Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-A

The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-Adolescent (MMPI-A), published in 1992 by the University of Minnesota Press, is the first MMPI instrument designed specifically for use with adolescents. The test booklet was adapted from the original MMPI and the MMPI-2, the latter a revised version of the test for adults. The MMPI-A is a self-report instrument designed to aid in the assessment of a wide range of clinical conditions.

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Basic Information

AUTHORS:

1992 Manual: James N. Butcher, Ph.D., Carolyn L. WIlliams, Ph.D, John R. Graham, Ph.D., Robert P. Archer, Ph.D., Auke Tellegen, Ph.D., Yossef S. Ben-Porath, Ph.D., and Beverly Kaemmer

2006 Manual Supplement: John R. Graham, Ph.D., Robert P. Archer, Ph.D., Auke Tellegen, Ph.D., Yossef S. Ben-Porath, Ph.D., and Beverly Kaemmer

PUBLISHER: University of Minnesota Press
DISTRIBUTOR: Pearson Assessments
DATE OF PUBLICATION: 1992 (Manual), 2006 (Manual Supplement)

Administration: Computer, CD, or paper-and-pencil
Length: 478 True-False items
Administration Time: Approximately 60 minutes
Minimum Reading Level: 4.9 grade (Lexile average), 4.4 grade (Flesch-Kincaid)
Age: 14–18 years
Norm Group: Norm Group: The MMPI-A normative sample consists of 1,620 adolescents (805 boys; 815 girls) between 14 and 18 years of age who were selected as representative of the U.S. population.

The Adolescent Interpretive System of the Minnesota Report, written by notable MMPI experts James N. Butcher and Carolyn L. Williams, is available for practitioners to assist in their MMPI-A interpretations.

MMPI-A Scales

The 478-item MMPI-A is composed of over 105 scales:

Validity Indicators
Clinical Scales
Clinical Subscales
Content Scales
Content Component Scales
Supplementary Scales

Validity Indicators

? (CNS) – Cannot Say (reported as a raw score)
VRIN – Variable Response Inconsistency
TRIN – True Response Inconsistency
F– Infrequency
F₁ – Infrequency 1
F₂ – Infrequency 2
L – Lie
K – Correction

Clinical Scales

1 Hs – Hypochondriasis
2 D – Depression
3 Hy – Hysteria
4 Pd – Psychopathic Deviate
5 Mf – Masculinity / Femininity
6 Pa – Paranoia
7 Pt – Psychasthenia
8 Sc – Schizophrenia
9 Ma – Hypomania
0 Si – Social Introversion

Clinical Subscales: Harris-Lingoes Subscales

D1 – Subjective Depression
D2 – Psychomotor Retardation
D3 – Physical Malfunctioning
D4 – Mental Dullness
D5 – Brooding
Hy1 – Denial of Social Anxiety
Hy2 – Need for Affection
Hy3 – Lassitude-Malaise
Hy4 – Somatic Complaints
Hy5 – Inhibition of Aggression
Pd1 – Familial Discord
Pd2 – Authority Problems
Pd3 – Social Imperturbability
Pd4 – Social Alienation
Pd5 – Self-Alienation
Pa1 – Persecutory Ideas
Pa2 – Poignancy
Pa3 – Naïveté
Sc1 – Social Alienation
Sc2 – Emotional Alienation
Sc3 – Lack of Ego Mastery-Cognitive
Sc4 – Lack of Ego Mastery-Conative
Sc5 – Lack of Ego Mastery-Defective Inhibition
Sc6 – Bizarre Sensory Experiences
Ma1 – Amorality
Ma2 – Psychomotor Acceleration
Ma3 – Imperturbability
Ma4 – Ego Inflation

Clinical Subscales: Social Introversion Subscales

Si1 – Shyness/Self-Consciousness
Si2 – Social Avoidance
Si3 – Alienation - Self and Others

Content Scales

A-anx – Anxiety
A-obs – Obsessiveness
A-dep – Depression
A-hea – Health Concerns
A-aln – Alienation
A-biz – Bizarre Mentation
A-ang – Anger
A-cyn – Cynicism
A-con – Conduct Problems
A-lse – Low Self-Esteem
A-las – Low Aspirations
A-sod – Social Discomfort
A-fam – Family Problems
A-sch – School Problems
A-trt – Negative Treatment Indicators

