An estimate and comparison of MMPI and MMPI-2 concurrent validity. Predicting DSM-III-R diagnoses among college students.

The ability of the MMPI and MMPI-2 to identify persons who were either free or not free from DSM-III-R-defined psychopathology was assessed and compared. University students completed either the MMPI (N = 388) or the MMPI-2 (N = 302) along with a computerized version of the Diagnostic Interview Schedule, which was scored according to the criteria of the DSM-III-R. MMPI profiles were categorized with several different rules as being within normal limits or not. DSM-III-R status served as the criterion variable, and 189 (27%) study participants met criteria for a current axis I disorder. Although MMPI profiles were more elevated than MMPI-2 profiles, the proportion of profiles categorized as either normal or abnormal did not differ. Both the MMPI and MMPI-2 demonstrated a statistically reliable degree of relation with the broadly applied DSM-III-R standard of current disorder or not. Predictive relationships were modest. The variance in DSM-III-R-measured psychopathology accounted for by MMPI or MMPI-2 categorizations averaged gamma 2 = .12. Contrary to hypotheses, our results did not demonstrate improved MMPI-2 discrimination.

Parental reports of community activity patterns: a comparison between young children with disabilities and their nondisabled peers.

The extent and nature of community activities of families of children with disabilities in comparison with their nondisabled peers were examined. Parents of 82 children with disabilities and 132 children without disabilities, ages 2 through 5 years, completed a Demographic Questionnaire, Community Activities Questionnaire (CAQ), and Parent Experience Survey (PES). The CAQ assessed frequency of child participation in age-appropriate community activities, and the PES was a retrospective self-evaluation by parents of the experience of introducing the child to common community settings. Both groups of parents reported highly similar experiences when shopping with their children, although parents of children with disabilities reported more fear and risk associated with public settings. Overall, parents of children with disabilities reported participation in fewer community activities than parents of children without disabilities. This difference was largely accounted for by a lower level of participation by families having children with disabilities in a subset of activities that reflect opportunities for family enrichment.

Prospective screening of substance dependence: the advantages of directness.

This study evaluated the ability of several subtle and direct alcoholism screening scales to identify DSM-III-R-defined substance dependence in a university setting. Study participants were university students (N = 495) who completed the substance use disorder modules of the Diagnostic Interview Schedule along with the Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test (MAST), the Substance Abuse Subtle Screening Inventory (SASSI), and five direct screening questions concerning the consequences of alcohol and drug use. Results indicated that the SASSI had no appreciable ability to identify the 57 study participants who met criteria for a substance use disorder. The MAST also demonstrated limited predictive ability, and results suggested that this is because many MAST items assess the more advanced features of alcoholism, features less common in the substance abuse found among university students. The five direct screening questions were modestly useful, and it is argued that there are advantages to directness when screening for substance use disorders.

Validity of the substance abuse scales of the MMPI-2 in a college student sample.

This study assessed the validity of three Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2-based (MMPI-2; Butcher, Dahlstrom, Graham, Tellegen, & Kaemmer, 1989) substance abuse scales. The scales were the MacAndrew Alcoholism Scale-Revised (MAC-R; Butcher et al., 1989) and the recently developed Addiction Acknowledgment Scale and Addiction Potential Scale (AAS & APS; Weed, Butcher, McKenna, & Ben-Porath, 1992). Study participants were 308 male and female college students who completed the MMPI-2 and the substance use disorder modules of the Diagnostic Interview Schedule. The MAC-R and the APS had a nonsignificant-to-weak relationship with substance dependence as defined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (3rd ed., rev. [DSM-III-R]; American Psychiatric Association, 1980). The AAS had a moderate ability to identify the 33 study participants who met DSM-III-R criteria for a substance use disorder, primarily alcoholism. Broadening the definition of substance abuse to a continuum of alcohol/drug problems did not alter the character of findings. These results highlight the relative superiority of direct (AAS) versus subtle (APS, MAC-R) scales to detect substance dependence and support studies that question the overall utility of traditional MMPI scales to identify substance abuse.

