The MMPI test is one of the most popular psychological tests available. It is used in psychiatry, but not only - this test is also carried out in people suspected of various serious crimes, but also in the course of tests assessing the possibility of a patient undertaking some work involving a certain risk. But what is the MMPI test and why can it take even … an hour and a half to complete?

Contents:

    1. MMPI test: application
    2. MMPI test: duration and execution
    3. MMPI test: clinical scales

The MMPItest may sound mysterious, but its name is an abbreviation of the English term Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory, in Polish this test is referred to as the Minnesota Multidimensional Personality Inventory.

Its first version was compiled by S. R. Hathaway and J. C. McKinley - scientists at the University of Minnesota Press - and published in the 1940s. After a few decades, in 1989 to be precise, an improved version of this study appeared, which is referred to as MMPI-2.

Both tests were used to diagnose the psyche of adults, but in 1992, a study was developed for adolescent patients (it was called MMPI-A). However, this is not the end - quite recently, in 2008, another version of this study appeared, which in turn was called MMPI-2-RF.

MMPI test: application

MMPI is a tool used primarily by psychiatrists and psychologists - it allows for an accurate assessment of the mental state of the respondent. Due to the variety of questions in the MMPI, it is possible to suspect that the patient has various problems in the field of psychopathology: the test allows to detect symptoms of, among others, depressive symptoms as well as anxiety and hypochondriacs. MMPI is also very important in the diagnosis of personality disorders.

However, not only specialists who strictly diagnose and treat mental disorders and diseases use MMPI. This test is also used in the judiciary - thanks to it it is possible to assess the mental state of people who have committedsome more serious crimes.

It happens - although not necessarily in Poland - that the Minnesota Multidimensional Personality Inventory is used in psychological research of people who are qualified for a profession associated with some increased risk (piloting an airplane may be an example of this type of work).

MMPI test: duration and execution

The study is very popular among specialists due to the fact that its results are quite detailed. However, nothing is for free - obtaining a large amount of information is possible in this case mainly due to the fact that the MMPI contains an exceptionally large number of questions. In MMPI-2 there are exactly 567 of them, while in MMPI-2-RF there are slightly fewer, because there are 338 questions.

There are three possible answers to the questions: "true", "false" and "I don't know". Typically, the basic version of the test, MMPI-2, takes 60-90 minutes, while the 2008 version, MMPI-2-RF, is usually performed within 40-50 minutes.

MMPI test: clinical scales

The basic part of the Minnesota Multidimensional Personality Inventory are clinical scales that assess the manifestations of abnormalities in the functioning of the human psyche in 10 different areas. They are:

  • scale 1-hypochondria (Hs) : thanks to it it is possible to assess whether the patient has unexplained somatic complaints and manifestations of hypochondria;
  • scale 2-depression (D) : it focuses on the existence of possible symptoms of depressive disorders in the subject, such as general dissatisfaction with life, malaise or lack of hope for a better future;
  • scale 3-hysteria (Hy) : a scale that allows you to assess the manifestations of conversion behavior, i.e. transforming experienced emotional difficulties into different somatic symptoms and unusual behavior;
  • scale 4-psychopathy (Pd) : its task is to assess whether the subject shows signs of isolating himself from the environment, ignoring authorities and downplaying social norms and feelings of other people;
  • scale 5-masculinity / femininity (Mf) : in her case it is checked whether a man displays features stereotypically considered feminine and vice versa;
  • scale 6 - paranoia (Pa) : it assesses the existence of such traits in a patient undergoing MMPI as excessive suspicion or a tendency to judge other people for deliberately harming the subject;
  • scale 7 - psychasthenia (Pt):clinical scale that allows to detect such abnormalities asexcessive self-criticism or manifesting by the patient some not entirely rational fears;
  • scale 8 - schizophrenia (Sc):thanks to it it is possible to draw conclusions about the existence of such disorders as strong alienation, disturbed thinking, difficulties with controlling one's behavior and lack of serious interests ;
  • scale 9 - hypomania (Ma):focused on abnormalities such as increased mood, increased activity or increased self-esteem;
  • scale 0 - social introversion (Si):MMPI element that allows to assess whether the patient displays the features of an introvert or an extrovert.

MMPI test: control and other scales

Considering the number of questions present in the MMPI, as well as the complexity of the scales related to it, it is probably already clear that it is a rather complicated diagnostic tool. But that's not all - control scales are also used to obtain the full test result.

Their use makes it possible to state to what extent the obtained test result is really reliable (with the use of control scales it is possible, for example, to estimate whether the respondent provided answers in accordance with reality). Here it is taken into account how many questions the patient did not answer at all, and how the test result is analyzed using the lie scale (i.e. to what extent the patient could not be truthful) or the scale of defensive attitudes (which informs about whether the patient could try to show himself better than he really is).

The MMPI test result is usually extended by other scales. It is worth mentioning here, for example, the Goldberg index, thanks to which it is possible to determine whether a patient experiences any mental disorders at all, and if so, whether they are personality disorders, or maybe psychosis. Scales other than those mentioned above are also used, among which it is worth mentioning, for example, the scale of anxiety, the scale of family problems, the scale of pathology control or the scale of open hostility.

Category:

Psychology