MACI Scores of African American Males in a Forensic Setting: Are We Measuring What We Think We Are Measuring?

Abstract

In this study, confirmatory factor analyses were used to examine scores on the Millon Adolescent Clinical Inventory (MACI) in adolescent, African American males in a forensic setting (N = 496; M age = 15.96, SD age = 1.32). Results from the study do not support the model proposed by Millon and suggest the MACI may not yield valid or reliable scores in forensic populations of adolescent, African American males. Because MACI scores could be misleading in African American males, the authors argue that the MACI and other trait-scales not validated in this group be used with extreme caution-especially in settings where African Americans are disproportionately represented.

From Family Violence Exposure to Violent Offending: Examining Effects of Race and Mental Health in a Moderated Mediation Model Among Confined Male Juveniles

“…It is likely that such differences were noted because the MACI measures depression in a comparable manner to other assessments, which tend to focus less on somatic symptoms associated with depression, which can be more pronounced symptoms of depression in African American respondents (e.g., Das et al, 2006;Langrehr, 2011). Findings from a recent study on the use of the MACI with detained African American adolescents critique the structural integrity of the MACI with diverse populations, warranting further research (Woodland et al, 2014).…”