Dustin B. Wygant

Incremental Validity of the MMPI-2-RF Over-reporting Scales and RBS in Assessing the Veracity of Memory Complaints

The Response Bias Scale (RBS) has been found to be a better predictor of over-reported memory complaints than Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2) F, Back Infrequency (Fb), Infrequency-Psychopathology (Fp), and FBS scales. The MMPI-2-Restructured Form (RF) validity scales were designed to meet or exceed the sensitivity of their MMPI-2 counterparts to symptom over-reporting. This study examined the incremental validity of MMPI-2-RF validity scales and RBS in assessing memory complaints. The MMPI-2-RF over-reporting validity scales were more strongly associated with mean Memory Complaints Inventory scores than their MMPI-2 counterparts (d = 0.22 to 0.49). RBS showed the strongest relationship with memory complaints. Regression analyses demonstrated the incremental validity of the MMPI-2-RF Infrequent Responses, Infrequent Psychopathology Responses, Infrequent Somatic Responses, and FBS-r scales relative to MMPI-2 F, Fp, and FBS in predicting memory complaints. This is consistent with the development objectives of the MMPI-2-RF validity scales as more efficient and sensitive measures of symptom over-reporting.

Further Validation of the MMPI-2 and MMPI-2-RF Response Bias Scale: Findings From Disability and Criminal Forensic Settings

The present study extends the validation of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2) and the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF) Response Bias Scale (RBS; R. O. Gervais, Y. S. Ben-Porath, D. B. Wygant, & P. Green, 2007) in separate forensic samples composed of disability claimants and criminal defendants. Using cognitive symptom validity tests as response bias indicators, the RBS exhibited large effect sizes (Cohens ds = 1.24 and 1.48) in detecting cognitive response bias in the disability and criminal forensic samples, respectively. The scale also added incremental prediction to the traditional MMPI-2 and the MMPI-2-RF overreporting validity scales in the disability sample and exhibited excellent specificity with acceptable sensitivity at cutoffs ranging from 90T to 120T. The results of this study indicate that the RBS can add uniquely to the existing MMPI-2 and MMPI-2-RF validity scales in detecting symptom exaggeration associated with cognitive response bias.

Examination of the MMPI-2 Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF) Validity Scales in Civil Forensic Settings: Findings from Simulation and Known Group Samples

The current study examined the effectiveness of the MMPI-2 Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF; Ben-Porath and Tellegen, 2008) over-reporting indicators in civil forensic settings. The MMPI-2-RF includes three revised MMPI-2 over-reporting validity scales and a new scale to detect over-reported somatic complaints. Participants dissimulated medical and neuropsychological complaints in two simulation samples, and a known-groups sample used symptom validity tests as a response bias criterion. Results indicated large effect sizes for the MMPI-2-RF validity scales, including a Cohens d of .90 for Fs in a head injury simulation sample, 2.31 for FBS-r, 2.01 for F-r, and 1.97 for Fs in a medical simulation sample, and 1.45 for FBS-r and 1.30 for F-r in identifying poor effort on SVTs. Classification results indicated good sensitivity and specificity for the scales across the samples. This study indicates that the MMPI-2-RF over-reporting validity scales are effective at detecting symptom over-reporting in civil forensic settings.

Elaborating on the Construct Validity of the Triarchic Psychopathy Measure in a Criminal Offender Sample

Patrick, Fowles, and Krueger (2009) developed the triarchic conceptualization of psychopathy in an effort to integrate historical theories and contemporary measurement models. The model proposes 3 phenotypic domains of boldness, meanness, and disinhibition. Patrick (2010) developed the Triarchic Psychopathy Measure (TriPM), a 58-item self-report measure, to index these 3 domains. This study examined the construct validity of the TriPM in a sample of incarcerated offenders (N = 141) and found evidence of good construct validity in that the scales were related to conceptually relevant normal-range and dysfunctional personality trait criteria, as well as narcissism and deficits in empathy.

Utility of the MMPI-2-RF (Restructured Form) Validity Scales in Detecting Malingering in a Criminal Forensic Setting: A Known-Groups Design

The current study examined the utility of the recently released Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF; Ben-Porath & Tellegen, 2008) validity scales to detect feigned psychopathology in a criminal forensic setting. We used a known-groups design with the Structured Interview of Reported Symptoms (SIRS; Rogers, Bagby, & Dickens, 1992) as the external criterion to determine groups of probable malingering versus nonmalingering. A final sample of 125 criminal defendants, who were administered both the SIRS and the MMPI-2-RF during their evaluations, was examined. The results indicated that the two MMPI-2-RF validity scales specifically designed to detect overreported psychopathology, F-r and F(P)-r, best differentiated between the malingering and nonmalingering groups. These scales added incremental predictive utility to one another in this differentiation. Classification accuracy statistics substantiated the recommended cut scores in the MMPI-2-RF manual (Ben-Porath & Tellegen, 2008) in this forensic setting. Implications for these results in terms of forensic assessment and detection of malingering are discussed.

Examining the associations between DSM-5 section III antisocial personality disorder traits and psychopathy in community and university samples.

