Examination of the MMPI-3 over-reporting scales in a forensic disability sample.

Objective: The aim of this investigation was to provide information about the utility of the newly revised and renormed Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-3 (MMPI-3) over-reporting scales in a forensic disability sample. Method: Participants consisted of 550 non-head injury disability-related referrals (i.e. 95.6% for worker's compensation) and were primarily diagnosed with an adjustment disorder, depressive disorder, or posttraumatic stress disorder. Criterion measures included performance validity indicators and non-MMPI symptom validity indicators. Results: Correlation analyses showed that validity scale F was most strongly associated with non-MMPI symptom validity indicators, whereas F, Fs, FBS, and RBS were comparable to each other in their associations with performance validity indicators. Group mean comparisons between Pass versus Fail PVT groups showed that RBS consistently yielded the largest effect sizes. Using established structured criteria for Malingered Neurocognitive Dysfunction (MND), additional group mean comparisons showed that RBS, followed by Fs, F, and FBS, performed well in differentiating genuine responders from MND examinees. Classification accuracy estimates indicated that the MMPI-3 over-reporting scales performed well in the prediction of Probable/Definite MND and, as expected, to a lesser degree of Possible MND. Conclusions: Practical applications, study limitations, and directions for future research are discussed. The overall findings from this study provide empirical support for the utility of the MMPI-3 over-reporting scales in detecting negative response bias in forensic disability evaluations.

Structured Interview of Reported Symptoms-2nd Edition (SIRS-2): Use and Admissibility in Forensic Mental Health Assessment.

Assessment of symptom feigning is paramount in forensic psychological and psychiatric assessment. The Structured Interview of Reported Symptoms, 2nd Edition (SIRS-2; Rogers et al., 2010) is a revised edition to the original SIRS (Rogers et al., Structured Interview of Reported Symptoms (SIRS) and professional manual. Psychological Assessment Resources, Inc, 1992) and was developed to assess feigned psychiatric symptoms. The current paper reviews use of the SIRS-2 in forensic assessment, specifically addressing topics such as translations of the instrument, its use in assessing psychiatric and cognitive feigning, and its use in special populations. Empirical foundation and psychometric properties of the SIRS-2 is also covered. The SIRS-2 was revised in part to reduce false positive classifications of feigning. Research suggests that this goal was largely accomplished, albeit at the expense of reduced sensitivity. The paper also provides a review of federal and state appellate cases that mention the SIRS-2. Notably, most cases that cite the SIRS-2 do not actually center on the SIRS-2, and the test's admissibility has never been outrightly challenged. The paper concludes with a discussion of expert testimony concerning the SIRS-2.

Utility of the MMPI-3 validity scales for detecting overreporting and underreporting and their effects on substantive scale validity: A simulation study.

The current study utilized an experimental design to investigate the utility of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI)-3 Validity Scales for detecting overreporting and underreporting and the impact of these response sets on substantive scale scores. College students completed a battery of criterion measures before assignment to a Standard Instructions (SIs) Group (n = 288), an Overreporting Group (n = 250), or an Underreporting Group (n = 215). t tests demonstrated that scores on MMPI-3 overreporting indicators and most substantive scales were higher among the Overreporting Group relative to the SI group with very large effect sizes, and scores on MMPI-3 underreporting indicators were higher and most substantive scales scores were lower among the Underreporting Group relative to the SI group, with moderate to large effects. Classification accuracy estimates documented the effectiveness of MMPI-3 Validity Scales in detecting overreporting and underreporting. Bivariate correlations between MMPI-3 substantive scale scores and criterion measures (which were completed under SIs for all three groups) were substantially attenuated for both simulation groups relative to the SI Group. Bivariate correlations were also attenuated for groups identified as overreporting or underreporting using MMPI-3 Validity Scale scores relative to individuals with valid MMPI-3 protocols, highlighting the need for and importance of appraising threats to protocol validity when assessing personality and psychopathology by self-report. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Examining the Association Between the MMPI-2-RF Triarchic Psychopathy Scales and Suicidality in a Criminal Defendant Sample.

