Minnesota Multiphasic

Personality Inventory
(MMPI)
Introduction
Introduction
 The MMPI is a psychological test that assesses 1)
personality traits and 2) psychopathology.
 Objective tool for assessing different psychiatric conditions
and their severity. 
 It was not originally designed to be administered to non-
clinical populations.
 It can be used to assess psychological stability in workers in
‘high-risk’ professions such as airline pilots, police or workers
in the nuclear power industry.  
 The University of Minnesota first published the test in 1943
by 
 Starke R. Hathaway 
 J.C. McKinley  
 They own the copyright for the test.   
 This test currently has two versions in operation.
 The original being the MMPI 
a) which was developed during the 1940s and is still in
use.
b)  It contains 550 true/false items.
 The second version is the MMPI-2 
a. which was introduced in 1990 
b. contained around 567 items.
 Subsequent revision of certain test elements in early
2001.
 MMPI-A, a version of the inventory developed specifically
for adolescents age 14 to 18, was published in 1992. 
 Uses
 The MMPI is used to help mental health
professionals
1. Assess 
2. Diagnose mental health conditions such as
schizophrenia, depression, and anxiety.
 It contains a variety of true/false questions that
are scored on a scale used to describe 
a) a person’s mental processes 
b)  how they manage stress. 
 Lawyers also use the MMPI as forensic evidence in
criminal defense and custody disputes. 
 According to the publisher of the MMPI, the University of
Minnesota Press, employers sometimes use the test in job
screenings for high risk public safety positions, such as:
 Police officers
 Nuclear power plant personnel
 Firefighters
 Pilots
 Air-traffic controllers
 Outside of a mental health treatment setting, MMPI
testing is sometimes used in substance abuse programs,
child custody disputes, or for educational purposes. 
 It's also been administered as part of employment
screenings.
 History
 This tool is unique since it is created to measure
psychopathology specifically, as opposed to simply
assessing anyone’s personality.
  In order to develop the instrument, the team constructed
clinical scales that were endorsed by patients who had
been diagnosed with certain mental disorders (Hathaway
& McKinley, 1940).
 Unlike other personality tests, the MMPI was not based
on any particular prevailing theories about personality,
such as the five-factor model or 16 personalities. 
 It simply measures where an individual falls on 10
different mental health scales in order to diagnose the
patient and get them the proper treatment they need.
 The MMPI was developed from hundreds of true/false
questions that: 
  would be useful in identifying personality dimensions.
 were  given to people suffering from 
a) a variety of psychological disorders 
b)  to a group that did not suffer from any disorder.
 They then identified the questions that most people
suffering from a particular type of illness answered
differently from those who were identified as normal. 
 Consequently, if a person tended to answer many of
the questions in the way in which paranoid people
answered, it was highly likely that the individual was
also paranoid.
Versions and Subscales of MMPI
 Versions of MMPI
 In the years after the test was first published,
clinicians and researchers began to question the
accuracy of the MMPI.
 Critics pointed out that the original sample group was
inadequate. Others argued that the results indicated
possible test bias, while others felt the test itself
contained sexist and racist questions.
 In response to these issues, the MMPI underwent a
revision in the late 1980s. Many questions were
removed or reworded while a number of new questions
were added. Additionally, new validity scales were
incorporated in the revised test.
 MMPI-2: The revised edition of the test was
released in 1989 as the MMPI-2. The test
received revision again in 2001 and updates
in 2003 and 2009, and it's still in use today as
the most frequently used clinical assessment
test.
 MMPI-2-RF: Another edition of the test,
published in 2008, is known as the Minnesota
Multi phasic Personality Inventory-2-
Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF), an
alternative to the MMPI-2.
 MMPI-A: There is also an MMPI, published in 1992,
that's geared toward adolescents aged 14 to 18 years
old called the MMPI-A. With 478 questions, it takes
about an hour to complete.
 MMPI-A-RF: In 2016, the Minnesota Multiphasic
Personality Inventory-Adolescent-Restructured Form (
MMPI-A-RF) was published. Like the MMPI-2-RF, it's
shorter, with just 241 questions that take 25 to 45
minutes to answer.
 MMPI-3: The latest version of the instrument, MMPI-3,
was released in 2020. The test takes 25 to 50 minutes to
complete and is available in English, Spanish, and French
for Canada formats.
 What the MMPI Test Measures?

