John L. McNulty

The Personality Psychopathology-Five (PSY-5): Recent Constructive Replication and Assessment Literature Review.

The Personality Psychopathology-Five (PSY-5; Harkness & McNulty, 1994) is a model of individual differences relevant to adaptive functioning in both clinical and non-clinical populations. In this article, we review the development of the PSY-5 model (Harkness, 1992; Harkness & McNulty, 1994) and discuss the ways in which the PSY-5 model is related to and distinct from other 5-factor models. Using different methods and measures, the dimensions of the PSY-5 model have been constructively replicated (Lykken, 1968) by Tackett, Silberschmidt, Krueger, and Sponheim (2008) and by Watson, Clark, and Chmielewski (2008), and dimensions congruent with the PSY-5 have even been suggested for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.; Krueger et al., 2011). PSY-5 Scales can be scored from the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2; Butcher et al., 2001), the MMPI-Adolescent version (MMPI-A; Butcher et al., 1992), and the Restructured Form of the MMPI-2 (MMPI-2-RF; Ben-Porath & Tellegen, 2008). Because the largest body of research exists for the MMPI-2-based scales, we focus our review of the literature on the MMPI-2-based PSY-5 scales (Harkness, McNulty, & Ben-Porath, 1995), but we briefly cover the small, but growing, body of MMPI-A and MMPI-2-RF PSY-5 scales research. We show that the PSY-5 research literature includes a wide variety of psychometric methodologies as well as diverse samples and clinical problems. An integrative summary reprises the theory behind each PSY-5 construct and links it to the reviewed literature. Advantages and limitations of MMPI-2-based PSY-5 scales are discussed.

On the usefulness of measures of normal personality for clinical assessment: evidence of the incremental validity of the Revised NEO Personality Inventory.

As a means of examining the incremental validity of a normal personality measure in the prediction of selected Axis I and II diagnoses, 1,342 inpatient substance abusers completed the Revised NEO Personality Inventory (NEO-PI-R) and the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory--2 (MMPI-2) and were assessed with structured clinical interviews to determine diagnostic status. Results demonstrated that scores from the NEO-PI-R (a) were substantially related to the majority of diagnoses, accounting for between 8% and 26% of the variance in the diagnostic criteria; (b) explained an additional 3% to 8% of the variability beyond 28 selected MMPI-2 scale scores; (c) increased diagnostic classification an additional 7% to 23% beyond MMPI-2 scale scores; and (d) were significantly more useful when examined at the facet trait level than at the domain trait level. Implications for incorporating measures of normal personality into clinical assessment batteries are discussed.

A comparison of MMPI-2 validity in African American and Caucasian psychiatric inpatients.

This study investigated ethnic differences on the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2) in 229 African American and 1,558 Caucasian psychiatric inpatients. Mean differences were found on several MMPI-2 validity and clinical scales. These were generally consistent with differences between the groups, indicated by the available extratest criterion data. To identify potential bias, the authors conducted 65 step-down hierarchical multiple regression analyses, predicting conceptually relevant clinical criteria from either MMPI-2 clinical or content scales for each gender. A number of MMPI-2 scales evidenced bias reflecting minor underprediction of psychopathology in African Americans. It is important to note that, in almost all cases, the magnitude of these differences was small and not clinically significant.

Comparative validity of MMPI-2 scores of African American and Caucasian mental health center clients

The comparative validity of Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory—2 (MMPI-2) scores for African American (« = 123) and Caucasian (n = 561) clients from a community mental health center was investigated by contrasting mean MMPI-2 scores and correlations between those scores and conceptually related therapist rating scales for the 2 groups. The African American men scored significantly higher on the Lie scale and Fears content scale than did their Caucasian counterparts, and the African American women scored higher than Caucasian women on Hypomania. Caucasian women scored higher on the Low Self Esteem content scale. Correlations between MMPI—2 scores and patient description form ratings were not significantly different between racial groups, indicating that the differences in MMPI-2 mean scale score elevations reflect actual differences in client psychopathology. There was no evidence of test bias in the current study. Suggestions are made for additional research.

Assessing the Personality Psychopathology Five (PSY-5) in Adolescents: New MMPI-A Scales.

The Personality Psychopathology Five (PSY-5; A. R. Harkness & J. L. McNulty, 1994) is a dimensional model of personality. Scales to measure the PSY-5 in adolescents were constructed from Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-Adolescents (MMPI-A) items. From the MMPI-2-based PSY-5 scales (A. R. Harkness, J. L. McNulty, & Y. S. Ben-Porath, 1995), 104 items are found in the MMPI-A booklet. Replicated rational selection (A. R. Harkness, J. L. McNulty, & Y. S. Ben-Porath, 1994) was used to identify additional items from questions unique to the MMPI-A. Preliminary scales were refined with internal psychometric analyses using the MMPI-A normative (N = 1,620; J. N. Butcher, C. L. Williams, J. R. Graham, R. P. Archer, A. Tellegen, Y. S. Ben-Porath, & B. Kaemmer, 1992) and clinical (N = 713; C. L. Williams & J. N. Butcher, 1989) samples. The median coefficient alpha for the 5 scales was.76 in both samples; the mean absolute scale intercorrelation was.32 in the normative sample and.30 in the clinical sample. Correlations with collateral data supported the construct validity of the scales.

