Methodological issues and racial (black-white) comparisons on the MMPI.

Costello, Raymond M.; Tiffany, Donald W.; Gier, Richard H.

doi:10.1037/h0032623

Cited by 34 publications

(25 citation statements)

References 14 publications

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“…These findings were similar to some of the differences that have been reported in the way that the Black population scores on the MMPI. For example, there are indications that Black psychiatric patients tend to score higher on the Psychopathic Deviate scale (Davis et al, 1973), the Schizophrenia scale (Butcher et al, 1983;Costello et al, 1973;Costello et al, 1972;Davis et al, 1973;Genther &Graham, 1976;Miller et al, 1968;Miller et al, 1961), and the Hypomania scale (Butcher et al, 1983;Costello et al, 1972;Genther &Graham, 1976;Holcomb & Adams, 1982;Miller er al., 1968;Miller et al, 1961), whereas Blacks may be inclined to obtain a lower score on the Masculinity-Femininity scale (McCreary & Padilla, 1977). Ir would appear that these MMPI scales measure similar characteristics to those mentioned in the previous paragraph as characterizing rhe differences found with the MCMI.…”

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confidence: 96%

Racial Bias and the MCMI

Choca¹,

Shanley²,

Peterson³

et al. 1990

Journal of Personality Assessment

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We studied the scores obtained on the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory (MCMI) by Black and White male psychiatric inpatients to determine the presence or absence of racial bias. In predicting psychopathology for the two races, comparisons of MCMI performance indicated significant differences for all diagnoses except the personality disorders. The subjects were then matched into two groups of 209 patients each, according to DSM-III psychiatric diagnoses. The data were analyzed at the item, scale, and structural levels. At the item level, application of the Mantel-Haenszel Procedure revealed that 45 of the 175 items of the inventory were answered significantly different by the two racial groups. Because this number was higher than what could be expected by chance, the finding suggested possible deficiencies in terms of the culture-fairness of the items used in the test. At the scale level, an analysis of variance (ANOVA) demonstrated that the scores obtained by the Black and White groups were significantly different in 9 of the 20 scales (Histrionic, Narcissistic, Antisocial, Paraphrenia, Hypomania, Dysthymia, Alcohol Abuse, Drug Abuse, and Psychotic Delusion). With the exception of the Dysthymic scale, all of the differences were in the direction of the Blacks obtaining a higher score than the Whites. At the structural level, however, a principal components factor analysis performed on each group resulted in factor structures that looked identical.

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Section: )mentioning

confidence: 96%

Racial Bias and the MCMI

Choca¹,

Shanley²,

Peterson³

et al. 1990

Journal of Personality Assessment

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“…In addition, the differences from unmatched comparisons should be attenuated on the matched comparisons. Furthermore, in light of the methodological criticisms of Costello, Tiffany, and Gier (1972)) the effects of applying validity rules and the different inferences obtained by comparing individual scales as well as clusters of scale scores are examined. The comparison of all profiles vs. only valid profiles clarifies whether obtained differences simply reflect response set factors, such as the ability of the person to read and understand the items.…”

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confidence: 99%

“…Costello et al (1972) made several important methodological refinements, but seemed to err by analyzing differences between racial groups on males and females together.…”

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confidence: 99%

MMPI differences among black, Mexican-American, and white male offenders

McCreary¹,

Padilla²

1977

J. Clin. Psychol.

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MMPI scores of black, Mexican-American, and white male offenders were compared in order to investigate whether cultural and/or socioeconomomic factors affect this personality inventory. Comparisons were performed on unmatched and matched (education and occupation) groups that utilized all profiles or valid ones only and examined both trait (individual scales) and type (Goldberg indices) differences. Black-white differences on the MA, K, and HY scales appeared to reflect cultural factors, while differences on MF and alcoholism seemed to be accounted for by socieconomic differences among the groups. Cultural factors seemed to be related to differences between Mexican-Americans and white on the L,K,and overcontrolled hostility scales, while socioeconomic factors appeared to explain differences on the Hs scale. Type differences were not apparent except that Mexican-Americans were classified more often as psychiatric, while whites and blacks scored well into the sociopathic range.

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“…Recent reviews of the literature (Costello, Tiffany, & Gier, 1972;Gynther, 1972), cited a number of studies that investigated racial (black/white) differences on MMPI performance. These results were inconclusive relative to personality characteristics, as some researchers reported no significant differences and others showed higher clinical scale scores for blacks than whites.…”

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confidence: 99%

“…With differences found within and between studies, the data interpretations have been as varied as the results. Costello et al (1972) have concluded that "methodological sophistication, populations and sample sizes have varied broadly. As a result, the findings have been inconsistent and, a t times, even contradictory [p. "normal" samples of blacks and whites on M M P I subtests have been few, the present study dealt with this population.…”

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confidence: 99%

Comparison of nonpsychiatric blacks and whites on the MMPI

1977

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The literature indicates inconsistent results when MMPI differences between black Ss and white Ss were investigated. In general, most studies found that blacks responded in a more pathological direction. However, previous studies can be criticized because they have used students, prisoners, and hospital patients as Ss with variables that were controlled inconsistently and varied widely. In this study a comparison was made of MMPI scales for 56 black and 56 white males who were full-time employees of a large chemical company. Ss were matched for age, education, occupation, seniority, mental ability level, and socioeconomic level. The 10 standard clinical and 3 validity MMPI scales were recorded for each S as well as six experimental scales: Control (C), Dependency (DPD), Dominance (DOM), Ego Strength (ES), Anxiety Index (AI), and Internalization Ratio (IR). Using K corrected T-scores for the MMPI scales, a repeated measures analysis of variance indicated that subtests and group X subtests were significant. More specifically, blacks scored significantly higher than white Ss on the MA scale, and white Ss scored significantly higher than blacks on the PA, C, DOM, and Es scales. While the present study did find significant differences between black and white Ss on the MMPI, the scores were all well within the normal range (T less than 70), and all scales but two were less than 60.

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Methodological issues and racial (black-white) comparisons on the MMPI.

Cited by 34 publications

References 14 publications

Racial Bias and the MCMI

Racial Bias and the MCMI

MMPI differences among black, Mexican-American, and white male offenders

Comparison of nonpsychiatric blacks and whites on the MMPI

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