 The MMPI-2 and MMPI-A have 10

clinical scales that are used to indicate
different psychological conditions,
though the MMPI-2-RF and the MMPI-
A-RF use different scales.
 Here's a brief overview of the clinical
scales on the MMPI-2 and the MMPI-A.
Scale 1—Hypochondriasis
This scale was designed to assess a neurotic concern over bodily
functioning. The items on this scale concern physical symptoms and
well-being. It was originally developed to identify people displaying
the symptoms of hypochondria, or a tendency to believe that one
has an undiagnosed medical condition.
Scale 2—Depression
This scale was originally designed to identify depression,
characterized by poor morale, lack of hope in the future, and
general dissatisfaction with one's own life situation. Very high
scores may indicate depression, while moderate scores tend to
reveal a general dissatisfaction with one’s life.
Scale 3—Hysteria
The third scale was originally designed to identify those who display
hysteria or physical complaints in stressful situations. Those who are
well-educated and of a high social class tend to score higher on this
scale. Women also tend to score higher than men on this scale.
Scale 4—Psychopathic Deviate
Originally developed to identify psychopathic
individuals, this scale measures social deviation, lack
of acceptance of authority, and amorality (a
disregard for morality). This scale can be thought of
as a measure of disobedience and antisocial
behavior.
Scale 5—Masculinity-Femininity
This scale was designed by the original authors to
identify what they referred to as "homosexual
tendencies," for which it was largely ineffective.
Today, it is used to assess how much or how little a
person identifies how rigidly an individual identifies
with stereotypical male and female gender roles.
Scale 6—Paranoia
This scale was originally developed to identify
individuals with paranoid symptoms such as
suspiciousness, feelings of persecution,
grandiose self-concepts, excessive sensitivity,
and rigid attitudes.
Scale 7—Psychasthenia
This diagnostic label is no longer used today
and the symptoms described on this scale are
more reflective of anxiety, depression,
and obsessive-compulsive disorder. This scale
was originally used to measure excessive doubts,
compulsions, obsessions, and unreasonable
fears.
Scale 8—Schizophrenia
This scale was originally developed to identify individuals
with schizophrenia. It reflects a wide variety of areas including bizarre
thought processes and peculiar perceptions, social alienation, poor
familial relationships, difficulties in concentration and impulse
control, lack of deep interests, disturbing questions of self-worth and
self-identity, and sexual difficulties.
The scale can also show potential substance abuse, emotional or
social alienation, eccentricities, and a limited interest in other people.
Scale 9—Hypomania
This scale was developed to identify characteristics of hypomania
such as elevated mood, hallucinations, delusions of grandeur,
accelerated speech and motor activity, irritability, flight of ideas, and
brief periods of depression.
Scale 0—Social Introversion
This scale was developed later than the other nine scales. It's
designed to assess a person’s shyness and tendency to withdraw
from social contacts and responsibilities.
VALIDITY SCALES
 Versions of MMPI
 All of the MMPI tests use validity scales of
varying sorts to help assess the accuracy of
each individual's answers.
 Since these tests can be used for
circumstances like employment screenings and
custody hearings, test takers may not be
completely honest in their answers.
 Validity scales can show how accurate the test
is, as well as to what degree answers may have
been distorted. 
 L scale

 Also referred to as the lie scale, this

"uncommon virtues" validity scale was
developed to detect attempts by individuals
to present themselves in a favorable light.
 People who score high on this scale
deliberately try to present themselves in the
most positive way possible, rejecting
shortcomings or unfavorable characteristics.
 F scale
 This scale is used to detect attempts at
over reporting. Essentially, people who
score high on this scale are trying to
appear worse than they really are, they
may be in severe psychological distress,
or they may be just randomly answering
questions without paying attention to
what the questions say.
 K scale

 Sometimes referred to as the "defensiveness

scale," this scale is a more effective and less
obvious way of detecting attempts to present
oneself in the best possible way by
underreporting.
 People may underreport because they're
worried about being judged or they may be
minimizing their problems or denying that
they have any problems at all
 ? scale
 Also known as the "cannot say" scale, this
validity scale assesses the number of items left
unanswered. The MMPI manual recommends
that any test with 30 or more unanswered
questions should be declared invalid.
 TRIN Scale

