Week 2

Question 1

who originally developed the MMPI?

Answer 1

Hathaway (physio psychologist) and McKinley (neuropsychiatrist), at the U of Minn hospital

Question 2

why did they want to develop it?

Answer 2

address critcism of tests develop via logical keying approach
assess Px’s during psych work up
-objective measure the severeity of their psychopathology
-measure chnges produced by Tx
develop an atheoretical test

Question 3

what is logical keying approach

Answer 3

determining which items to incude on a measure based on clnical judgement experience and theory rather than emprical methods

Question 4

Name some tests that preceded the MMPI

Answer 4

Woodsworth Personal Data Sheet (developed to screen soldiers in WWII; best known)
Bernreuter Personality Inventory (1933)

Question 5

What was the first test to use emprical keying methods?

Answer 5

Humms-Woadsworth Temperamanet Scale (1935)

first to use responses of psychitric grups to determine which way the items would be endorsed

Question 6

Whats the signifigance of the Humms-Wadsworth for the development of the MMPI?

Answer 6

Hathaway and McKinley borred about 1/4 the items for the MMPI from the H-W Temp Scale and extended the use of empricial keying

Question 7

empricial keying methods?

Answer 7

using contrast groups (clinical, non-clinical and so on); treating the items as unknowns and then using statistical methods to determeine which items actually deferentiate between the groups

Question 8

H and M started work in ____? and published the first version of the test in _____?

Answer 8

1939 ; 1943

Question 9

How big was the original normal sample? the clinical sample?

Answer 9

approx 1500 people (approx 700 visitors/relatives of Px’s in UM hospital; approx 300 precollege conf attendees; about 300 administrative pros; and about 250 Px’s at UM hospital)

221 in clinical sample

Question 10

How could you characterize the minn normals?

Answer 10

• mostly white
• avg age 35
• married
• living in rural area
• approx 8 years of edu
• mostly skilled or semi-skilled trade workers

Question 11

what dx groups did the clinical sample rep?

Answer 11

Hypochonriasis
Depression
hysteria
psychopathic deviate
paranoia
psychasthenia
sz
hypomania

Question 12

originally, how many items?

Answer 12

504

Question 13

in 1940’s added some items? How many? and for what scales

Answer 13

504-566
Mf scale (detect homos) and Si scale (social introversion)
also developed validity scales early on

Question 14

after about a decde of research and use it became clear that the MMPI wasn’t cutting it. What was the problem?

Answer 14

-meant to be diagnostic but it couldn’t accurately differentiate between psychiatric groups – eg.g a depressed px would elevate scale 2 ADn other scale adn normals could elevate multiple sclaes too- just wasn’t cutting it psychometrically

Question 15

Why wasn’t it working well?

Answer 15

Many reasons, big two

• scales were highly intercorrleated (item overlap)
• ? reliability of the orinignal Dx of the clinical contrast groups