The use of MMPI-3 scales to assess personality-based vulnerabilities for alcohol use and problems.

Abstract

Impulsivity and excitement seeking are distinctly associated with alcohol use and related problems in emerging adulthood. Specifically, impulsivity is associated with alcohol problems, while excitement seeking is associated with quantity and frequency of alcohol use (Finn, 2002; Gunn et al., 2013). Given how critical these traits are to alcohol use disorder, such that they play central roles in prominent theories such as Finn’s (2002) cognitive motivational theory (CMT), we examined how impulsivity, excitement seeking, and related constructs were captured by an instrument used in clinical practice, the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory–3 (MMPI-3; Ben-Porath & Tellegen, 2020a, 2020b). In a sample of 401 college students, we investigated MMPI-3 scales representing the CMT constructs—impulsivity/novelty seeking, excitement seeking, and low harm avoidance—by examining correlations between MMPI-3 Specific Problem scales and theoretically relevant criterion measures. Then, we used these scales to predict alcohol-related outcomes. Impulsivity (IMP), Social Avoidance (SAV), and Anxiety-Related Experiences (ARX) scales captured the core CMT constructs that are said to reflect personality-based vulnerabilities to alcohol-related problems. Further, Impulsivity and Social Avoidance scales incremented the Substance Abuse (SUB) scale in predicting risky drinking outcomes (alcohol problems and quantity and frequency of use). Overall, results support the use of select MMPI-3 scales in providing a nuanced assessment of personality-based vulnerabilities in college-aged drinkers.