Development and validation of the Malingering Discriminant Function Index (M-DFI) for the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory - 2 (MMPI-2) The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory - 2 (MMPI-2; Butcher, Graham, Ben-Porath, Tellegan, & Dahlstrom, 2001), the most widely used instrument for the assessment of personality and psychopathology (Camara, Nathan, Puente, 2000), contains a number of "validity" scales designed to assess malingering. Although these traditional validity scales (i.e. F, FB, and FP) have proven effective, there are growing bodies of evidence indicating that: (1) when psychological assessments take place within a forensic or psychological disability context, some clients may be informed about these validity scales (Wetter & Corrigan, 1995; Youngjohn, 1995) and (2) these traditional validity scales are less effective when potential malingerers are instructed (or "coached") about how these scales work (Bury & Bagby, 2002; Lamb, Berry, Wetter, & Baer, 1994; Rogers, Bagby, & Chakraborty, 1993; Storm & Graham, 2000). The goal of the current investigation was to develop a validity index for the MMPI-2 that would be impervious to the effects of "coaching," including memorization of validity scale items. Using an actuarial-based scale-development procedure, a malingering index was constructed using clinical and content scales—the Malingering Discriminant Function Index (M-DFI). Phase I of this investigation employed discriminant function analysis (DFA) to derive the M-DFI . The derivation DFA identified 17 scales (four clinical, two content, and 11 content component) that were able to significantly distinguish a group of bona fide psychiatric patients and groups of validity scale coached research participants that were instructed to feign psychopathology. These 17 scales formed the basis of the M-DFI. Two subsequent validity studies were performed, which revealed the predictive validity and the incremental validity of the M-DFI relative to the standard validity scales F, FB, and FP. Compared to these standard validity scales, the M-DFI showed little attentuation in predictive capacity in experimental studies in which research participants were instructed (coached) on how to feign mental illness when completing the MMPI-2. Although replication is needed, the M-DFI may prove to be a useful addition to the standard validity scales on the MMPI-2 to detect malingering. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2007 APA, all rights reserved) https://www.upress.umn.edu/test-division/bibliography/2000-2009/2006/bacchiochi_development_2006-1 https://www.upress.umn.edu/logo.png

Jason R Bacchiochi (2006)

Development and validation of the Malingering Discriminant Function Index (M-DFI) for the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory - 2 (MMPI-2)

PhD thesis.

Keywords

APA
Body
Clients
Development
Disabilities
Discriminant function
Discriminant function analysis
Discriminant function index
Feign psychopathology
Function analysis
Incremental validity
items
Malingering
Mental illness
Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory
Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2
MMPI 2
MMPI-2
Patients
Personality
Predictive validity
Replication
Research
Scale development
Scale items
Test development
Test validity
Ttraditional validity scales
Validation
Validity
Work

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Development and validation of the Malingering Discriminant Function Index (M-DFI) for the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory - 2 (MMPI-2)