Prior research has shown that psychopathic personality traits are differentially related to suicide risk, and limited literature also suggests the potential that such risk manifests differently across sex. The current study sought to examine whether sex moderated associations between domains from the triarchic model of psychopathy, a comprehensive perspective of psychopathy, and various suicide variables. Our sample included 1,064 criminal defendants (760 males, 304 females), who had been administered the MMPI-2-RF, from which triarchic psychopathy scales were scored. Suicide-related variables, including current suicidal ideation during interview, history of previous suicide attempts, and number of previous suicide attempts, were reliably obtained from clinical records. The MMPI-2-RF SUI (Suicide/Death Ideation) scale was also examined as a psychometric operationalization of suicidality. Results provided evidence for the general association between psychopathy-related traits and suicide-related outcomes in a manner consistent with the literature. However, these associations did not differ as a function of sex.

A comparison of the MMPI-2-RF and PAI overreporting indicators in a civil forensic sample with emphasis on the Response Bias Scale (RBS) and the Cognitive Bias Scale (CBS).

The Cognitive Bias Scale (CBS; Gaasedelen, Whiteside, Altmaier, Welch, & Basso, 2019) was developed as a Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI) indicator of poor performance on Performance Validity Tests (PVTs) in a neuropsychological context. The current study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of the CBS in a forensic disability sample through a series of analyses by comparing it to other PAI validity scales and the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI)-2-RF overreporting scales with an emphasis on the Response Bias Scale (RBS), which guided the development of the CBS. The participants in this study were drawn from an archival dataset containing 588 consecutive civil disability claimants. Findings showed the RBS and the CBS yielded similar patterns of negative correlations to PVTs, with RBS effect sizes being somewhat larger in most comparisons. Results of ANOVAs showed that the RBS produced the largest effect sizes in distinguishing between incentive only versus probable/definite malingered neurocognitive dysfunction (MND) groups, followed by the CBS. Estimates of sensitivity and specificity were comparable between the RBS and CBS at liberal cut scores, but the RBS was more specific to detecting Probable/Definite MND at more conservative cutoffs. Hierarchical logistic regression analyses showed that RBS accounted for 6% variance over CBS in the probable/definite MND classification, whereas the CBS accounted for 2% variance beyond the RBS. Overall, the results of this study support the utility of the CBS as the most effective PAI validity scale for detecting MND in a civil disability sample, and the RBS generally outperformed the CBS to some degree in all analyses. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Psychometric properties of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-3 (MMPI-3) in a clinical neuropsychology setting.

The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) instruments have a longstanding history of clinical applications in neuropsychological settings, and many studies have supported the utility of MMPI-2-Restructured Form scores among specific neuropsychological populations. However, the MMPI-3, a new version of the MMPI, has yet to be studied in a clinical neuropsychological setting. To address this need, we investigated the psychometric properties of MMPI-3 scores using a sample of 197 independent practice outpatient neuropsychology examinees (56.9% women; 80.2% White). Internal consistency coefficients and standard errors of measurement were generally consistent with statistics reported for two comparison groups included in the MMPI-3 Technical Manual, supporting the reliability of MMPI-3 scores. Correlations with external criteria-including presenting problems, neurocognitive, psychological/behavioral, and psychiatric diagnostic variables-supported the convergent and discriminant validity of MMPI-3 scores. Finally, relative risk analyses showed meaningful and theoretically expected findings, supporting the utility of the MMPI-3 in a clinical neuropsychological setting. Practical applications, study limitations, and future research directions are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Construct validity of Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2-Restructured Form scale scores in correctional settings.

Limited research has examined the link between Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2-Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF) scales and contemporary personality and psychopathology models within correctional settings. This study focused on establishing construct validity of the MMPI-2-RF in offender samples from a broad personality framework. Two samples of incarcerated men and women completed a battery of broadband personality measures and narrowband measures that capture conceptually related constructs. To examine how MMPI-2-RF scale scores and criterion measures converged in a conjoint latent structure, we conducted a series of exploratory structural equation modelling analyses, which revealed factors similar to those of extant hierarchical personality models. At the broadband level, four factors (Positive Activation, Negative Affectivity, Inhibition and Agreeableness) were observed, whereas narrowband criteria yielded five factors (Behavioural Approach System, Disinhibition/Externalizing, Danger/Thrill Seeking, Self-Assurance/Boldness, and Unemotionality/Coldheartedness). MMPI-2-RF scale scores converged with the personality/psychopathology models in a theoretically expected manner. Limitations and directions for future research are discussed. © 2020 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Predicting therapist ratings of treatment progress and outcomes with the MMPI-2-RF.

