Using the MMPI–2–RF to Discriminate Psychometrically Identified Schizotypic College Students From a Matched Comparison Sample

Abstract

This study investigates the extent to which the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF) profiles of 52 individuals making up a psychometrically identified schizotypes (SZT) sample could be successfully discriminated from the protocols of 52 individuals in a matched comparison (MC) sample. Replication analyses were performed with an additional 53 pairs of SZT and MC participants. Results showed significant differences in mean T-score values between these 2 groups across a variety of MMPI-2-RF scales. Results from discriminant function analyses indicate that schizotypy can be predicted effectively using 4 MMPI-2-RF scales and that this method of classification held up on replication. Additional results demonstrated that these MMPI-2-RF scales nominally outperformed MMPI-2 scales suggested by previous research as being indicative of schizophrenia liability. Directions for future research with the MMPI-2-RF are suggested.

The association of pathological and “normal-range” personality traits with psychotic-like experiences in a general population sample.

“…Thus, it may seem unsurprising the unique predictive power of Psychoticism with PLEs. Our findings are consistent with previous literature, demonstrating a strong association between psychoticism and psychotic-related disorders (Bolinskey et al, 2001; Carter et al, 1999; Hunter et al, 2014). A recent study by Hunter et al (2014) found the trait domain of Psychoticism from Harkness and McNulty’s original model (Harkness & McNulty, 1994), which is nearly identical to Psychoticism domain in the AMPD, to differentiate between schizotypic and nonschizotypic college students.…”

“…Our findings are consistent with previous literature, demonstrating a strong association between psychoticism and psychotic-related disorders (Bolinskey et al, 2001; Carter et al, 1999; Hunter et al, 2014). A recent study by Hunter et al (2014) found the trait domain of Psychoticism from Harkness and McNulty’s original model (Harkness & McNulty, 1994), which is nearly identical to Psychoticism domain in the AMPD, to differentiate between schizotypic and nonschizotypic college students. Psychoticism was also found to distinguish patients diagnosed with schizophrenia from healthy control participants (Bolinskey et al, 2001; Carter et al, 1999).…”

The Subjective-Objective Disjunction in Psychometrically-Defined Schizotypy: What it is and Why it is Important?

“…Thus, individuals are not indiscriminately endorsing schizotypy traits. Relatedly, individuals with psychometrically-defined schizotypy completing comprehensive measures of self-reported psychopathology (e.g., the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory) fail to produce abnormal validity profiles or elevated scores on all/most scales (Lenzenweger, 1991;Merritt, Balogh, & DeVinney, 1993;Penk, Carpenter, & Rylee, 1979) and sometimes fail to show evidence on scales presumed to tap psychosis-proneness (Bolinskey & Gottesman, 2010;Hunter, et al, 2014). Relatedly, many studies recruiting schizotypy groups also employ infrequency scales -measures that assess endorsement of infrequently occurring events, some of which have a pathological tone (e.g., "I have never combed my hair before going out in the morning"; Chapman & Chapman, 1983).…”

The Relationship Between the Personality Inventory for the DSM-5 (PID-5) and the Psychotic Disorder in a Clinical Sample

“…However, literature on the relation between pathological personality dimensions and psychosis is sparse, as is literature comparing patients with psychotic disorders with clinical controls. Regarding the first, two studies with the Personality Psychopathology Five model by Harkness and McNulty (1994) have found its pathological fifth factor Psychoticism to discriminate between psychometrically identified schizotypic and nonschizotypic college students (Hunter et al, 2014), as well as between patients diagnosed with schizophrenia versus healthy control subjects (Bolinskey et al, 2001; Carter, Parnas, Cannon, Schulsinger, & Mednick, 1999). Regarding the second, two studies have compared patients with psychotic conditions with patients diagnosed with other psychiatric disorders and found, most interestingly, FFM Neuroticism to be lower in the psychotic group (Berenbaum & Fujita, 1994; Uliaszek, Al-Dajani, & Bagby, 2015).…”