Caldwell_Reports_Master_Lecture_What_Do_the_MMPI_Scales.pdf
Harris-Lingoes Subscales
Factorial scales (Scales 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9)
Elevation considered 60 to 65 and above
Some subscales are not reliable:
1. Too few items
2. Low internal consistency
3. Low test-retest reliability
Best to use them to understand Clinical elevations, don’t stand well on their own
Cont.
Scale 1 and Scale 7 have no sub-scales because they are fairly homogenous scales
Scale 2: Use the Nichols sub-scales (or the Harris-Lingoes)
Scale 5: Use the Martin-Finn Sub-scales
Scale 0: Use the Si Sub-scales (Ben-Portath et al.)