The validity of the MMPI in identifying alcoholics in a university setting.

The predictive validity of MMPI-based alcoholism scales in identifying alcoholism and other substance dependencies was evaluated in a naturalistic setting. Study participants were 466 male and female college students who completed the MMPI and the substance use disorder modules of the Diagnostic Interview Schedule. Results indicated that the MacAndrew Alcoholism Scale (MAC), the Substance Abuse Proclivity Scale (SAP) and the clinical scales of the MMPI had a poor ability to identify the 57 study participants who met DSM-III-R criteria for a substance use disorder, primarily alcoholism. Broadening the definition of substance abuse to a continuum of alcohol/drug problems did not improve the utility of the MMPI scales. Five screening questions that inquired about the consequences of alcohol and drug use were moderately effective in substance dependence identification and superior to the MAC, SAP and MMPI clinical scales. Results are consistent with previous research which concluded that the use of the MAC to identify alcoholics in clinical settings is not empirically justified.

Screening for maladjustment in college students: an application of receiver operating characteristic curve to MMPI scales.

The ability of two scales derived from the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) to identify emotional maladjustment in a college setting was examined. The scales were the College Maladjustment scale (Mt) developed by Kleinmuntz (1961) and the Health Opinion Survey based Emotional Disorder scale (Ed). Emotional maladjustment was defined by criteria established in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (3rd ed., rev. [DSM-III-R]; American Psychiatric Association, 1987) and assessed through a computerized Diagnostic Interview Schedule. Subjects were 94 female and 62 male students, 51 of whom (33%) met criteria for at least one DSM-III-R disorder. Substance use disorders were most frequent (13.5%), followed by anxiety disorders (11.5%) and depressive disorders (7.1%). Both Mt and Ed had no relationship to substance use disorders but were moderately related to nonsubstance use maladjustment (r approximately .47); receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was employed, and Mt and Ed proved to be a fair-to-good indicator of nonsubstance use maladjustment. Types of decision errors are discussed, and tables provide information concerning predictive accuracy across the entire range of scores.

Alcoholic subtypes and the MacAndrew Alcoholism Scale.

Forty-five alcoholics in treatment (29 males and 16 females) who reported substantial alcohol dependence but scored in the nonalcoholic range on the MacAndrew Alcoholism Scale (MAC) were matched with 45 alcoholics who reported a similar degree of alcohol dependence and obtained alcoholic-range scores on the MAC. Results reveal that high MAC alcoholics were characterized by gregariousness, social drinking, belligerence and aggression while drinking, and a high degree of alcohol-related legal problems. Low MAC alcoholics appeared to be a different or less distinctive type of alcoholic; although they were less outgoing and preferred not to drink with others, they experienced a wide range of serious alcohol-related consequences. Low MAC alcoholics were not more likely to have a history of nonsubstance use psychiatric diagnosis and treatment. Cloninger, Bohman, and Sigvardsson's (1981) alcoholic typology was related to MAC scores: There was a greater likelihood that high-MAC alcoholics were Type II and low MAC alcoholics Type I.

Parental alcoholism: an examination of male and female alcoholics in treatment.

This study investigated the implications of parental alcoholism in 639 male and female alcoholics who were in treatment. In comparison with persons who did not report a parental history of alcoholism (PA-), the 264 offspring of alcoholics (PA+) were characterized by higher levels of alcohol dependency and alcohol-related consequences, increased reports of use of other drugs and higher levels of MMPI-measured psychopathology. Comparisons of PA+ patients with PA- patients with the same age of onset of problematic alcohol use suggested that PA+ persons are characterized more by an early onset of alcoholism than by a more severe form of the disorder. Results with female PA+ alcoholics were similar to those obtained with their male counterparts, although PA+ women exhibited very high levels of MMPI-measured psychopathology in comparison to both PA+ men and PA- women.

