MMPI Characteristics of Clergymen in Counseling Training and Their Relationship to Supervisor's and Peers' Ratings of Counseling Effectiveness

Abstract

Normative MMPI data for 85 clergymen entering counseling training at a state hospital were computed. Basically, the mean MMPI scores of Ss were similar to those reported previously for male marriage counselors. The correlation between supervisor's and peers' ratings of counseling effectiveness was .64. Three MMPI clinical scales showed negative correlations of more than .30 with supervisor's ratings, whereas six clinical scales and one validity scale correlated –.30 or more with peers' ratings of effectiveness. Two two-scale combinations showed a negative multiple correlation of .50 or more with supervisor's ratings of effectiveness, while six such combinations correlated –.50 or more with peers' ratings of effectiveness.

Normative MMPI-2 Profiles of Christian Counseling Students: An Investigation of Subculture in Standardized Testing

“…Our purpose is primarily exploratory: to determine the extent to which the normative profiles for this population emerge in the analysis of the profiles of a diverse sample of Christian counseling students. It is further our goal to compare these data to those proposed for other similar populations (Jansen et al 1973;Butcher 2001). Finally, it is proposed that should normative profiles emerge for this sample, they will differ from those of either persons preparing for pulpit ministry (e.g.…”

“…As would be expected, the size and range of variance as measured by standard deviation correspond to the heterogeneity of the samples. For example, the lowest range of standard deviations on the clinical scales of the MMPI are represented by the samples of male counseling students (Phillips 1970;Jansen et al 1973) and the lowest MMPI-2 variance results from the profiles of samples of male to female seminary students (Cardwell 1996). The largest average standard deviation on the MMPI-2 is that of a sample of self selected Canadian undergraduates who are described as being "religiously involved" (MacDonald and Holland 2003).…”

“…As noted above, many attempts have been made to develop normative MMPI or MMPI-2 personality profiles for seminary students (Butcher 2001), clergy (Aleshire 1990;Bier 1948;Cardwell 1996;Celeste and Walsh 1997;MacDonald and Holland 2003;Moore 1936;Nauss 1968;Plante et al 2005;Taylor and MacDonald 1999), and counselors (Cottle and Lewis 1954;Heikkinen, and Wegner 1973;Phillips 1970;Wogan 1970;). A very limited amount of research has focused on clergy who were being trained as counselors (Jansen et al 1973). The MMPI has been proposed as a resource for the prediction of graduate school performance of counselor trainees (Daehnert and Carter 1987) and as but one means of assessing the mental health of graduate counseling students (White and Franzoni 1990).…”