The current investigation examined the associations between personality traits representing DSM-5 Section III Antisocial Personality Disorder (ASPD), its psychopathy specifier, and contemporary models of psychopathic personality disorder. We used two samples consisting of university students (n = 463) and community-dwelling participants (n = 148) recruited for subclinical psychopathic proclivities. Both samples were administered the Personality Inventory for DSM-5 (Krueger et al., 2012), Triarchic Psychopathy Measure (Patrick, 2010), and versions of the Psychopathic Personality Inventory (PPI; Lilienfeld & Widows, 2005). University students also completed the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis II Disorders-Personality Questionnaire (First, Gibbon, Spitzer, Williams, & Benjamin, 1997). Across both samples, the Section III ASPD traits were moderately strongly correlated with psychopathy measures, except the fearless-dominance/boldness domain. However, as would be expected, traits representing the Section III psychopathy specifier accounted for a substantial amount of variance within this domain. Furthermore, additional DSM-5 Section III personality traits augmented the characterization of psychopathy from the PPI and Triarchic perspectives.

Reliability, validity, and utility of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2-Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF) in assessments of bariatric surgery candidates.

In the current study, we examined the reliability, validity, and clinical utility of Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2-Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF; Ben-Porath & Tellegen, 2011) scores in a sample of 759 bariatric surgery candidates. We provide descriptives for all scales, internal consistency and standard error of measurement estimates for all substantive scales, external correlates of substantive scales using chart review and self-report criteria, and relative risk ratios to assess the clinical utility of the instrument. Results generally support the reliability, validity, and clinical utility of MMPI-2-RF scale scores in the psychological evaluation of bariatric surgery candidates. Limitations, future directions, and practical application of these results are discussed.

Development and construct validation of MMPI-2-RF indices of global psychopathy, fearless-dominance, and impulsive-antisociality.

This paper reports on three psychopathy indices derived from scores on the MMPI-2 Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF; Ben-Porath & Tellegen, 2008). In Study 1, we describe the development of such indices referenced to the Psychopathic Personality Inventory (PPI; Lilienfeld & Andrews, 1996) and its two distinguishable facets, Fearless-Dominance and Impulsive-Antisociality. We estimated psychopathy scores by regressing PPI scores onto conceptually selected MMPI-2-RF scales in a combined sample of 825 college students and correctional inmates. In Study 2, we explored the construct validity of these psychopathy measures in college student and correctional samples. The measures demonstrated conceptually expected patterns of associations with other established psychopathy inventories, and with psychopathy-related traits including narcissism, sensation seeking, antisociality, and impulsivity as well as broad personality and temperament factors. In Study 3, we used data from a large sample of outpatient mental health clients to establish the validity of the MMPI-2-RF psychopathy measures in relation to legal and mental health variables and therapist ratings of antisociality, narcissism, aggression, and internalizing problems. Theoretical implications of findings from these three studies for the psychopathy construct (including for DSM-5) are discussed.

Associations Between Symptom Validity Test Failure and Scores on the MMPI–2–RF Validity and Substantive Scales

This study examined the association between Symptom Validity Test (SVT) failure and the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory–2 Restructured Form (MMPI–2–RF; Ben-Porath & Tellegen, 2008), in the Forensic Disability Claimant samples described in the MMPI–2–RF Technical Manual (Tellegen & Ben-Porath, 2008a, 2008b). SVTs used included the Word Memory Test (Green, 2003), the Computerized Assessment of Response Bias (Allen, Conder, Green, & Cox, 1997), the Medical Symptom Validity Test (Green, 2004), and the Test of Memory Malingering (Tombaugh, 1996). SVT failure was associated with significant elevations throughout the MMPI–2–RF overreporting validity scales and substantive scales. Pairwise contrasts between groups failing 0 and 3 SVTs revealed predominantly large effect sizes for the overreporting validity scales (d = 0.78–1.11), and many of the substantive scales, including the Cognitive Complaints (COG) scale. Results of this study demonstrate an association between SVT performance and elevated scores on the MMPI–2–RF. These results suggest that exaggeration of cognitive symptoms as demonstrated by SVT failure is also associated with overreported emotional, somatic, and neurocognitive complaints on the MMPI–2–RF.

Boldness Explains a Key Difference Between Psychopathy and Antisocial Personality Disorder

Although antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) has represented the current operationalization of psychopathy since DSM‑III, it has long been recognized as failing to capture the full range of the construct. The current study examined the degree to which Boldness, a trait domain within the triarchic conceptualization of psychopathy that captures fearlessness, dominance and low stress reactivity, represents a distinct difference between psychopathy and ASPD. Utilizing a sample of 152 male prison inmates, the current study examined the extent to which Boldness, relative to Meanness and Disinhibition (indexed by the Triarchic Psychopathy Measure [TriPM]), accounted for incremental variance beyond ASPD symptom counts (indexed by the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM‑IV Axis II Disorders ASPD module) in predicting psychopathy (as indexed by Psychopathy Checklist-Revised [PCL‑R] total, factor and facets scores). TriPM Boldness added to the incremental prediction of PCL‑R Factor 1 (Interpersonal/Affective) and Facet 1 (Interpersonal) scores above and beyond ASPD scores.