Elevation Differences Between MMPI-2 Clinical and Restructured Clinical (RC) Scales: Frequency, Origins, and Interpretative Implications

The frequency, origin, and interpretative implications of elevation differences on the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2) clinical and restructured clinical (RC) scales were examined. Two large clinical samples consisting of 1,770 outpatients and 2,438 inpatients were used for this study. Three potential factors (Demoralization, subtle items, and K correction) were explored as to the extent to which they contributed to elevation differences between a clinical scale and its restructured counterpart. Results showed that differences in elevation between clinical and RC scales occurred between 10% and 35% of cases. Demoralization, subtle items, and K correction contributed substantially to elevation differences. Findings indicate that core descriptors of a clinical scale should be emphasized only when its corresponding RC scale is also elevated, whereas for Scales 4, 6, and 8, elevated scores on the RC scales are interpretable even when the corresponding clinical scales are not elevated.

The appropriateness of the MMPI-2 K correction.

The extent to which the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory–2 (MMPI-2) K scale serves as a suppressor variable that influences the validity of clinical scale scores was examined using 274 male and 425 female outpatients from a community mental health center and 105 male and 247 female clients from a university psychological clinic. Hierarchical regression analyses were performed with MMPI-2 K scale scores and clinical scale scores as predictors and therapist ratings as criteria. In most cases, the K scale did not act as a suppressor. Optimal K weights were different from the traditional K corrections. In most instances, there were no significant differences between correlations of therapist ratings with K-corrected and uncorrected clinical scale scores. The results do not support the Kscale as a suppressor variable in these settings, although additional research is needed in settings where higher levels of defensiveness are common.

Using the MMPI-2 to detect substance abuse in an outpatient mental health setting.

This study examined the utility of the MMPI-2 in detecting substance-abuse problems in an outpatient mental health setting. Specifically, the utility of the Addiction Acknowledgment Scale (AAS; N. C. Weed, J. N. Butcher, T. McKenna, & Y. S. Ben-Porath, 1992), the Addiction Potential Scale (APS; N. C. Weed et al., 1992), and the MacAndrew Alcoholism Scale-Revised (MAC-R; J. N. Butcher, W. G. Dahlstrom, J. R. Graham, A. Tellegan, & B. Kaemmer, 1989) in the prediction of substance abuse was evaluated. In addition, the incremental validity of the AAS and the APS in comparison to the MAC-R scale was evaluated. The sample consisted of 500 women and 333 men from a large community mental health center in Northeastem Ohio. Results indicated that the MAC-R scale, the AAS, and the APS were related to interviewer ratings of substance abuse in this outpatient treatment setting. Specifically, the results pointed to the superiority of AAS over APS in substance-abuse identification and the significant contribution of AAS to the information available from the MAC-R scale alone.

Using the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2) to Detect Psychological Distress and Dysfunction in a State Correctional Setting

Approximately 1.3 million men and 93,000 women are currently detained in state and federal correctional facilities. The ability to identify upon admission to a correctional facility those individuals who either have or are at an increased risk for developing significant psychological difficulties is crucial in order to allow early detection of inmates requiring mental health services. This study investigates the frequency with which 34,281 male and 6,878 female inmates from a state corrections facility reported significant levels of distress and dysfunction upon intake to the correctional system as measured by various clinical scales of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2). Results indicate that a substantial proportion of incarcerated adults reported significant levels of distress across a variety of psychological, social, and behavioral domains.

Empirical Correlates of Common MMPI-2 Two-Point Codes in Male Psychiatric Inpatients

Empirical correlates of common Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2) 2-point codes were identified for a sample of 1,213 inpatient men. A comprehensive standardized review of the hospital record was undertaken, and clinically relevant demographic, diagnostic, and behavioral information was extracted from intake summaries obtained prior to administration of the MMPI-2. Nonmutually exclusive psychiatric diagnoses found in the sample included substance abuse or dependence, schizophrenia, depression, bipolar affective disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, and other anxiety disorders as well as personality disorders. Subsamples consisting of the five most frequently obtained well-defined 2-point code types were selected, and empirical correlates of each code type were then identified and described. Remarkable consistency was found between the empirical correlates of the code types obtained in this study and the correlates of the same code types described by other investigators 40 years ago.