Reliability Generalization: Exploring Reliability Variations on MMPI/MMPI-2 Validity Scale Scores

Abstract

The study utilized the measurement meta-analytic method called "reliability generalization" to examine (a) the typical reliability, (b) the variability of score reliability, and (c) the factors predicting variability of score reliability on the three MMPI validity scales. Across studies the reliability co-efficients on the three validity scales ranged from .16 to .93, with the F scale having the most variability, as might be expected. Regression analyses suggested that the age of participant best predicted the variation of reliability co-efficients.

Keywords

Reliability generalization reliability MMPI Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory validity scale reliability co-efficients

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Archer, R. P , Maruish, M. , Imhof, E. A. , & Piotrowski, C. (1991). Psychological test usage with adolescent clients: 1990 survey findings. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 22, 247-252.

Ben-Porath, Y. S. , & Butcher, J. N. (1989). The comparability of MMPI and MMPI-2 scales and profiles. Psychological Assessment, 1, 345-347.

Bogle, A. C. , Reed, T. , & Rose, R.J. (1994). Replication of asymmetry of a-b ridge count and behavioral discordance in monozygotic twins. Behavior Genetics, 24(1), 65-72.

Bohn, M. J., Jr. , & Traub, G. S. (1986). Alienation of monolingual Hispanics in a federal correctional institution. Psychological Reports, 59, 560-562.

Boone, D. (1994). Reliability of the MMPI-2 subtle and obvious scales with psychiatric inpatients. Journal of Personality Assessment, 62, 346-351.

Butcher,J. N. , Dahlstrom, W. G. , Graham,J. R. , Tellegen, A. , & Kaemmer, B. (1989). Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2): Manual for administration and scoring Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press.

Butcher, J. N. , Graham, J. R. , Dahlstrom, W. G. , & Bowman, E. (1990). The MMPI-2 with college students. Journal of Personality Assessment, 54, 1-15.

Butcher, J. N. , Williams, C. L. , Graham, J. R. , Archer, R. P. , Tellegen, A. , Ben-Porath, Y. S. , & Kaemmer, B. (1992).Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-Adolescent (MMPIA): Manual for administration, scoring, and interpretation.Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press.

Caruso, J. C. (2000). Reliability Generalization of the NEO personality scales. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 60, 236-254.

10.

Cooney, N. L. , Kadden, R. M. , & Litt, M. D. (1990). A comparison of methods for assessing sociopathy in male and female alcoholics.Journal of Studies on Alcohol, 51, 42-48.

11.

Crocker, L. , & Algina, J. (1986). Introduction to classical and modern test theory New York: Holt, Rinehart, & Winston.

12.

Cronbach, L. J. (1951). Coefficient alpha and the internal structure of tests. Psychometrika, 16, 297-334.

13.

Dahlstrom, W. G. , Welsh, G. S. , & Dahlstrom, L. E. (1972). An MMPI handbook: Vol. I. Clinical interpretation. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press.

14.

Evans, R. W. , Ruff, R. M. , Braff, D. L. , & Cox, D. R. (1986). On the consistency of the MMPI in borderline personality disorder. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 62, 579-585.

15.

Gallucci, N. T. (1987). The influence of elevated F scales on the validity of adolescent MMPI profiles. Journal of Personality Assessment, 51, 133-139.

16.

Gaston, M. , Nelson, W. M. , III , Hart, K.J. , Quatman, G. , & Rojdev, R. (1994). The equivalence of the MMPI and MMPI-2. Assessment, 1, 415-418.

17.

Graham, J. R. (1977). The MMPI: A practical guide New York: Oxford University Press.

18.

Graham, J. R. (2000). MMPI-2 assessing personality and psychopathology (3rd ed.). New York: Oxford University Press.

19.

Grigoriadis, S. , & Fekken, G. C. (1992). Person reliability on the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory. Personality and Individual Dqfferences, 13, 491-500.

20.

Haapasalo, J. , & Pulkkinen, L. (1992). The psychopathology checklist and non-violent offender groups. Criminal Behaviour and Mental Health, 2, 315-328.

