Transcript Document

The Impact of Faking-Good on
the MCMI-III: Implications for
Family Court Assessments
Paul Lenny & Greg Dear
Edith Cowan University
2005
MCMI-III Background…
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Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory – Third
Edition (MCMI-III; Millon, Davis, & Millon,
1997).
Brief psychological test - screening for
psychological disorders and syndromes
Extensively used in forensic settings (e.g.
Family Court assessments)
MCMI-III Custody Profile…
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Common profile defined by elevations on:
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–
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Desirability Index
Histrionic Scale
Narcissistic Scale
Compulsive Scale
Low scores on all other scales
Elevations usually below clinical range.
MeanBase
BaseRate
RateScores
Mean
Scores
80
70
80
60
70
50
60
40
50
40
30
30
20
20
10
10
00
MCMI-III
MCMI-III
ScalesScales
Delusional Disorder-PP
Major Depression-CC
Thought Disorder-SS
PTSD-R
Drug Dep.-T
DelusionalAlcohol
Disorder-PP
Dep.-B
AlcoholAnxiety-A
Dep.-B
Drug Dep.-T
Somatoform-H
PTSD-R
Bipolar:
Manic-N
Thought Disorder-SS
Dysthymia-D
Major Depression-CC
Disclosure-X
Disclosure-X
Desirability-Y
Desirability-Y
Debasement-Z
Debasement-Z
Schizoid-1
Schizoid-1
Avoidant-2A
Avoidant-2A
Depressive-2B
Dependent-3
Depressive-2B
Histrionic-4
Dependent-3
Narcissistic-5
Histrionic-4
Antisocial-6A
Narcissistic-5
Aggressive-6B
Compulsive-7
Antisocial-6A
Passive-Aggressive-8A
Aggressive-6B
Self-Defeating-8B
Compulsive-7
Schizotypal-S
Passive-Aggressive-8A
Borderline-C
Paranoid-P
Self-Defeating-8B
Anxiety-A
Schizotypal-S
Somatoform-H
Borderline-C
Bipolar:
Manic-N
Paranoid-P
Dysthymia-D
Mean
MCMI-III
Base Rate
Scores
forScores
Child Custody
Mean
MCMI-III
Base
Rate
for
Examinees (McCann et al., 2001)
Child Custody Examinees
(McCann et al., 2001)
Custody Litigants (n = 259)
McCann et al. (2001)
Custody Litigants (n=259)
Possible causes…
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Subclinical elevations on these scales are associated
with normal, healthy, personality characteristics
Well-adjusted individuals responding honestly produce
subclinical elevations on these scales
Characteristics inherent in these disorders might lead
to relationship breakdown and litigious behaviour
Item-structure of the MCMI-III
Artificial elevation due to faking-good – we need to
examine this possibility.
Current Study…
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Two samples: 60 parents; 78 Students
Randomly assigned:
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–
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•
Honest group: 30 Parents + 33 Students (n=63)
Fake-Good: 30 Parents + 45 Students (n=78)
Honest Group: Answer as honestly as possible
Fake-Good Group: Imagine you are
undergoing a Family Court Assessment and
answer test items to look like a very good parent
Hypotheses and Analysis…
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Desirability, Histrionic, Narcissistic &
Compulsive scales significantly higher in fakegood group compared to honest group
Disclosure scale significantly lower in fakegood group compared to honest group
t-tests conducted on scales
Hypotheses supported
Mean
BR Scores
Mean
Base
Rate
Scores
100
80
60
40
20
0
Depressive-2B
Debasement-Z
Schizoid-1
Dependent-3
Avoidant-2A
Depressive-2B
Histrionic-4
Dependent-3
Narcissistic-5
Histrionic-4
Antisocial-6A
Narcissistic-5
Antisocial-6A
Aggressive-6B
Aggressive-6B
Compulsive-7
Compulsive-7
Passive-Aggressive-8A
Passive-Aggressive-8A
Self-Defeating-8B
Self-Defeating-8B
Schizotypal-S
Schizotypal-S
Borderline-C
Borderline-C
Paranoid-P
Anxiety-A
Paranoid-P
Somatoform-H
Anxiety-A
Bipolar: Manic-N
Somatoform-H
Dysthymia-D
Bipolar:
Manic-N
Alcohol
Dep.-B
Drug Dep.-T
Dysthymia-D
PTSD-R
Alcohol Dep.-B
Thought Disorder-SS
Drug Dep.-T
Major Depression-CC
Delusional Disorder-PP
PTSD-R
Desirability-Y
Avoidant-2A
Schizoid-1
Disclosure-X
Debasement-Z
Desirability-Y
Disclosure-X
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
MCMI-III Scales
MCMI-III
Scales
Delusional Disorder-PP
Major Depression-CC
Thought Disorder-SS
Mean MCMI-III
BaseBase
Rate Scores
the Current
Mean
MCMI-III
Rate for
Scores
for
Study Honest Group and Fake-Good Group
the Current Study Honest Group and
100
Fake-Good GroupHonest Group (n=63)
Fake-Good Group
(n=75)
Honest Group (n=63)
Fake-Good Group
(n=75)
MeanMean
Base Rate
BR Scores
Scores
Mean
Base
Rate
Mean
Base
Rate Scores
Scores
100100Mean MCMI-III Base Rate Scores of the Current
McCann et al. (2001) Custody
100
McCann
et al. (2001) Custody
90 90
et et al.