OBJECTIVE: We examined the ability of scores on the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2-Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF) scales to predict treatment progress (compliance and activity in therapy) and outcome at termination (success in therapy, readiness for termination, and functioning at termination). METHOD: Our sample included 448 (185 males, 263 females) community mental health center outpatients with an average age of 32.2 years (standard deviation = 10.2). We used MMPI-2-RF (self-report) indicators of personality and psychopathology and a composite outcome variable that represents therapist ratings of clients' treatment progress and outcomes. RESULTS: Scores on several MMPI-2-RF scales were correlated and associated with increased risk for poorer psychotherapy progress and outcomes in a mental health outpatient sample. CONCLUSIONS: Clinicians can utilize the MMPI-2-RF to identify clients at risk for therapy process challenges and adverse outcomes, suggesting possible problem areas for intervention.

Comparability of Structured Interview of Reported Symptoms (SIRS) and Structured Interview of Reported Symptoms-Second Edition (SIRS-2) classifications with external response bias criteria.

Rogers, Sewell, and Gillard (2010) released a revised version of the Structured Interview of Reported Symptoms (SIRS; Rogers, Bagby, & Dickens, 1992), the SIRS-2, which introduced several new scales, indices, and a new classification model with the overall goal of improving its classification of genuine versus feigned presentations. Since the release of the SIRS-2, several concerns have been raised regarding the quality of the SIRS-2 development and validation samples and the method used to calculate classification accuracy estimates. To further explore issues related to the clinical utility of the SIRS-2, the current study examined associations of the SIRS and SIRS-2 with the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2-Restructured Form (Ben-Porath & Tellegen, 2008/2011) validity scales in separate samples of disability claimants and criminal defendants. Results indicate that the SIRS-2 reduced the number of feigning classifications. Additional analyses suggest that the Modified Total Index and Supplementary Scale Index do not assess the test-taking strategy that Rogers and colleagues (2010) intended the indices to capture. External data indicates that evaluees reclassified on the SIRS-2 in nonfeigning categories exhibited feigned symptoms of psychopathology. Indeed, we found that SIRS-identified feigners showed significant evidence of overreporting on the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2-Restructured Form validity scales, regardless of their SIRS-2 classification. The current study highlights the overall weakness in clinical utility of the SIRS-2. Implications of these results for both clinical and forensic settings are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record

Construct Validity of the MMPI-2-RF Triarchic Psychopathy Scales in Correctional and Collegiate Samples.

This study examined the MMPI-2-RF (Ben-Porath & Tellegen, 2008/2011) Triarchic Psychopathy scales recently developed by Sellbom et al. ( 2016 ) in 3 separate groups of male correctional inmates and 2 college samples. Participants were administered a diverse battery of psychopathy specific measures (e.g., Psychopathy Checklist-Revised [Hare, 2003 ], Psychopathic Personality Inventory-Revised [Lilienfeld & Widows, 2005 ], Triarchic Psychopathy Measure [Patrick, 2010 ]), omnibus personality and psychopathology measures such as the Personality Assessment Inventory (Morey, 2007 ) and Personality Inventory for DSM-5 (Krueger, Derringer, Markon, Watson, & Skodol, 2012 ), and narrow-band measures that capture conceptually relevant constructs. Our results generally evidenced strong support for the convergent and discriminant validity for the MMPI-2-RF Triarchic scales. Boldness was largely associated with measures of fearless dominance, social potency, and stress immunity. Meanness showed strong relationships with measures of callousness, aggression, externalizing tendencies, and poor interpersonal functioning. Disinhibition exhibited strong associations with poor impulse control, stimulus seeking, and general externalizing proclivities. Our results provide additional construct validation to both the triarchic model and MMPI-2-RF Triarchic scales. Given the widespread use of the MMPI-2-RF in correctional and forensic settings, our results have important implications for clinical assessment in these 2 areas, where psychopathy is a highly relevant construct.