An Evaluation of the MMPI-2 and MMPI-A True Response Inconsistency (TRIN) Scales

Abstract

The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory–Adolescent (MMPI-A) and Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory–2 (MMPI-2) True Response Inconsistency (TRIN) scales are measures of acquiescence and nonacquiescence included among the standard validity scales on these instruments. The goals of this study were to evaluate the effectiveness of these scales in detecting varying degrees of acquiescence and nonacquiescence and to evaluate cutoff scores for clinical use. After the removal of invalid protocols from the MMPI-2 and MMPI-A normative samples, each normative sample was randomly divided in half. For each measure, one half of the normative sample served as a comparison group and the other half was modified with increasing degrees (10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, and 50%) of randomly inserted true or false responses. The results for a 9.1% base rate of acquiescence or nonacquiescence provide support for TRIN cutoff scores at or near those presented in the MMPI-A and MMPI-2 manuals.

Keywords

personality assessment MMPI-2 MMPI-A validity scales TRIN

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Archer, R. P. (2005). MMPI-A: Assessing adolescent psychopathology (3rd ed.). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.

Archer, R. P. , Handel, R. W. , Lynch, K. D. , & Elkins, D. E. (2002). MMPI-A validity scale uses and limitations in detecting varying levels of random responding. Journal of Personality Assessment, 78, 417-431.

Baer, R. A. , Kroll, L. S. , Rinaldo, J. ,& Ballenger, J. (1999). Detecting and discriminating between random responding and overreporting on the MMPI-A. Journal of Personality Assessment, 72, 308-320.

Berry, D. T. R. , Wetter, M. W. , Baer, R. A. , Widiger, T. A. , Sumpter, J. C. , Reynolds, S. K. , et al. (1991). Detection of random responding on the MMPI-2: Utility of F, Back F, and VRIN scales. Psychological Assessment: A Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 3, 418-423.

Butcher, J. N. , Graham, J. R. , Ben-Porath, Y.S. , Tellegen, A. , Dahlstrom, W. G. ,& Kaemmer, B. (2001). MMPI-2 (Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2): Manual for administration and scoring. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press.

Butcher, J. N. , Williams, C. L. , Graham, J. R. , Archer, R. P. , Tellegen, A. , Ben-Porath, Y. S. , & Kaemmer, B. (1992). Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory–Adolescent (MMPI-A): Manual for administration, scoring, and interpretation. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press.

Cohen, J. (1988). Statistical power analysis for the behavioral sciences (2nd ed.). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.

Graham, J. R. (2006). MMPI-2: Assessing personality and psychopathology (4th ed.). New York: Oxford Press.

Hathaway, S. R. , & McKinley, J. C. (1942). The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (Rev. ed.). Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press.

10.

Jackson, D. N. , & Messick, S. (1961). Acquiescence and desirability as response determinants on the MMPI. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 21, 771-790.

11.

Meehl, P. E. , & Rosen, A. (1955). Antecedent probability and the efficiency of psychometric signs, patterns, or cutting scores. Psychological Bulletin, 52, 194-216.

12.

McKinley, J.C. , Hathaway, S.R. , & Meehl, P.E. (1948). The MMPI: VI.The K scale. Journal of Consulting Psychology, 12, 20-31.

13.

Tellegen, A. (1982). Brief manual for the Differential Personality Questionnaire. Unpublished manuscript, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis. [Since renamed Multidimensional Personality Questionnaire].

14.

Tellegen, A. (1988). The analysis of consistency in personality assessment. Journal of Personality, 56, 621-663.

15.

Wetter, M. W. ,& Tharpe, B. (1995, March). Sensitivity of the TRIN scale on the MMPI-2. Paper presented at the 30th Annual Symposium on Recent Developments in the Use of the MMPI-2 and MMPI-A, St. Petersburg Beach, FL.