Demand Characteristic Effects on the Subtle and Obvious Subscales of the MMPI

Abstract

The MMPI was administered to 40 undergraduate students with 20 subjects asked to imagine that they were applying for a job and 20 subjects asked to imagine that they were applying for psychotherapy. Subjects in the job group dissimulated (faked good) and those in the therapy group malingered (faked bad) as evidenced by differences between the subtle and obvious scores. The combined subtle and obvious score was higher for the psychotherapy group. It was concluded that the subtle, obvious, and combined subtle and obvious scores on the MMPI were a function of the demand characteristics of the testing situation.