Validity of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2) Restructured Clinical (RC) Scales in a forensic setting

The Restructured Clinical (RC) Scales of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2) were examined in a forensic assessment setting. Archival data were extracted from the case files of 2,156 men and women referred to a forensic assessment clinic for criminal court-ordered evaluations. Analyses were conducted to assess the reliability and internal and external validity of the RC Scales. Additionally, the frequency, origin, and implications of elevation differences on the Clinical and RC Scales were examined. Overall, results indicate that the RC Scales have comparable reliability and validity in this forensic sample to those previously reported for clinical and normative samples. Additionally, results indicate that the RC scales have a similar or improved ability to predict a variety of criterion measures, when compared with other MMPI-2 scale sets. This study adds to previous research indicating that the MMPI-2 can effectively be used for the assessment of psychopathology in forensic evaluations, and that the new Restructured Clinical Scales add to the utility of this widely used instrument.