Construction and Cross-Validation of an MMPI Black-White Scale

Abstract

Summary: A robust set of MMPI items, sensitive to the effect of race (Blacks versus Whites), was constructed by compiling the results of six prior studies. Thirty-two items comprised the MMPI B-W scale. The scale was cross-validated on psychiatric patients and police cadets. Statistically significant mean differences were found between races in both groups, with 83% and 60% correct racial classification, respectively. These findings suggested that when used as a clinical instrument, the MMPI might pick up nonpathology-related racial variance contributing to scale devotion biased against the black respondent, but the degree of nonpathology-related racial scale score covariance has yet to be determined. For future research, the B-W scale was proposed as a set of standard queries in studies assessing connotative meaning for Black-White contrast groups, and to index "functional" as opposed to "objective" race membership.