21.

Hare, R. (1985). Comparison of procedures for the assessment of psychopathology. Journal of Clinical and Consulting Psychology, 53, 7-16.

22.

flarrell, T. H. , Honaker, M. , & Parnell, T. (1992). Equivalence of the MMPI-2 with the MMPI in psychiatric patients. Psychological Assessment, 4, 460-465.

23.

Hathaway, S. R. , & McKinley,J. C. (1943). Manualfor the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press.

24.

Helms, J. E. (1999). Another meta-analysis of the White Racial Identity Attitude Scale's Cronbach alphas: Implications for validity. Measurement and Evaluation in Counseling and Development, 32, 122-137.

25.

Hunsely, J. , Hanson, R. K. , & Parker, K. C. H. (1988). A summary of the reliability and stability of MMPI scales. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 44, 44-46.

26.

Hunter, J. E. , & Schmidt, F. L. (1990). Methods of metaanalysis: Correcting error and bias in research findings Newbury Park, CA: Sage.

27.

Hurt, S. W. , Clarkin, J. F. , & Morey, L. C. (1990).An examination of the stability of the MMPI personality disorder scales Journal of Personality Assessment,54, 16 23.

28.

Johnson, M. E. , Jones, G. , & Brems, C. (1996). Concurrent validity of the MMPI-2 feminine gender role (GF) and masculine gender role (GM) scales. Journal of Personality Assessment, 66, 153-168.

29.

Karoly, P. , & Lecci, L. (1993). Hypochondriasis and somatization in college women: A personal projects analysis. Health Psychology, 12, 103-109.

30.

Kelley, P. L. , Jacobs, R. R. , & FarrJ. L. (1994). Effects of multiple administrations of the MMPI for employee screening. Personnel Psychology, 47, 575-592.

31.

Lichtenberg, P. A. , Skehan, M. W. , & Swensen, C. H. (1984). The role of personality, recent life stress and arthritic severity in predicting pain. Journal for Psychosomatic Research, 28, 231-236.

32.

Lubin, B. , Larsen, R. M. , & Matarazzo, J. D. (1984). Patterns of psychological test usage in the United States: 1935-1982. American Psychologist, 39, 451-454.

33.

Matz, P. A. , Altepeter, T. S. , & Perlman, B. (1992, May). MMPI-2: Reliability with college students. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 48, 330-334.

34.

McDaniel, W. F. (1997). Criterion-related diagnostic validity and test-retest reliability of the MMPI-168(L) in mentally retarded adolescents and adults. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 53, 485-489.

35.

Nunnally, J. C. (1978). Psychometric theory (2nd ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.

36.

Paluchowski, W. J. (1987). MMPI in Poland. Polish Psychological Bulletin, 18, 295-300.

37.

Parker, K. C. H. , Hanson, R. K. , & Hunsely, J. (1988). MMPI, Rorschach, and WAIS: A meta-analytic comparison of reliability, stability, and validity. Psychological Bulletin, 103, 367-373.

38.

Phillips, C. C. , & Dahlstrom, W. G. (1997, Winter). Adapting the MMPI for use in assessing late adolescents in Trinidad and Tobago. Adolescence, 32, 887-896.

39.

Ryan, J. J. , Dunn, G. E. , & Paolo, A. M. (1995). Temporal stability of the MMPI-2 in a substance abuse sample. Psychotherapy in Private Practice, 14(3), 33-41.

40.

Schaefer, A. , Brown, J. , Watson, C. G. , Plemel, D. , DeMotts, J. , Howard, M. T. , Petrik, N. , Balleweg, B. J. , & Anderson, D. (1985). Comparison of the validities of the Beck, Zung, and MMPI Depression scales.Journal of Clinical and Consulting Psychology, 53, 415-418.

41.

Schmidt, F. L. , & HunterJ. E. (1977). Development of a general solution to the problem of validity generalization. Journal of Applied Psychology, 62, 529-540.

42.

Schmit, M. J. , & Stanard, S. J. (1996). The utility of personality inventories in the employee assistance process: A study of EAP referred police officers. Employee Assistance Quarterly, 11(4), 21-42.