Content Component Scales

A-dep1 – Dysphoria
A-dep2 – Self-Depreciation
A-dep3 – Lack of Drive
A-dep4 – Suicidal Ideation
A-hea1 – Gastrointestinal Symptoms
A-hea2 – Neurological Symptoms
A-hea3 – General Health Concerns
A-aln1 – Misunderstood
A-aln2 – Social Isolation
A-aln3 – Interpersonal Skepticism
A-biz1 – Psychotic Symptomatology
A-biz2 – Paranoid Ideation
A-ang1 – Explosive Behavior
A-ang2 – Irritability
A-cyn1 – Misanthropic Beliefs
A-cyn2 – Interpersonal Suspiciousness
A-con1 – Acting-Out Behaviors
A-con2 – Antisocial Attitudes
A-con3 – Negative Peer Group Influence
A-lse1 – Self-Doubt
A-lse2 – Interpersonal Submissiveness
A-las1 – Low Achievement Orientation
A-las2 – Lack of Initiative
A-sod1 – Introversion
A-sod2 – Shyness
A-fam1 – Family Discord
A-fam2 – Familial Alienation
A-sch1 – School Conduct Problems
A-sch2 – Negative Attitudes
A-trt1 – Low Motivation
A-trt2 – Inability to Disclose

Supplementary Scales

MAC-R – MacAndrew-Revised
ACK – Alcohol / Drug Problem Acknowledgement
PRO – Alcohol / Drug Problem Proneness
IMM – Immaturity
A – Anxiety
R – Repression

PSY-5 (Personality Psychopathology Five)

AGGR – Aggressiveness
PSYC – Psychoticism
DISC – Disconstraint
NEGE – Negative Emotionality / Neuroticism
INTR – Introversion / Low Positive Emotionality

Frequently Asked Questions

ADMINISTRATION, SCORING & INTERPRETATION

What is required to purchase, administer and score the MMPI® test materials?

A Level "C" qualification is required to purchase MMPI® materials from Pearson Assessments, please see the user qualifications.

CONTENT COMPONENT SCALES

In 2006, Content Component Scales were added to the MMPI-A. A test manual supplement and a test monograph containing information on the scales are available from Pearson Assessments.

CRITICAL ITEMS

Where can I find information on the critical items for the MMPI-A test?
In 2006, a standard set of critical items was added to the MMPI-A Extended Score Report. Additional information on the development of this set of critical items can be found in a test monograph, A Critical Item Set for the MMPI-A by Forbey and Ben-Porath, published by the University of Minnesota Press and available from Pearson Assessments.

NORMS

Are different norms used for different settings?
No. However, there are different norms for the MMPI-2 and MMPI-A tests. The MMPI-A normative sample consists of 1,620 adolescents (805 boys; 815 girls) between 14 and 18 years of age, who were selected as representative of the US population.

Are there norms for different cultures?
American minorities are included in the normative samples. No separate cultural norms are available.

What effect does age have on test scores?
The MMPI-A instrument was developed for young people between the ages of 14 and 18 (the normative group). Clinicians administering the MMPI-A instrument to clients 12 or 13 years old should be aware that they are using the instrument with an age group that has a higher incidence of difficulty with the assessment and therefore they should be cautious in their interpretations. The MMPI-A instrument is probably developmentally inappropriate for children under 12. Normative and clinical samples for both the MMPI-2 and the MMPI-A instruments include 18-year-olds, so the clinician should make a case-by-case judgment about which assessment to use with 18-year-old clients. A suggested guideline would be to use the MMPI-A instrument with 18-year-olds who are still in high school and the MMPI-2 instrument with 18-year-olds who are in college, working, or living an otherwise independent adult lifestyle.

PSY-5 (PERSONALITY PSYCHOPATHOLOGY FIVE) SCALES

What are the PSY-5 scales, and where can I find information about them?
Harkness and McNulty developed a dimensional model of personality from quantitative studies of key personality and personality disorder descriptors (1994). The constructs that emerged from these studies are Aggressiveness (AGGR), Psychoticism (PSYC), Disconstraint (DISC), Negative Emotionality/Neuroticism (NEGE), and Introversion/Low Positive Emotionality (INTR). In 1995 Harkness, McNulty, and Ben-Porath developed PSY-5 scales for the MMPI-2; this was followed in 1997 with the development of PSY-5 scales for the MMPI-A by McNulty, Harkness, Ben-Porath, and Williams. The MMPI-A Personality Psychopathology Five (PSY-5) Scales are available on the Extended Score Report, the Minnesota Report: Adolescent Interpretive System, and in the hand-scoring Supplementary Scales materials.

Information about the PSY-5 Scales can be found in the Supplement to the MMPI-A Manual for Administration, Scoring, and Interpretation (full citation below), available from Pearson Assessments.

Books and Monographs

Translations

Published MMPI-A translations are available for purchase directly through the Press’ international publishing partners. Please click here to review the complete list of translations.