Detection of Malingered Psychosis with the MMPI-2

Author(s)

Robert Pensa
William I. DorfmanFollow
Steven N. Gold
Barry Schneider, Nova Southeastern UniversityFollow

Document Type

Article

Publication Title

Psychotherapy in Private Practice

ISSN

0731-7158

Publication Date

1996

Abstract

This study investigated the utility of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2) in the detection of malingered psychosis. Twenty males diagnosed from a county psychiatric hospital were matched for age and education with twenty male volunteers. Every subject was administered the full 567-itcm MMPI-2. In addition, the malingering subject received training materials on psychosis along with instructions and monetary incentives to malinger. Significant group differences were found on a newly created F-Fb Index, which yielded a hit-rate of 70%. Additional t-tests also Revealed significant group differences on scales Infrequency (F) and Bizarre Mentation (BIZ) along with Subtle-Obvious Difference Score and the F-Fb index, yielding hit-rates in the 80-90% range. Scale Back-Page Infrequency (Fb) did not yield significant group differences, but this may have been a result of a stringent alpha level. Finally, a discriminant function with scales F, Fb, F-K, BIZ, and S-0 yielded a hit-rate of 92.5%. The results suggest that the MMPI-2 is an effective instrument at identifying malingered psychosis.

DOI

10.1300/J294v14n04_04

Volume

14

Issue

4

First Page

47

Last Page

63

NSUWorks Citation

Pensa, R., Dorfman, W. I., Gold, S. N., Schneider, B. (1996). Detection of Malingered Psychosis with the MMPI-2. Psychotherapy in Private Practice, 14(4), 47-63.
Available at: https://nsuworks.nova.edu/cps_facarticles/823