 The True Response Inconsistency (TRIN) scale

was developed to detect people who use fixed
responding, a method of taking the test
without regard to the question, such as
marking ten questions "true," the next ten as
"false," and so on.
 Fixed responding could be used due to not
being able to read or comprehend the test
material well or being defiant about having to
take the test. This section consists of 20 paired
questions that are the opposite of each other.
 VRIN Scale
 The Variable Response Inconsistency
(VRIN) scale is another method
developed to detect inconsistent, random
responses. Like fixed responding, this can
be intentional or it can be due to not
understanding the material or not being
able to read it.
 FB Scale
 This scale is designed to show changes in how
a person responded in the first half of the test
versus how they responded in the second half by
using questions that most normal respondents
didn't support.
 High scores on this scale sometimes indicate
that the respondent stopped paying attention
and began answering questions randomly. It can
also be due to over or underreporting, fixed
responding, becoming tired, or being under
severe stress.
The FP Scale
This scale helps detect intentional over reporting in people who
have a mental health disorder of some sort or who were using
random or fixed responding.
The FBS Scale
The "symptom validity" scale is used for people who are taking the
test because they're claiming that they had a personal injury or
disability. This scale can help establish the credibility of the test
taker.
The S Scale
The "superlative self-presentation" scale was developed in 1995 to
look for additional underreporting. It also has sub-scales that
assess the test taker's belief in human goodness, serenity,
contentment with life, patience/denial of irritability, and denial of
moral flaws.
Administration and Interpretation
Administration
 The MMPI should be administered, scored,
and interpreted by a professional, preferably a 
clinical psychologist or psychiatrist, who has
training and experience in psychological testing
and assessment.
 The MMPI test should be used with other
assessment tools as well.
 A diagnosis should never be made solely on
the results of the MMPI.
 Cont.
 Before administering the MMPI test, it is important
to provide the patient with clear and thorough
instructions to ensure they understand what is
expected of them during the test.
Explain the purpose of the test: It is important to
explain to the patient why the test is being given and
what information it will provide.
Provide clear instructions: How the test works and
what they need to do. Tell them to read each
question carefully and to answer each question
truthfully, based on their own thoughts and feelings.
Emphasize that there are no right or wrong
answers: Inform the patient that there are no
right or incorrect answers on the test.
Encourage them to answer questions honestly,
regardless of how uncomfortable or
embarrassed they may feel.
Explain the format of the test: Explain the
format of the test, how many questions are on
the test, how much time they have to complete
it, and whether they are allowed to skip
questions or go back to review their answers.
Provide privacy and a comfortable
environment: Make sure the patient feels
comfortable and safe during the test. Provide a
private and quiet environment where they can
focus on the test without interruptions.
Answer any questions: Encourage the patient
to ask questions if they are unsure about
anything, and provide clear answers to their
questions.
Interpretation
 Once the test is completed, the professional
will score the test and interpret the results.
 The results may be used to diagnose mental
health conditions, develop a treatment plan, or
provide insights into the client's personality
traits and coping styles.
 Following steps are generally involved in
interpreting the MMPI:
Raw score calculation: The first step is to calculate the
patient's raw scores for each scale. This involves tallying up
the number of responses that are indicative of a particular
trait or symptom. The normal range is from 50-65, and
anything outside of this range is marked as clinically
significant (Framingham, 2016).
Profile interpretation: Once the raw scores are calculated,
the next step is to interpret the patient's profile. The profile is
a graphical representation of the patient's scores on each
scale, which can provide insights into their personality traits
and psychological symptoms.
For example, a high score on the depression scale may
suggest the presence of depression, while a high score on the
paranoia scale may suggest paranoid ideation.
Validity assessment: It is important to assess the validity of the patient's
responses, as some patients may intentionally or unintentionally distort
their responses on the test. Validity scales, such as the Lie scale, are used
to identify inconsistent or unreliable responses.
Clinical interpretation: Once the raw scores, profile, and validity scales
have been assessed, the next step is to interpret the results in the
context of the patient's clinical presentation. This involves integrating the
test results with other sources of information, such as clinical
interviews, observation, and medical history, to develop a
comprehensive understanding of the patient's psychological functioning.
Report writing: Finally, the results of the MMPI are typically summarized
in a written report, which may include the patient's raw scores, profile,
validity scales, and clinical interpretation. The report should be written in
a clear and concise manner that is easy for other mental health
professionals to understand.
Advantages and Disadvantages of
MMPI
Advantages
 The MMPI provides broad information about aspects of
personality and the existence of components of
psychopathology.

 The MMPI is completed by indicating true/false to a

series of declarative statements that identify personal
beliefs or symptomology.

 Interpretation is based upon scoring reasonably

truthfully and consistently within the outlined scales of
the test.
 Scales in older versions represented
clinical syndromes, while more recently
developed scales are based on identifying
symptoms that can be applied to
appropriate conditions or disorders.

 The MMPI is effective at distinguishing

psychopathy from malingering

 The MMPI has been revised to make the

test more efficient.
 The MMPI can be taken by an individual
patient to provide evidence of their symptoms
but can also be fielded to a population fitting a
known category to observe trends within their
scoring.

 The MMPI has been applied to a variety of

non-clinical settings, including legal evidence in
criminal and civil cases and screening for
employment
 Disadvantages
 Lengthy

Time consuming

Ability to read and write

Has to be administered and interpreted

by trained personnel and has to be
correlated clinically
 Hard to generalize to other populations

The language of many of the items had

become obsolete and some items
contained sexist language

Finally, many people felt the items did

not adequately address behaviors such as
suicide.
THANK YOU!
Any Questions?