Predicting rapid relapse following treatment for chemical dependence: a matched-subjects design.

Explored the prognostic significance of treatment and posttreatment variables on rapid relapse following residential treatment for chemical dependence. 54 persons were identified as 3-month treatment failures by the criteria of 1-3 months of alcohol/drug use in combination with alcohol/drug-related consequences and poor life adjustment. To limit heterogeneity, these persons were matched on MMPI scores with persons who were 3-month outcome successes. Additionally, these MMPI patterns were classified as near normal or indicative of psychiatric symptoms. Multivariate statistics revealed a high level of outcome predictability; continued emotional turmoil (depression, anxiety, and sleep problems) posttreatment was strongly related to failure among the psychiatric MMPI group. Failure to engage in a continuing posttreatment aftercare plan was associated with failure among persons in the near-normal MMPI group. Research approaches that attempt to limit heterogeneity among alcoholics appear to have promise in uncovering powerful prognostic indicators.

Alcohol-related problems and dependence: an elaboration and integration.

This study sought to more clearly specify and integrate the domain of behaviors that comprise the American Psychiatric Association's DSM-III definition (substance abuse and dependence) and the World Health Organization's definition (alcohol dependence syndrome) of alcoholism. To accomplish this, self-report measures were constructed that assessed the alcohol-related psychosocial problems outlined in the DSM-III as largely necessary for a diagnosis of substance abuse/dependence. The mostly physiological features of alcohol dependence were measured by four scales that reflected key elements in both definitions. After determining that these instruments possessed adequate psychometric properties, the project explored the relationships among alcohol-related problems and dependence within a sample of 420 male and female inpatient alcoholics. Alcohol dependence and psychosocial consequences were substantially correlated. Maximum-likelihood factor analysis suggested a model of three correlated factors that included the physiological components of dependence defined by symptoms of withdrawal, obsessive drinking, and alcohol-related health problems; alcohol-related family/social problems coupled with loss of behavioral control while drinking; and economic/job problems. A fourth and largely independent factor of alcohol-related legal problems also emerged.

Lifetime and recent alcohol consumption among male alcoholics. Neuropsychological implications.

Alcoholics experience a relatively well-documented pattern of decline in cognitive and motor functions. This decline is likely the result of multiple causal factors that include head injury, malnutrition, and alcohol consumption. Although alcohol consumption per se has been considered a primary causal agent, research has not demonstrated a consistent relationship between levels of alcohol consumption and these neuropsychological deficits. This study explored such relationships within a sample of 40 detoxified male inpatient alcoholics who did not have a history of polydrug abuse, malnutrition, head injury, neurological disease, or non-alcohol-related psychiatric treatment. Increasing lifetime alcohol consumption was associated with increasing age-adjusted impairment on Halstead-Reitan tests that measure such aspects of functioning as concept formation, cognitive flexibility, and perceptual-motor abilities. Alcohol consumption had a linear relationship with test scores and hypothesized interactions with age did not emerge, nor did the effects of recent drinking appear dependent upon total lifetime consumption. The pattern of consumption (e.g., amount consumed per occasion, spree drinking) was also unrelated to impairment, and the critical neuropathological factor appeared to be the total amount of lifetime alcohol consumption.

Differentiating male and female alcoholics from psychiatric outpatients: the MacAndrew and Rosenberg Alcoholism Scales.

The concurrent validity of the MacAndrew and Rosenberg alcoholism scales was investigated in an age matched sample of 190 male and 150 female patients. Scores obtained by male and female alcoholics on the MacAndrew scale were significantly higher than those obtained by psychiatric patients. Although females score lower on the MacAndrew scale than males, the scale proved equally effective with both sexes. Using the standard MacAndrew cutting score of greater than 23, 80% of the male and 81% of female patients were correctly classified as either an alcoholic or a psychiatric patient. Scores on the Rosenberg composite index were not found to significantly discriminate between alcoholic and psychiatric patients.

