Effects of augmenting response options of the MMPI-2-RF: An extension of previous findings

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of augmenting the response options of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-Second Edition-Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF). Numerous investigations indicate that scores on scales with more response options tend to possess better psychometric properties than those with fewer response options. A previous investigation by Cox and colleagues compared the psychometric performance of the MMPI-2 Restructured Clinical scales using the standard response format to a version using an augmented, four-point response format. Scores from the augmented version demonstrated superior internal consistency compared to the standard form. Scores from the augmented version failed to demonstrate superior convergent validity compared to the standard form. The current study replicates and expands these findings to all the MMPI-2-RF scales. The augmented version took approximately 3 minutes longer to complete, but participants felt the augmented response format allowed them to describe themselves more accurately. As in the previous study, internal consistency was superior for scores on the augmented version, but these gains did not lead to increased convergent validity. No order effects were observed. Potential explanations for this counterintuitive finding are discussed, and recommendations are made for future investigations in response option augmentation.

Keywords:

• MMPI
• MMPI-2-RF
• response format
• assessment

Public Interest Statement

The various forms of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) are some of the most widely used psychological tests in the world, employed in a variety of clinical and occupational settings. The most recent update, the Minnesota Personality Inventory-2nd Edition-Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF) is used to evaluate a wide range of personality and psychopathological phenomena, and to plan treatment. Because of its widespread use and real world impact, research evaluating its applications and improving its utility is important. This study reports on attempts to improve the accuracy of the test without making the test longer, by comparing the test’s traditional true-false format with a multiple choice format. Previous attempts to use a multiple-choice format with this test have had mixed results. Our hope is that we can identify which format is more effective with this test and why, which may lead to improvement in the reliability and accuracy of results of the test.

Competing Interests

The authors declare no competing interest.

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank the University of Minnesota Press for permission to reproduce the items of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-Second Edition-Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF) for this study. We would also like to thank Brian McCabe and Joseph McLaughlin for their assistance with data collection and entry. The lead author would like to thank his other dissertation committee members, Kyunghee Han and Stuart Quirk, for their instruction and helpful suggestions in crafting and refining this project.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Seth C. Courrégé

The co-authors of this project are members of the Psychological Assessment Laboratory at Central Michigan University. Led by Kyunghee Han, PhD, and Nathan Weed, PhD, the Psychological Assessment Laboratory conducts research on psychometric measures used in applications of clinical psychology. Most commonly, we conduct research on aspects of assessment with the MMPI, the most widely used psychological test in the world. Recent projects have focused on the substance abuse scales of the MMPI-2-RF, the Hindi translation of the MMPI-2, and q-sort applications of MMPI-2-RF research. The present manuscript is adapted from the doctoral dissertation of the first author, Andrew Cox, PhD, currently affiliated with Dominion Behavioral Healthcare located in Richmond, VA.