43.

Schwartz, G. F. (1977). An investigation of the stability of single scale and two-point MMPI code types for psychiatric patients. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Kent State University, Kent, OH.

44.

Sivec, H.J. , Lynn, S.J. , & Garske,J. P. (1994). The effect of somatoform disorder and paranoid psychotic role-related dissimulations as a response set on the MMPI-2. Assessment,1, 69-81.

45.

Stein, L. A. R. , McClinton, B. K. , & Graham, J. R. (1998). Long-term stability of MMPI-A scales. Journal of Personality Assessment,70, 103-108.

46.

Sukigara, M. (1996, August). Equivalence between computer and booklet administrations of the newJapanese version of the MMPI. Educational and Psychological Measurement,56, 570-584.

47.

Thompson, B. (1994, April). Common methodology mistakes in dissertations, revisited. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, New Orleans, LA. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 368 771)

48.

Thompson, B. , & Borrello, G. M. (1985). The importance of structure co-efficients in regression research. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 45, 203-209.

49.

Thompson, B. , & Vacha-Haase, T. (2000). Psychometrics is datametrics: The test is not reliable. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 60, 174-195.

50.

Upmanyu, V. V. , & Reen, M. (1990). A study of popular self report measures of depression.Journal of Personality and Clinical Studies, 6, 159-164.

51.

Upmanyu, V. V. , & Reen, M. (1991). Comparison of married employed and non-employed women on depression measures. Journal of Personality and Clinical Studies, 7, 153-162.

52.

Vacha-Haase, T. (1998). Reliability generalization: Exploring variance in measurement error affecting score reliability across studies. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 58, 6-20.

53.

Vacha-Haase, T. , Kogan, L. R. , & Thompson, B. (2000).Sample compositions and variabilities in published studies versus those in test manuals: Validity of score reliability inductions. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 60, 509 522.

54.

Viswesvaran, C. , & Ones, D. (2000).Measurement error in "Big Five Factors" personality assessment: Reliability Generalization across studies and measures. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 60,224-235.

55.

Von Cleve, E. , Jemelka, R. , & Trupin, E. (1991, June). Reliability of psychological test scores for offenders entering a state prison system. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 18, 159-165.

56.

Ward, L. C. , Wadsworth, A. P. , & Peterson, L. P. (1994). Concurrent validity of measures of anxiety, depression, and somatization in elderly, demented, male patients. Clinical Gerontologist, 15, 3-13.

57.

Watson, C. G. , Manifold, V. , Klett, W. G. , Brown, J. , Thomas, D. , & Anderson, D. (1990). Comparability of computer and booklet-administered Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventories among primarily chemically dependent patients. Psychological Assessment, 2, 276-280.

58.

Webb, N. M. , Rowley, G. L. , & Shavelson, R. J. (1988). Using generalizability theory in counseling and development. Measurement and Evaluation in Counseling and Development, 21, 81-90.

59.

Weizhen, S. (1991). Use and evaluation of a modified MMPI in China. InternationalJournal of Mental Health, 20, 81-93.

60.

Wetter, M. W. , & Deitsch, S. E. (1996). Faking specific disorders and temporal response consistency on the MMPI-2. Psychological Assessment, 8, 39-47.

61.

White, D. M. , Clements, C. B. , & Fowler, R. D. (1985). A comparison of computer administration with standard administration of the MMPI. Computers in Human Behavior,1, 153-162.

62.

Whittington, D. (1998). How well do researchers report their measures? An evaluation of measurement in published educational research. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 58, 21-37.

63.

Wilkinson, L. , & APA Task Force on Statistical Inference . (1999). Statistical methods in psychologyjournals: Guidelines and explanations. American Psychologist,54,594-604.

64.

65.

Willson, V. L. (1980). Research techniques in AERJ articles: 1969 to 1978. Educational Researcher 9(6), 5-10.

66.

Yin, P. , & Fan, X. (2000). Assessing the reliability of Beck Depression Inventory scores: Reliability Generalization across studies. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 60, 201-223.