A replicated study comparing MMPI-A and MMPI-2 scores with 18-year-old college students.

Abstract

This study examined the MMPI-A and MMPI-2 profiles of 18 year old college students for the purpose of examining any differences between the tests. It is a replication of Kendall's 1995 study with the addition of the variable designed to ascertain the appropriateness of administering the MMPI-A over the MMPI-2. Fifty-five college students participated in the study. The profiles of 4 women and 3 men were discarded due to F, L, or K Scale elevations, resulting in 48 participants, 27 women and 21 men. Two repeated measures analysis of variance were used to analyze the data, one for women and one for men. The overall ~ test for neither group was significant, nor did the variable assessing independence reach significance. Correlation coefficients for the 10 clinical and 3 validity scales for men and women produced correlations ranging from .24 to .87. In comparison to Kendall's work, this study found the MMPI-A and MMPI-2 to be comparable tests when used with this population. Future research should use a more representative sample of 18 year olds.