ERIC Number: EJ743294
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2006-Sep
Pages: 12
Abstractor: Author
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1040-3590
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Evaluating the Latent Structure of the MMPI-2 F(p) Scale in a Forensic Sample: A Taxometric Analysis
Strong, David R.; Glassmire, David M.; Frederick, Richard I.; Greene, Roger L.
Psychological Assessment, v18 n3 p250-261 Sep 2006
P. A. Arbisi and Y. S. Ben-Porath (1995) originally proposed that the Infrequency Psychopathology scale, F(p), be used as the final step in an algorithm to determine the validity of a Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2) protocol. The current study used taxometric procedures to determine the latent structure of F(p) among examinees with profiles that would necessitate the interpretation of F(p) when using Arbisi and Ben-Porath's proposed algorithm. Participants included a subsample of 289 consecutively referred pretrial forensic examinees adjudicated incompetent to stand trial with high Infrequency (F) scale scores, thereby providing a sample that would be expected to have a high base rate of persons with bona fide psychopathology and persons with incentive to overreport psychopathology. Using MAMBAC and MAXEIG, F(p) produced a taxonic latent structure within the subgroup of examinees who obtained raw scores on F of greater than 17. These results support Arbisi and Ben-Porath's original proposal to use F(p) to identify a distinct subgroup of over reported MMPI-2 protocols within forensic psychiatric examinees with high elevations on F. Implications and suggestions for future research are provided.
Descriptors: Item Response Theory, Test Validity, Psychopathology, Measures (Individuals), Raw Scores, Protocol Analysis, Evaluation Research, Mathematical Concepts, Program Validation, Profiles
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Assessments and Surveys: Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A