Examination of the MMPI-3 over-reporting scales in a forensic disability sample

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this investigation was to provide information about the utility of the newly revised and renormed Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-3 (MMPI-3) over-reporting scales in a forensic disability sample. Method: Participants consisted of 550 non-head injury disability-related referrals (i.e. 95.6% for worker’s compensation) and were primarily diagnosed with an adjustment disorder, depressive disorder, or posttraumatic stress disorder. Criterion measures included performance validity indicators and non-MMPI symptom validity indicators. Results: Correlation analyses showed that validity scale F was most strongly associated with non-MMPI symptom validity indicators, whereas F, Fs, FBS, and RBS were comparable to each other in their associations with performance validity indicators. Group mean comparisons between Pass versus Fail PVT groups showed that RBS consistently yielded the largest effect sizes. Using established structured criteria for Malingered Neurocognitive Dysfunction (MND), additional group mean comparisons showed that RBS, followed by Fs, F, and FBS, performed well in differentiating genuine responders from MND examinees. Classification accuracy estimates indicated that the MMPI-3 over-reporting scales performed well in the prediction of Probable/Definite MND and, as expected, to a lesser degree of Possible MND. Conclusions: Practical applications, study limitations, and directions for future research are discussed. The overall findings from this study provide empirical support for the utility of the MMPI-3 over-reporting scales in detecting negative response bias in forensic disability evaluations.

Keywords:

• Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-3
• civil forensic
• over-reporting
• invalid performance
• Malingered Neurocognitive Dysfunction
• symptom validity
• criterion groups design

Disclosure statement

Regarding conflicts of interests, Yossef Ben-Porath is a paid consultant to the MMPI publisher, the University of Minnesota Press, and distributor, Pearson Assessments. He receives continuous funding from the publisher for MMPI research, in addition to royalties on sales of MMPI-2-RF and MMPI-3 materials. Roger Gervais receives scoring support for the MMPI-2-RF from the University of Minnesota Press and Pearson Assessments.

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study cannot be publicly shared but are available upon reasonable request from the corresponding author.

Acknowledgments

This paper includes a major portion of the first author’s dissertation. The authors thank Dana Doucette for dataset management.

Notes

1 The “-r” designators were removed from MMPI-3 scales.