When administering a self-report personality assessment, psychologists must take an individual’s motivation and intent into account. For example, in job interviews individuals usually want to cast themselves in the best possible light when asked about their personality traits that influence work habits. The MMPI-2 is one assessment instrument that takes motivation and intent into account, but how do you know that this instrument is appropriate for your setting? How might the MMPI-2 assist you in gathering accurate self-report data in a specific setting?
For this Discussion, review this week’s Learning Resources. It is also recommended that you revisit the Arbisi et al. (2006), Gilmore et al. (2001), and the Wygant et al. (2010) articles on settings from Week 2. Then consider the purpose for using the MMPI-2 and whether the MMPI-2 would be appropriate for the setting you selected for your Week 2 discussion.
With these thoughts in mind:
Post by Day 4 a description of the purpose for using the MMPI-2. Then explain how you might use the MMPI-2 in the setting you selected in your Week 2 Discussion and explain how and why it may be appropriate. Be sure to title your discussion post with the setting.
Be sure to support your post with specific references to the Learning Resources.
Readings
- Arbisi, P. A., Ben-Porath, Y. S., & McNulty, J. (2006). The ability of the MMPI-2 to detect feigned PTSD within the context of compensation seeking. Psychological Services, 3(4), 249–261.
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases. - Bagby, R., Marshall, M. B., Basso, M. R., Nicholson, R. A., Bacchiochi, J., & Miller, L. S. (2005). Distinguishing bipolar depression, major depression, and schizophrenia with the MMPI-2 Clinical and Content Scales. Journal of Personality Assessment, 84(1), 89–95.
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases. - Butcher, J. N., Graham, J. R., Ben-Porath, Y. S., Tellegen, A., Dahlstrom, W. G., & Kaemmer, B. (2001). MMPI–2 (Minnesota multiphasic personality inventory-2) manual for administration, scoring, and interpretation (Revised ed.,pp. 1-212). Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Press.
Note: While you do not have a specific reading assignment for this text, be sure refer to it as necessary both during this week and during the in-residence component.
- Dao, T. K., Prevatt, F., & Horne, H. (2008). Differentiating psychotic patients from nonpsychotic patients with the MMPI-2 and Rorschach. Journal of Personality Assessment, 90(1), 93–101.
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases. - Gilmore, J. D., Lash, S. J., Foster, M. A., & Blosser, S. L. (2001). Adherence to substance abuse treatment: Clinical utility of two MMPI-2 scales. Journal of Personality Assessment, 77(3), 524–540.
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases. - Groth-Marnat, G. (2016). Handbook of psychological assessment (6th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.
- Chapter 7, “Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory” (pp. 243-370)
- Nichols, D. S. (2011). Essentials of MMPI-2 assessment (2nd ed., pp.1-341). New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Note: While you do not have a specific reading assignment for this text, be sure refer to it as necessary both during this week and during the in-residence component.
- Wygant, D. B., Sellbom, M. G., Gervais, Ben-Porath, R. O., Stafford, Y. S., Freeman, K. P., & Heilbronner, R. L. (2010). Further validation of the MMPI-2 and MMPI-2-RF Response Bias Scale: Findings from disability and criminal forensic settings. Psychological Assessment, 22 (4), 745–756.
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.
Answer preview
Self-reports inventories can be a good source of valuable and accurate information if the subjects respond honestly. Response biases like underreporting or overreporting of symptoms can result in misleading and unrealizable results. Test takers overreport symptoms to fake bad or convince the psychiatrist that they possess certain psychological conditions. One of the motivations that may compel an individual to overreport is to portray himself worse than he really is. On the other hand, a person may underreport to show present himself in a favorable light. In this case, an individual may try to conceal symptoms to fabricate normalcy (Bagby et al.,2005. MMPI-2 is appropriate as it allows a psychiatrist to detect any traces of fabrication. For instance, a person who scores high in F-validity must be malingering. Also, those who score high in L-validity must be underreporting. Therefore, MMPI-2 is an accurate tool to distinguish an individual’s motivations and intent.
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