Measuring Internalizing Psychopathology Using the MMPI-3: An Examination of Convergent, Discriminant, and Incremental Validity

Assessing posttraumatic stress disorder symptom clusters with the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory‐3 in a forensic disability sample

“…First, mean MMPI-3 scores were 10 T score points or higher than the instrument's normative sample on several internalizing, somatic, and interpersonal scales relevant to PTSD symptomology, with a notable proportion of participants also producing elevations on the same scales (i.e., EID, RCd, RC1, RC2, MLS, COG, SFD, WRY, ARX, and INTR). These elevations suggest significant psychopathology among the current sample and were generally higher than those reported in prior MMPI-3 studies (i.e., Kremyar & Wygant, 2023). However, mean scale scores were also lower than those in MMPI-2-RF studies with trauma-exposed samples (e.g., Ingram et al, 2020;McManus et al, 2018).…”

“…These authors observed meaningful correlations between scores on MMPI-3 scales such as EID, RC7, ARX, and NEGE and Traumatic Avoidance and Intrusions on the IDAS-II (r's = .23-.61 across samples) and PCL-5 subscales (r's = .36-.58 in undergraduate sample). Kremyar and Wygant (2023) also found that ARX on the MMPI-3 increments AXY on the MMPI-2-RF in predicting scores on the scales just described, suggesting that the expanded item content of ARX may account for additional variance in PTSD symptoms. Taken together, these studies provide further support for the utility of the MMPI-3 in assessing PTSD.…”

“…The goal of the current study was to examine associations between MMPI-3 scale scores and PTSD symptom clusters (traumatic re-experiencing, avoidance, negative alterations in cognition and mood, and hyperarousal) among a disability claimant sample to identify possible patterns of differential prediction across MMPI-3 scales and the strongest predictors of each symptom cluster across scale families. We hypothesized that specific MMPI-3 substantive scales in internalizing, thought dysfunction, externalizing, somatic, and interpersonal domains that map onto specific DSM-5 PTSD symptoms, as outlined in Table 1, would most strongly predict individual symptom clusters, based on rational inspections of PTSD diagnostic criteria, constructs indexed by MMPI-3 scales, previous findings in disability claimant contexts with the MMPI-2-RF (Sellbom et al, 2012) and MMPI-3 (Ben-Porath & Tellegen, 2020), and other empirical studies of associations between MMPI-3 scores and trauma-related symptoms (Kremyar & Wygant, 2023).…”

“…Elevations on ARX were also related to significantly increased risk of a PTSD diagnosis (relative risk ratio = 4.77). More recently, Kremyar and Wygant (2023) using correctional and undergraduate samples examined the convergent and discriminant validity of MMPI-3 scale scores in measuring internalizing psychopathology symptoms, as assessed by self-report instruments such as the Inventory of Depression and Anxiety Symptoms-II (IDAS-II; Watson et al, 2012) and PCL-5. These authors observed meaningful correlations between scores on MMPI-3 scales such as EID, RC7, ARX, and NEGE and Traumatic Avoidance and Intrusions on the IDAS-II (r's = .23-.61 across samples) and PCL-5 subscales (r's = .36-.58 in undergraduate sample).…”

“…Although MMPI-2-RF studies reviewed earlier provide evidence for differentiation of PTSD symptom clusters with that instrument's scales (Sellbom et al, 2012), re-examination of this research question with the MMPI-3 is necessary, given the substantial updates made to the instrument. Third, only Kremyar and Wygant (2023) have examined MMPI-3 scales against DSM-5-based PTSD symptom clusters, as previous MMPI-2-RF studies (e.g., Sellbom et al, 2012) and some correlates from the MMPI-3 Technical Manual (e.g., the IES-R, DAPS, and PCL-C) use DSM-IV symptom groupings, suggesting a need for replication. Last, limited research has specifically examined PTSD assessment with the MMPI-3 in disability and personal injury evaluation contexts, despite the common use of the instrument and potential benefit of nuanced PTSD assessment in this setting.…”