Impact of Criminal Offender Status, Race, and Exposure to Trauma on MMPI-2 Score

The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory, 2nd Edition (MMPI-2) is utilized for a variety of psycho-legal decisions, however, it has not been normed to the prison population and many threats to validity exist in this environment. Many instruments are not adequately normed on ethnic minorities, potentially introducing bias. Few studies directly demonstrate that the behavioral correlates of the clinical scales are maintained in the forensic setting. The demands also make it difficult to interpret the validity scales as there are motivations to provide a specific symptom profile because incarcerated individuals may have strong incentives to portray themselves in particular ways that are uncharacteristic of the MMPI-2 normative groups. This dissertation explores the use of the MMPI-2 in a forensic setting. The various legal contexts, specifically in the criminal domain in which psychological testing by a forensic examiner is currently utilized are discussed. The differences in administration procedures that may be encountered in prison setting as compared to how these instruments were originally standardized and the threats to validity are outlined. The history of the development and the standardization procedures of the MMPI-2 are reviewed. Furthermore, forensic applications of the MMPI-2 and its admissibility in legal proceedings are discussed. This dissertation analyzes the impact that criminal offender status and race classification may have on the profiles of the MMPI-2, specifically notable differences in the validity and clinical scales from the normed population. Finally, limitations in forensic settings and ethical considerations are discussed. Recommendations for interpretation considerations and future directions for research are provided.