The MacAndrew alcoholism scale: A replication

The MacAndrew scale as a measure of substance abuse and delinquency among adolescents

“…A number of studies have shown the MacAndrew Alcoholism Scale of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) to differentiate alcoholic from nonalcoholic psychiatric patients (MacAndrew, 1965;Rhodes, 1969;Rich & Davis, 1969;Rosenberg, 1972;Vega, 1971;Whisler & Cantor, 1966). But recently the MacAndrew Scale has been applied in investigations of criminal behaviors and substance abuse other than problem drinking.…”

Adolescent responses to the MacAndrew Alcoholism Scale.

“…An attempt to determine optimal MAC cutting scores for all groups resulted in suggested cutting scores > 24 for female subjects and > 26 for male subjects.According to a survey by the National Institute of Drug Abuse (Fishburne, Abelson, & Cisin, 1979), the number of adolescents using drugs and alcohol has nearly doubled over the last decade. An objective means of identifying those adolescents who are substance abusers, when incorporated into the history and interview procedures currently in use, could result in more accurate evaluations and timely interventions.Scores on the MacAndrew Alcoholism Scale (MAC) have successfully differentiated adult male alcoholics from nonalcoholic psychiatric patients (DeGroot & Adamson, 1973;MacAndrew, 1965;Rhodes, 1969;Whisler & Cantor, 1966), young male alcohol-related offenders from psychiatric patients and from college students (MacAndrew, 1979), and adult female alcoholics from nonalcoholic female psychiatric patients (Rich & Davis, 1969;Schwartz & Graham, 1979). There is also evidence that the MAC differentiates heroin addicts and polydrug users from nonaddicts with Requests for reprints should be sent to…”

“…Scores on the MacAndrew Alcoholism Scale (MAC) have successfully differentiated adult male alcoholics from nonalcoholic psychiatric patients (DeGroot & Adamson, 1973;MacAndrew, 1965;Rhodes, 1969;Whisler & Cantor, 1966), young male alcohol-related offenders from psychiatric patients and from college students (MacAndrew, 1979), and adult female alcoholics from nonalcoholic female psychiatric patients (Rich & Davis, 1969;Schwartz & Graham, 1979). There is also evidence that the MAC differentiates heroin addicts and polydrug users from nonaddicts with Requests for reprints should be sent to…”

Tavern patrons and the MacAndrew Alcoholism SCALE: Self-reported drinking behavior in relation to the MMPI L and K Scales

“…MacAndrew (1965) recommended using a minimum raw score of 24 on the MAC Scale as a cut-off for the identification of an alcohol abuser. Other researchers have reported that the MAC scale's efficiency can be increased when an optimal cutting score is derived for each particular setting in which it is employed ( Rhodes, 1969). Overall, as Preng and Clopton (1986) note, the MAC scale "has yielded the most promising findings of all the MMPI alcoholism scales" (p. 228).…”

“…MacAndrew and Geertsma (1963) noted that an elevation on scale 4 of the MMPI most consistently differentiated alcoholics from other groups. Studies (e.g., Korman, 1960;MacAndrew & Geertsma, 1964;Rotman & Vestre, 1964) have demonstrated that the Hampton Scale, the Holmes-Button Scale, and the Hoyt and Sedlacek Scale are inadequate for the purpose of differentiating alcoholics from others. MacAndrew and Geertsma (1964) have suggested that this is because these scales are primarily indices not of alcoholism, but of general maladjustment.…”