Father absence and cognitive performance in a large sample of six- to eleven-year-old children.

The effects of father absence on educational achievement and intellectual development of 6-11-year-old children were investigated by employing a nationally representative sample of 5,493 father-present and 616 father-absent children from the Health Examination Survey of the National Center for Health Statistics. Scores on the WISC and the WRAT were significantly depressed for father-absent white children. Father-absent black children evidenced a decreased test performance only on measures of achievement. All decrements were small and accounted for approximately 1% of the variance. Following statistical control for SES, we associated no decrements with the father's absence/presence, and in some instances, small but significant increments were found to be associated with children from fatherless families. The role of SES in father absence is discussed, and the request for a paradigmatic shift in research in the area of father absence is reiterated.

The factor structure of the MacAndrew alcoholism scale.

This study attempted to replicate the factor structure of the MacAndrew alcoholism scale using a large sample of both male (n = 1563) and female (n = 293) alcoholics and employing several methodological changes not used in past studies. Male and female factor solutions were found to be highly similar. Following adjustments for mean item differences between males and females, the overall factor structure was examined and six factors were found which were similar to past studies. However, the factors accounted for only a small portion of the MacAndrew scale item variance, scales constructed from the factors had, at best, modest internal consistency reliabilities, and it was suggested that these scales are of limited clinical use. It was concluded that the scale appears to have an insufficient item pool for uncovering more than a few dimensions of personality and behavior among alcoholics.

Alcoholic MMPI types and their relationship to patient characteristics, polydrug abuse, and abstinence following treatment.

This study attempted to delineate personality types by applying empirical clustering procedures to the MMPI protocols of 207 (175 males and 32 females) inpatient alcoholics in a private treatment facility. Additional patient information was collected, including self-reported alcohol use following treatment, ethnicity, educational level, marital status, numbaer of previous admissions, and dependence on drugs in addition to alcohol. Shipley-Hartford IQ scores and Zung Depression scores obtained upon admission were also included. Four representative MMPI types emerged, one of which had a significantly greater proportion of polydrug abusers. Significant differences between the types were obtained for ethnicity, level of education, marital status, and Shipley-Hartford scores. Zung Depression scores were found to be significantly different between types and closely reflected the levels of depression indicated on the MMPI. Finally, the types were found to have a significant although modest relationship to twelve month sobriety following discharge. Results are discussed in terms of the considerable heterogeneity of alcoholic populations and the need to detail and elaborate the characteristics of alcoholic types.

Correspondence of the MMPI and the MMPI-168 with intestinal bypass surgery patients.

Explored the degree of correspondence between the MMPI-168 and the standard form MMPI in a sample of 161 female intestinal bypass surgery patients. The MMPI-168 was extracted from the standard form, and appropriate comparisons indicated high correspondence at the group level; however, considerable differences between the two forms emerged in analyses of individual profile pairs. Although evidence for its use as a screening device to identify those individuals who may be experiencing significant psychological problems is offered, the analyses indicated that the two forms should not be considered equivalent in this setting.

Self-awareness and transgression in children: two field studies.

Two field studies explored the relationship between self-awareness and transgressive behavior. In the first study, 363 Halloween trick-or-treaters were instructed to only take one candy. Self-awareness induced by the presence of a mirror placed behind the candy bowl decreased transgression rates for children who had been individuated by asking them their name and address, but did not affect the behavior of children left anonymous. Self-awareness influenced older but not younger children. Naturally occurring standards instituted by the behavior of the first child to approach the candy bowl in each group were shown to interact with the experimenter's verbally stated standard. The behavior of 349 subjects in the second study replicated the findings in the first study. Additionally, when no standard was stated by the experimenter, children took more candy when not self-aware than when self-aware.