Malcolm D. Gynther

Differential Misdiagnosis of Blacks and Whites by the MMPI

Summary Profile analysis, Goldbergs composite, and a discriminant function were used to differentiate psychosis from behavior disorder on the basis of MMPI scores. These procedures, derived in samples of white patients, resulted in the misdiagnosis of blacks at a substantially higher rate than whites. For two of the three analytic procedures, misclassification was significantly greater for black behavior disorders than for black psychotics, as was predicted.

A New Empirical Automated MMPI Interpretive Program: 2-8 and 8-2 Code Types

Summary Correlates of two related MMPI code types (2-8, 8-2) were obtained by comparing descriptors for these profiles with all other profiles in two large independent samples of white psychiatric inpatients. Replicated findings for 2-8/8-2s as well as for 8-2s alone included more frequent ratings for suicidal thoughts, voice is soft, and withdrawal; and higher mean scores on reduced speech. A finding unique to the 2-8/8-2s was greater frequency of depressed mood. Unique for the 8-2s were more frequent ratings for auditory hallucinations, delusions of persecution, and blocking. Only somatic delusions replicated for the 2-8s. Findings for male vs. female, highly elevated vs. less highly elevated, and 8-2-7 vs. 8-2 analyses disclosed no correlates unique to any of these subtypes.

Replicated empirical correlated of the MMPI 8-9-9-8 code type.

Summary Correlates of the 8–9/9–8 MMPI code type were obtained by comparing descriptors for these profiles with all other profiles in two large independent samples of white public mental hospital inpatients. Replicated findings included more frequent ratings for flight of ideas, voice is loud, labile mood, and unrealistic hostility; and higher mean scores for excitement, labile affect, paranoid delusions, and bizarre speech. The 8–9 and 9–8 code types were also analyzed separately. Findings unique for the 8–9s were speech and motor activity, both increased in amount. The only unique finding for the 9–8s was “does not know why hospitalized.” Three replicated differences between male 8–9/9–8s and female 8–9/9–8s were found to merely reflect comparable male-female differences in the total sample representing all code types.

The Diagnostic Utility of Welsh's A-R Categories

Summary The purpose of this study was to determine if the diagnosis-A-R category relationships described by Welsh hold for other patient samples. White, nonorganic males were categorized into one of four quadrants using Welshs criteria. Statistical analysis showed no differences among the subgroups with regard to age, IQ, education or marital status. The major analysis disclosed no support whatsoever for Welshs findings, either for all diagnostic groupings or for the separate diagnostic subgroupings presumably related to specific quadrants.