Transcript Personality Tests

Personality Tests
 Observe and describe the structure and
content of personality – the characteristic
ways an individual thinks, feels, behaves, and
interacts
 Clarifies
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Diagnoses
Problematic patterns of behavior
Intra and interpersonal dynamics
Treatment implications
 Can be objective or projective
Measuring Personality &
Psychological Functioning
 Objective testing
 Specific questions or statements to which the person
responds by using specific, fixed answers or a rating
scale
 Scores tabulated and compared to reference groups
 Projective testing
 Ambiguous or unstructured stimuli to which client is
asked to respond freely.
 Unconscious or conscious needs, motives, interests,
dynamics are projected onto ambiguous stimuli
revealing internal dynamics or personality
 More challenging to score and interpret than objective
Objective Tests
 Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory
(MMPI; MMPI-2)
 Millon Multi-Axial Inventory III (MCMI-III)
 16 Personality Factors (16PF)
 NEO Personality Inventory (NEO-PI)
Minnesota Multiphasic
Personality Inventory- 2
Introduction and Overview
History
 First published in 1943 by Hathaway and McKinley
 Designed for routine diagnostic assessments
 Empirical keying approach
 504 statements
 724 Minnesota”normals” and 221 psychiatric patients
 Originally 8 clinical scales plus validity scales
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MF and Si added later (items increased to
566)
History (cont.)
 Revised version is the MMPI-2 (1989)
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inadequate original standardization sample
concerns about item content
objectionable items
not broad enough to assess certain characteristics like
suicide and drug abuse
 Separate forms for adolescents and adults
 567 true/false items
 Normative sample (MMPI-2)
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2600 U.S. residents aged 18-90 (census derived)
Test retest ranges from .58-.92
History MMPI-2
 Yields individual’s clinical profile compared with the
normative sample
 Much of research on interpretation from MMPI
applies to MMPI-2
 Most frequently used personality test in the US for
adults and adolescents
MMPI-2/MMPI-A
 Original 10 clinical/personality scales and
original 3 validity scales and added 4 validity
measures
 Additional options:
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Content scales
Harris-Lingoes subscales
Supplementary scales
Critical items
Validity Scales
 ? Scale (Cannot say)
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number of items left unanswered
If 30 or more items are left unanswered the
protocol is invalid
 F scale (Infrequency)
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66 items
atypical or deviant response style
endorsed by less than 10% of the population
accompanied by high scores on clinical scales
general indicator of pathology or “faking bad.”
F scale (cont.)
 No exact cutoff for suspecting an invalid
profile
 T scores of 70 - 90 are common among
prison, inpatient populations
 Extreme elevations indicate invalid profile
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100 or higher
 More liberal cutoff for adolescents on MMPI-A
Validity Scales (cont.)
 Lie (L) Scale
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15 items
extent to which client is “faking good” or
describing self in an overly positive manner
Uneducated, lower SES will score higher
Average number of endorsed items is 3
T Scores of 65 or above are suspect and
indicate profile should not be interpreted
High scores may lead to lower scores on
clinical scales
Validity Scales (cont)
 K scale(30 items)
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More subtle and sophisticated index of “faking good”
or “faking bad”
T scores above 65 or 70 are higher than expected
Higher scores indicative of ego defensiveness and
guardedness
Persons from lower SES and educational backgrounds
score somewhat lower on K
Persons of higher intelligence and psychological
sophistication may score high on K and low on L
K scores are inversely related to Scales 8,7 and 0
K correction is added to five of the clinical scales
Validity scales (cont.)
 Variable Response Inconsistency Scale (VRIN)
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An additional validity indicator developed for MMPI-2
Measures tendency to respond inconsistently to MMPI-2 items
47 pairs of items with similar or opposite content
In general, raw score greater than 13 (T>80) indicates
inconsistent responding
Useful when examined along with F scale
 True Response Inconsistency Scale (TRIN)
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To identify an all true (acquiescence) or all false (non
acquiescence) response style
20 pairs of items that are opposite in content
Raw scores range from 0 to 23
Higher TRIN (T> 80 in true direction) tendency to give true
responses indiscriminately
lower TRIN (T > 80 in false direction) tendency to give false
responses indiscriminately
Clinical Scales
 Scale 1. Hypochondriasis (Hs)
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personality characteristics consistent with a diagnosis
of hypochondriasis
high concern with illness and disease
complain about a variety of physical problems and
attempt to manipulate/ control others with complaints
egocentric, immature, pessimistic, sour, whiny and
passive aggressive
critical of others
express hostility inwardly
Scale 2: Depression (D)
 Items related to brooding, physical slowness,
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subjective feelings of depression, mental apathy,
physical malfunctioning
High scorers (T>70) report feelings of depression,
sadness, feeling blue, unhappiness, dysphoria,
hopelessness about future
Display behaviors like lack of energy, anhedonia,
crying, psychomotor retardation
Tend to be self critical, withdrawn, aloof
Patients seeking inpatient care often have Scale 2 as
highest point
Scale 3 : Hysteria (Hy)
 To identify patients who have hysterical reactions to stress
 Person who often feels overwhelmed and avoids responsibility
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by developing physical symptoms
Physical symptoms worsen with increased stress
May report headaches, stomach discomfort, chest pains,
weakness with no organic cause
Have symptoms that appear and dissappear suddenly
