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

Abstract

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.

Association of Rorschach and MMPI Psychosis Indicators and Schizophrenia Spectrum Diagnoses in a Russian Clinical Sample

“…rather than measurement bias (Arbisi, Ben-Porath, & McNulty, 2002;McNulty, Graham, Ben-Porath, & Stein, 1997;Timbrook & Graham, 1994). Arbisi et al (2002) found some evidence of prediction bias for Sc and BIZ, but the source of the bias was primarily due to intercept differences between the groups, and the differences were small and almost all in the direction of underpredicting psychopathology among African Americans. The relevance of these findings for other ethnic groups or cultures is unknown.…”

“…Studies comparing African Americans versus Euro-Americans on a variety of scales including the Sc and BIZ have found a variety of differences in mean MMPI-2 scores, many of which were interpreted as representing actual differences in psychopathology (which could be related to demographic differences or the stress of discrimination experiences, e.g.) rather than measurement bias (Arbisi, Ben-Porath, & McNulty, 2002;McNulty, Graham, Ben-Porath, & Stein, 1997;Timbrook & Graham, 1994). Arbisi et al (2002) found some evidence of prediction bias for Sc and BIZ, but the source of the bias was primarily due to intercept differences between the groups, and the differences were small and almost all in the direction of underpredicting psychopathology among African Americans.…”

An examination of racial bias in the Beck Depression Inventory-II.

“…Significant differences here would warrant additional testing to evaluate the overprediction or underprediction of depression in the BDI-II compared to the CES-D. Similar methods of evaluation were first proposed by Nunnally and Berstein (1994) and later by Arbisi et al (2002).…”

The MMPI–2–RF Personality Psychopathology Five (PSY–5–RF) Scales: Development and Validity Research

“…ical center inpatient sample with record review data was divided into 587 men for development and 588 men for validation (Arbisi, Ben-Porath, & McNulty, 2002). Participants were excluded with the same MMPI-2 validity criteria described in College Sample 1.…”

“…A large urban county medical inpatient sample was randomly split into development and validation samples (Arbisi et al, 2002). In addition to the MMPI-2, an extensive record review was collected.…”