Distinctiveness of the MMPI-3 Self-Importance and Self-Doubt Scales

Abstract

The MMPI-3 is an updated version of the MMPI-2-RF that provides enhanced coverage of constructs related to personality and psychopathology. A new Self-Importance (SFI) scale measures individuals’ beliefs that they possess special qualities. Low SFI scores indicate that test-takers report lacking such attributes. The Self-Doubt (SFD) scale, which was revised from the MMPI-2-RF, also has a self-orientation and measures a lack of self-esteem. The current study used three college student samples to investigate whether MMPI-3 SFI and SFD measure distinct constructs; in other words, are beliefs about self-importance distinct from self-esteem? SFI and SFD scores were conversely but differentially associated with measures of positive valence, self-esteem, and grandiose and vulnerable narcissism. Dominance and regression analyses indicated that SFI scores generally dominated SFD scores in prediction of positive valence and grandiose narcissism (characterized by grandiosity, dominance, aggressiveness). SFD scores generally dominated SFI scores in prediction of self-esteem and vulnerable narcissism (characterized by negative affect, feelings of incompetence, inadequacy). The current findings indicated that self-importance and self-esteem are two distinct constructs and therefore appropriately measured by separate scales.

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank William H. Menton for his assistance with conducting dominance analyses.

Notes

1 Hathaway and McKinley (1960) hoped that “[he and McKinley] might, with five years’ experience, greatly increase [the MMPI’s] validity and clinical usefulness, and perhaps even develop more solidly based constructs or theoretical variables for a new inventory” (p. vii).

2 The seven factors derived by Tellegen and colleagues (1991) include five that generally resemble those in popular five factor models of personality as well as Positive Valence (PV) and Negative Valence (NV). The latter predominately consists of socially evaluative terms and measures test takers’ beliefs that they possess very negative qualities (e.g., wicked and evil; see Tellegen (2018) for a comprehensive review of the Lexical Big Seven).

Additional information

Funding

The statements and opinions in this article are those of the authors. This research is grant-funded by the University of Minnesota Press. Regarding conflicts of interest, Yossef Ben-Porath receives research funding from the MMPI-3 test publisher, the University of Minnesota Press. As coauthor of the MMPI-3, he receives royalties on sales of the test. The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.