Validity of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 correction factors for use with patients with suspected head injury

Abstract

The clinical scales of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2) are thought to be artificially inflated in patients with closed head injury (CHI). Correction factors have been proposed (e.g., Alfano, Paniak, & Finlayson, 1993; Artzy, 1994; Gass, 1991b) by comparing item endorsement of various populations and selecting items unique to the CHI population. The present study assessed the validity of the correction factors by relating these to indices of head- injury seventy and to scores on standard neuropsychological measures. Results revealed no significant associations between the correction factors and duration of loss of consciousness (LOC) and posttraumatic amnesia (PTA). In addition, no significant associations were found between correction factors and performance on neuropsychological tests. Significant correlations were found, however, between correction factors and the MMPI-2 depression content scale. These results suggest that the correction factors proposed for interpreting MMPI-2 protocols of head-injured individuals may be more sensitive to depression than to closed head injury.