Validation of the MMPI-2 Response Bias Scale and Henry-Heilbronner Index in a U.S. Veteran Population

Abstract

The Response Bias Scale (RBS) and the Henry-Heilbronner Index (HHI) are two recently developed Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2) validity scales empirically derived for the purpose of detecting feigned symptom report. Utilizing a veteran sample, the present study examined the utility of these and other MMPI-2 validity scales in predicting Word Memory Test (WMT) failure and presence of recent, current, or upcoming compensation evaluation. Although a significant predictor of WMT performance, RBS did not show incremental validity over Infrequency scale of the MMPI-2 in prediction of WMT failure and was not significantly associated with membership in the "Compensation-Context" (CC) group. In contrast, HHI best predicted CC group membership, but only trended toward significance in predicting WMT failure. In predicting CC group membership, HHI showed incremental validity above the established MMPI-2 validity scales, but its specificity was low. In the context of current literature on RBS and HHI, results support continued use of RBS and HHI but suggest that these scales may perform differently in samples other than the compensation-seeking samples on which they were developed.

The Dangers of Failing One or More Performance Validity Tests in Individuals Claiming Mild Traumatic Brain Injury-Related Postconcussive Symptoms

“…As the current study evaluated only clinically referred veterans with a history of mTBI, and as the sample was thus fairly homogenous in terms of education (typically high school or greater), ethnicity (majority Caucasian), age, and injury characteristics, the generalizability of our findings to other populations-particularly older individuals and/or those with other neurological conditions such as dementia, stroke, or more severe TBI-is uncertain. Also, a relatively large proportion of our sample ( 66%) performed below recommended cut scores on at least one PVT, although this degree of PVT failure is comparable with rates seen in other studies evaluating similar populations (e.g., Armistead-Jehle, 2010;Whitney, Davis, Shepard, & Herman, 2008;Young, Kearns, & Roper, 2011;Young, Baughman, & Roper, 2012). Nonetheless, base rates play a considerable role in clinical decision-making, and can of course significantly affect the positive and negative predictive values of PVTs (e.g., Victor et al, 2009), resulting in potentially differing preferences for the number of failed PVTs to be used as a marker of data invalidity.…”

Distinguishing Levels of Suicide Risk in Depressed Male Veterans: The Role of Internalizing and Externalizing Psychopathology as Measured by the MMPI-2-RF

“…The test has been validated in a wide variety of veteran samples (veterans with comorbid posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and concussion, Nelson et al, 2011; sexually traumatized female veterans, Arbisi, Erbes, Polusny, & Nelson, 2010; soldiers with mild traumatic brain injury, Arbisi, Polusny, Erbes, Thuras, & Reddy, 2011); in these studies, some small, but mostly medium to large effect sizes were reported. Its validity scales have been previously found to detect cognitive/somatic (Jones & Ingram, 2011; Jones, Ingram, & Ben-Porath, 2012; Young, Kearns, & Roper, 2011) and/or psychiatric symptom overreporting (Tolin, Steenkamp, Marx, & Litz, 2010) in veterans, generally demonstrating moderate to large effect sizes. However, despite the potential theoretical and clinical relevance of the MMPI-2-RF domains for assessing varying levels of suicide risk, no studies to date have examined the utility of the MMPI-2-RF for this purpose in veteran populations.…”

Validation of the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status – Effort Index in a Veteran Sample

“…Whitney, Davis, Shepard, and Herman (2008) found a high rate of SVT failure as 48% of veterans routinely referred for outpatient evaluations failed the Test of Memory Malingering (TOMM; Tombaugh, 1996). Young, Kearns, and Roper (2011) found a similar rate of SVT failure as 49% of veterans performed below recommended cutoffs on the Word Memory Test (WMT; Green, 2003) irrespective of evaluation context (i.e., compensation seeking versus non-compensation seeking). In a sample of 45 veterans referred following failure of a second-level TBI screening, Armistead-Jehle (2010) found that 58% failed the Medical Symptom Validity Test (MSVT; Green, 2004).…”