Do not report experiencing emotional turmoil and have an
exaggerated degree of optimism
Higher scores = exaggeration of denial, somatization,
dissociation, immaturity, naïvete, low levels of insight
Scale 4: Psychopathic Deviate (Pd)
 Measure of rebelliousness
 Difficulty incorporating values and standards of society, problems
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with authority
May engage in asocial or antisocial acts
Stormy interpersonal and family relationships
Underachievers
Poor planning and judgement
Relationships are shallow and superficial
Immature and childish, narcissistic, selfish, egocentric
Extraverted and outgoing
Can be hostile and aggressive - sarcasm, cynicism, lack of trust
Scale 5: Masculinity-Femininity (Mf)
 Originally developed to identify homosexual invert males
 56 items on MMPI-2 covering a range of topics
 A non-clinical scale
 Scale 5 elevations may be associated with positive functioning
 High scores for men - lack of stereotypic masculine interests,
aesthetic and artistic interests, participate in child-rearing,
housekeeping activities
 High scores for women are uncommon and usually indicative of
rejection of traditional female role, interest in sports, hobbies,
activities that are stereotypically more masculine than feminine
 Low scores for men/women - presenting self as traditionally
masculine or feminine in hobbies, roles, interests
Scale 6: Paranoia(Pa)
 Designed to identify patients judges to have paranoid symptoms like
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ideas of reference, feelings of persecution, grandiose self-concepts,
suspiciousness, excessive sensitivity
T scores above 70 and 6 is highest scale - person may exhibit
frankly psychotic behavior
Moderate elevations (60 - 70): paranoid orientation, excessively
sensitive, overly responsive to opinions of others, feel mistreated,
blame others for difficulties
May also be suspicious and guarded, exhibit hostility, resentment,
argumentativeness
Utilize projection as defense mechanism
Prognosis for therapy is poor
Scale 7 : Psychasthenia (Pt)
 Similar to obsessive-compulsive disorder
 Thinking characterized by excessive doubts, compulsions,
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obsessions and unreasonable fears
High scorers are extremely anxious, tense and agitated, may have
physical complaints
May have physical complaints and complaints of fatigue, exhaustion,
insomnia and bad dreams
Rigid and moralistic
High scores will lack self confidence, are plagued by self doubts,
can be perfectionistic, conscientious, neat, orderly, and meticulous
Often report feeling sad and unhappy
Tend to be shy and do not interact well socially
May be motivated for treatment due to inner turmoil
Scale 8: Schizophrenia (Sc)
 Possibility of a thought disorder (T=75-90)
 Confusion, disorganization, disorientation, unusual thoughts,
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attitudes,
Delusions, hallucinations may be present
Often have histories of inpatient/outpatient psychiatric treatment
Schizoid lifestyle
Shy aloof and uninvolved with few friends
Unable to express hostility- withdraw into daydreams, fantasies
Plagued by self doubt, feel insecure, incompetent, dissatisfied
Stubborn, moody, opinionated but can also be generous, peaceful,
sentimental
Can be immature and impulsive
Prognosis for therapy is poor
Scale 9: Hypomania (Ma)
 Designed to identify individuals experiencing
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hypomanic or elevated mood, accelerated speech and motor
activity, irritability, flight of ideas and brief periods of depression
A measure of psychological and physical energy
Extreme elevation (T > 80) suggestive of a manic episode
Outgoing, sociable, gregarious
Friendly, pleasant, enthusiastic, self-confident
May feel upset, tense, nervous, anxious, dissatisfied with life
Poor prognosis in therapy
Scale 0: Social Introversion (Si)
 Nonclinical scale
 Introversion-extraversion continuum
 High scorers are socially introverted, insecure and uncomfortable in
social situations
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Shy, reserved, timid
Prefer to be alone and have few friends
Described by others as cold and distant, hard to get to
know
Passive, submissive, compliant in relationships
Worry, anxious, feel irritable, may experience periods of
depression
 Low scorers – are sociable and extraverted, outgoing, gregarious,
friendly and talkative
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Strong need to be around others
Viewed as expressive and verbally fluent
Active and energetic
MMPI-II: Content Scales
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ANX:
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DEP:
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Health Concerns
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Anger
CYN:
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Cynicism
Family Problems
WRK:
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Social Discomfort
FAM:
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Bizarre Mentation
Low Self-Esteem
SOD:
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Type A Behavior
LSE:
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ANG:
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Depression
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Antisocial Practices
TPA:
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BIZ:
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HEA:
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Obsessiveness
ASP:
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Fears
OBS:
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Anxiety
FRS:
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Work Interference
TRT:
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Negative Treatment
Indicators
Projective Tests
 Rorschach Inkblot
 Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)
 Projective Drawing Tests
 Draw-A-Person
 Draw-A-House
 Draw-A-Tree
 Draw-A-Family
 Sentence completion tests
Clinical Judgment
 Ultimately, clinician uses
Judgment
 Impressions
 Experience
 Data
 Examines all the pieces of the puzzle
 Theoretical framework
 Prior experience
 Clinical training
 Intuitions
 Managed care insurance companies
 Highly specific assessment tool
 Objectify target symptoms
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