McCann
to(n=259)
Study Fake-Good Groups Compared
Litigants
McCann
(2001) Custody
90
Litigants
(n=259)
80
Current study - Fake-Good
al. (2001) Custody Litigants
Litigants (n=259)
80
Current study - Fake-Good
80
Parents
(n=45)
70
100
Parents
Current
Studyet-al.
Fake-Good
Custody (n=45)
(2001)
McCann
70
70
Current
Study Fake-Good
60
90
(n=259) Current
Litigants
Students
(n=30)
Study - Fake-Good
8060
Group
(n=75)
- Fake-Good
Current study
60
50
Students (n=30)
Parents (n=45)
70
5050
40
Current Study - Fake-Good
60
Students (n=30)
30
40
40
50
20
30
4030
10
3020
20
020
10
1010
00
0
MCMI-III Scales
MCMI-III
MCMI-IIIScales
Scales
PTSD-R
PTSD-R
Delusional
DelusionalDisorder-PP
Disorder-PP
Major
MajorDepression-CC
Depression-CC
Thought
ThoughtDisorder-SS
Disorder-SS
MCMI-III Scales
DrugDep.-T
Dep.-T
Drug
Dysthymia-D
Dysthymia-D
AlcoholDep.-B
Dep.-B
Alcohol
Disclosure-X
Disclosure-X
Desirability-Y
Disclosure-X
Desirability-Y
Debasement-Z
Disclosure-X
Debasement-Z
Desirability-Y
Schizoid-1
Desirability-Y
Schizoid-1
Debasement-Z
Avoidant-2A
Avoidant-2A
Debasement-Z
Schizoid-1
Depressive-2B
Depressive-2B
Schizoid-1
Dependent-3
Avoidant-2A
Dependent-3
Avoidant-2A
Histrionic-4
Histrionic-4
Depressive-2B
Narcissistic-5
Narcissistic-5
Depressive-2B
Dependent-3
Antisocial-6A
Antisocial-6A
Dependent-3
Histrionic-4
Aggressive-6B
Aggressive-6B
Histrionic-4
Compulsive-7
Compulsive-7
Narcissistic-5
Narcissistic-5
Passive-Aggressive-8A
Passive-Aggressive-8A
Antisocial-6A
Self-Defeating-8B
Self-Defeating-8B
Antisocial-6A
Aggressive-6B
Schizotypal-S
Schizotypal-S
Aggressive-6B
Borderline-C
Borderline-C
Compulsive-7
Compulsive-7
Paranoid-P
Paranoid-P
Passive-Aggressive-8A
Passive-Aggressive-8A
Anxiety-A
Anxiety-A
Self-Defeating-8B
Somatoform-H
Somatoform-H
Self-Defeating-8B
Schizotypal-S
Bipolar: Manic-N
Bipolar:
Manic-N
Schizotypal-S
Dysthymia-D
Dysthymia-D
Borderline-C
Borderline-C
Alcohol Dep.-B
Alcohol
Dep.-B
Paranoid-P
Paranoid-P
Drug
Dep.-T
Drug
Dep.-T
Anxiety-A
PTSD-R
PTSD-R
Anxiety-A
Thought
Disorder-SS
Thought
Disorder-SS
Somatoform-H
Somatoform-H
MajorDepression-CC
Depression-CC
Major
Bipolar: Manic-N
Manic-N
Bipolar:
Delusional Disorder-PP
Delusional
Disorder-PP
Mean
MCMI-III Base
Rate
Scores
of the
Current
Study
FakeMean
Base
Rate
Scores
of the
Current
Study
MeanMCMI-III
MCMI-III
Base
Rate
Scores
of the
Current
Good
GroupGroups
Compared
to McCann
et al. (2001)
Custody
Fake-Good
Compared
to McCann
et al.
(2001)
Study
Fake-Good Groups
Compared
to McCann
et
Litigants
Custody Litigants
al. (2001) Custody Litigants
Striking Similarity!
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When instructed to look like a very good
parent, MCMI-III profile remarkably similar to
individuals undergoing a custody evaluation
Profile in this setting likely to be artefact of
faking-good and not psychopathology…
However…
Ambiguous profile…
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Elevations also seen in honest group
Histrionic, Narcissistic, Compulsive individuals
may be more likely to terminate relationship
and litigate over custody
MCMI-III item structure and adjustments
Difficult profile to interpret
Further research necessary