Identifying Aggression in Forensic Inpatients Using the MMPI-2-RF: An Examination of MMPI-2-RF Scale Scores and Estimated Psychopathy Indices

Associations between MMPI-2-RF Scale scores and institutional violence among patients detained under sexually violent predator laws.

“…Correlational analyses between MMPI-2-RF scores and future violence generally converged with expectations based on past research. Grossi et al (2015) found that MMPI-2-RF measures of thought dysfunction were the strongest predictors of violence in psychiatric patients, as measured by the START Outcomes Scale. In the current study, THD, RC8, and PSYC-r were either significant or marginally significant predictors of future violence.…”

“…To this end, we calculated partial point-biserial correlations between MMPI-2-RF scale scores and a dichotomous future violence outcome variable while controlling for hospitalization time after testing. Based on the research reviewed earlier (Grossi et al, 2015; Tarescavage et al, 2016), we expected that scores from the following MMPI-2-RF scales would demonstrate significant, meaningful associations with future violence: THD, BXD, RC3, RC4, RC7, RC8, RC9, AXY, ANP, JCP, AGG, FML, IPP, AGGR-r, DISC-r, PSYC-r, and NEGE-r (Please see Tables 1 and 2 for scale names). The utility of other MMPI-2-RF scale scores for this purpose was also explored.…”

Utility of the MMPI-2 Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF) in a sample of Lithuanian male offenders.

“…For this reason, the external variable lacked specificity to some extent, as it included a very wide range of behaviors for which the relationship with aggressiveness was of different strengths. Grossi et al (2015) evaluated specific forms of recent aggressive behavior (e.g., verbal aggression or physical aggression against others) in a forensic psychiatric institution, which can account for their discrepant findings that included predictive utility of the thought dysfunction scales. Their sample was also composed of psychiatric patients with higher rates of such pathology.…”

“…First, we investigated the utility of the MMPI-2-RF to differentiate groups of offenders on the basis of various external variables just reviewed, such as history of suicidal attempts, history of violent crimes, substance and drug abuse, and the onset of criminality. Although we expected that certain scales, such as SUI, AGG, and JCP, and more broadly, BXD, RC4, and DISC-r, would be particularly potent predictors in light of their direct coverage of such problems and previous empirical support (Anderson, Sellbom, Ayearst, et al, 2015; Glassmire et al, 2016; Grossi et al, 2015; Tarescavage, Glassmire, et al, 2016; Tellegen & Ben-Porath, 2008/2011) we did not have sufficient literary basis for a full set of MMPI-2-RF hypotheses for each variable. A second goal of the current study was to examine the concurrent associations between MMPI-2-RF scales and a measure assessing risk of reconviction, the Offender Assessment System (OASys; Home Office, 2012), which was deemed important as risk of reconviction evaluations are routinely conducted in Lithuanian correctional institutions.…”

“…Research has found theoretically expected associations between violence and scales that assess lack of behavioral control and rule breaking irresponsible behavior, such as Behavioral/Externalizing Dysfunction (BXD), Disconstraint-Revised (DISC-r), Juvenile Conduct Problems (JCP), Antisocial Behavior (RC4), ANP, AGG, and AGGR-r (Ben-Porath & Tellegen, 2008/2011; Tarescavage, Glassmire, & Burchett, 2016). A recent study found that the Thought Dysfunction (THD), Aberrant Experiences (RC8), JCP, and Psychoticism-Revised (PSYC-r) scales were associated with different levels of aggression in a forensic inpatient sample (Grossi et al, 2015).…”