The current study utilized an experimental design to investigate the utility of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI)-3 Validity Scales for detecting overreporting and underreporting and the impact of these response sets on substantive scale scores. College students completed a battery of criterion measures before assignment to a Standard Instructions (SIs) Group (n = 288), an Overreporting Group (n = 250), or an Underreporting Group (n = 215). t tests demonstrated that scores on MMPI-3 overreporting indicators and most substantive scales were higher among the Overreporting Group relative to the SI group with very large effect sizes, and scores on MMPI-3 underreporting indicators were higher and most substantive scales scores were lower among the Underreporting Group relative to the SI group, with moderate to large effects. Classification accuracy estimates documented the effectiveness of MMPI-3 Validity Scales in detecting overreporting and underreporting. Bivariate correlations between MMPI-3 substantive scale scores and criterion measures (which were completed under SIs for all three groups) were substantially attenuated for both simulation groups relative to the SI Group. Bivariate correlations were also attenuated for groups identified as overreporting or underreporting using MMPI-3 Validity Scale scores relative to individuals with valid MMPI-3 protocols, highlighting the need for and importance of appraising threats to protocol validity when assessing personality and psychopathology by self-report. Public Significance StatementThis study used an experimental simulation design and demonstrated that MMPI-3 Validity Scales can detect overreporting and underreporting with good classification accuracy, and that the validity of substantive scales is substantially attenuated when individuals engage in these problematic response styles, highlighting the importance of appraising threats to protocol validity when assessing personality and psychopathology.

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The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) instruments have a longstanding history of clinical applications in neuropsychological settings, and many studies have supported the utility of MMPI-2-Restructured Form scores among specific neuropsychological populations. However, the MMPI-3, a new version of the MMPI, has yet to be studied in a clinical neuropsychological setting. To address this need, we investigated the psychometric properties of MMPI-3 scores using a sample of 197 independent practice outpatient neuropsychology examinees (56.9% women; 80.2% White). Internal consistency coefficients and standard errors of measurement were generally consistent with statistics reported for two comparison groups included in the MMPI-3 Technical Manual, supporting the reliability of MMPI-3 scores. Correlations with external criteria-including presenting problems, neurocognitive, psychological/behavioral, and psychiatric diagnostic variables-supported the convergent and discriminant validity of MMPI-3 scores. Finally, relative risk analyses showed meaningful and theoretically expected findings, supporting the utility of the MMPI-3 in a clinical neuropsychological setting. Practical applications, study limitations, and future research directions are discussed. Public Significance StatementResults of this study support the psychometric properties-reliability, validity, and clinical utility-of Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-3 scale scores in a clinical neuropsychological setting. A wide range of external criteria were considered, including presenting problems, neurocognitive variables, psychological and behavioral variables, and psychiatric diagnoses.

Objective We examined the ability of scores on the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory–2—Restructured Form (MMPI‐2‐RF) scales to predict treatment progress (compliance and activity in therapy) and outcome at termination (success in therapy, readiness for termination, and functioning at termination). Method Our sample included 448 (185 males, 263 females) community mental health center outpatients with an average age of 32.2 years (standard deviation = 10.2). We used MMPI‐2‐RF (self‐report) indicators of personality and psychopathology and a composite outcome variable that represents therapist ratings of clients’ treatment progress and outcomes. Results Scores on several MMPI‐2‐RF scales were correlated and associated with increased risk for poorer psychotherapy progress and outcomes in a mental health outpatient sample. Conclusions Clinicians can utilize the MMPI‐2‐RF to identify clients at risk for therapy process challenges and adverse outcomes, suggesting possible problem areas for intervention.

This study examined the MMPI-2-RF (Ben-Porath & Tellegen, 2008/2011) Triarchic Psychopathy scales recently developed by Sellbom et al. ( 2016 ) in 3 separate groups of male correctional inmates and 2 college samples. Participants were administered a diverse battery of psychopathy specific measures (e.g., Psychopathy Checklist-Revised [Hare, 2003 ], Psychopathic Personality Inventory-Revised [Lilienfeld & Widows, 2005 ], Triarchic Psychopathy Measure [Patrick, 2010 ]), omnibus personality and psychopathology measures such as the Personality Assessment Inventory (Morey, 2007 ) and Personality Inventory for DSM-5 (Krueger, Derringer, Markon, Watson, & Skodol, 2012 ), and narrow-band measures that capture conceptually relevant constructs. Our results generally evidenced strong support for the convergent and discriminant validity for the MMPI-2-RF Triarchic scales. Boldness was largely associated with measures of fearless dominance, social potency, and stress immunity. Meanness showed strong relationships with measures of callousness, aggression, externalizing tendencies, and poor interpersonal functioning. Disinhibition exhibited strong associations with poor impulse control, stimulus seeking, and general externalizing proclivities. Our results provide additional construct validation to both the triarchic model and MMPI-2-RF Triarchic scales. Given the widespread use of the MMPI-2-RF in correctional and forensic settings, our results have important implications for clinical assessment in these 2 areas, where psychopathy is a highly relevant construct.

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Rogers, Sewell, and Gillard (2010) released a revised version of the Structured Interview of Reported Symptoms (SIRS; Rogers, Bagby, & Dickens, 1992), the SIRS-2, which introduced several new scales, indices, and a new classification model with the overall goal of improving its classification of genuine versus feigned presentations. Since the release of the SIRS-2, several concerns have been raised regarding the quality of the SIRS-2 development and validation samples and the method used to calculate classification accuracy estimates. To further explore issues related to the clinical utility of the SIRS-2, the current study examined associations of the SIRS and SIRS-2 with the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2-Restructured Form (Ben-Porath & Tellegen, 2008/2011) validity scales in separate samples of disability claimants and criminal defendants. Results indicate that the SIRS-2 reduced the number of feigning classifications. Additional analyses suggest that the Modified Total Index and Supplementary Scale Index do not assess the test-taking strategy that Rogers and colleagues (2010) intended the indices to capture. External data indicates that evaluees reclassified on the SIRS-2 in nonfeigning categories exhibited feigned symptoms of psychopathology. Indeed, we found that SIRS-identified feigners showed significant evidence of overreporting on the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2-Restructured Form validity scales, regardless of their SIRS-2 classification. The current study highlights the overall weakness in clinical utility of the SIRS-2. Implications of these results for both clinical and forensic settings are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record

Both Martin Sellbom and Yossef Ben-Porath are paid consultants to the MMPI-2-RF publisher, the University of Minnesota Press, and distributor, Pearson Assessments. As a co-author, Dr. Ben-Porath also receives royalties on sales of MMPI-2-RF materials.