Predictive validity of the MMPI-A for depression in Caucasian and racial minority adolescents
Few studies in the field focus on adolescents and assessment. The current study sought to understand the relationship between the most popular personality assessment, the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory for Adolescents (MMPI-A), and depression in adolescent mental health clients. This study was modeled after Arbisi et al. (2002), who examined test bias in an adult clinical sample. Three specific scales of the MMPI-A that were used in assessing depression in clients and were used as predictors for depression. Client case notes were reviewed to gather information on depressive symptomology using the DSM-IV-TR criteria. An analysis of the sample of 84 participants was initially conducted to examine the relationship between the predictors and depression. Once a predictive relationship was confirmed, a step-down hierarchical regression analysis was conducted to further explore the presence of test bias. This procedure answers questions regarding two types of bias: slope and intercept bias. This researcher hypothesized that there will be a different predictive relationship for racial minority clients than for Caucasian clients. This notion is supported by the idea that perhaps clinicians have the capacity to be greater attuned to cultural issues that may not be evident in the assessment process. A sample of adolescents seeking community mental health services predominantly in the Midwestern United States, where the MMPI-A was originally developed, was used to understand the predictive relationship of the scales. The three scales proved to be valid predictors of depression. Prediction bias in the form of intercept bias was evident in the content scales, A-Dep and A-LSE. The fact that test bias was found between these groups confirms that there are differences in the ability of the MMPI-A to predict depression for racial minority groups. These issues in testing will be used for suggestions in further research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2007 APA, all rights reserved)
https://www.upress.umn.edu/test-division/bibliography/2000-2009/2006/moore_predictive_2006
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Anshan T Moore
(2006)
Predictive validity of the MMPI-A for depression in Caucasian and racial minority adolescents
PhD thesis.