A Comparison of English and Spanish (Nunez) Translation of the MMPI

Abstract

As more Hispanics seek help in mental health centers, the need arises for a reliable Spanish translation of the MMPI. This present research is a preliminary attempt to study the validity of the Nuñez translation of the MMPI, the translation most widely used in Latin America. This translation and the English MMPI were administered to a volunteer sample of 18 teenaged bilingual Hispanic women. A split-plot factorial ANOVA with one between-subjects factor(form of test) was used to analyze the K-corrected T scorns from each scale separately. On scales F, K, Hs, Pa,.and Sc, the Spanish means were significantly (p < .05) higher than the English means. Order of administration had no significant effect, and there was no significant interaction effect. These findings demonstrate that the Nuñez translation cannot be used interchangeably with the English form of the MMPI.