The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) Test

Key Takeaways

• The MMPI was first developed in the 1930s to help clinicians diagnose mental disorders and remains widely used today.
• Modern versions, such as the MMPI-2 and MMPI-A, include 10 clinical scales that assess various psychological conditions.
• The test also uses validity scales to detect inaccurate responses, including intentional and unintentional attempts to influence results.

The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) is the most widely used clinical assessment tool in psychology, helping psychologists recognize and diagnose mental health disorders. Developed in the late 1930s, the test has been revised and updated several times to improve accuracy and validity. The MMPI-2, for example, has 567 true-false questions and takes approximately 60 to 90 minutes to complete; the MMPI-2-RF has 338 true-false questions and takes 35 to 50 minutes to complete.

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Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory Test Origins

The MMPI was developed in 1937 by clinical psychologist Starke R. Hathaway and neuropsychiatrist J. Charnley McKinley at the University of Minnesota. They felt that existing self-report inventories were too transparent, allowing respondents to guess their intent and manipulate the results.

In response, the pair developed the test for the University of Minnesota’s Department of Psychology as an objective tool for assessing psychiatric conditions. The MMPI became one of the most widely used psychological assessments, finding use in psychology clinics, hospitals, correctional facilities, and pre-employment screenings.

Today, it remains the most frequently used clinical testing instrument and is one of the most valuable, well-researched tools used in the diagnosis and treatment of mental illness.

Different Versions of the Test

In the years after the MMPI was first published, clinicians and researchers began to question its accuracy. Critics pointed out that the original sample group was inadequate. Others argued that the results indicated possible test bias, while others felt the test itself contained sexist and racist questions.

In response to these issues, the MMPI underwent a revision in the late 1980s. Many questions were removed, reworded, or added. Additionally, new validity scales were incorporated in the revised test.

• MMPI-2: The revised edition of the test was released in 1989 as the MMPI-2. The test was revised again in 2001 and updated in 2003 and 2009. It’s still the most frequently used clinical assessment test today.
• MMPI-2-RF: Another edition of the test, published in 2008, is known as the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2-Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF), an alternative to the MMPI-2.
• MMPI-A: Published in 1992, this is geared toward adolescents aged 14 to 18. The MMPI-A has 478 questions and takes about an hour to complete.
• MMPI-A-RF: Published in 2016, the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-Adolescent-Restructured Form (MMPI-A-RF) is shorter than the original, with just 241 questions that take 25 to 45 minutes to answer.
• MMPI-3: The latest version of the instrument, MMPI-3, was released in 2020. The test takes 25 to 50 minutes and is available in English, Spanish, and French for Canadian formats.

Uses of the Test

Clinical psychology professionals use the test to assess and diagnose mental illness, but it’s used in other areas, such as:

• Legal cases, including criminal defense and custody disputes
• Professional/employment screening, especially for high-risk jobs
• Substance use programs
• Helping diagnose mood, anxiety, and personality disorders
• Assessing treatment progress over time
• Helping guide therapeutic planning
• Evaluating candidates for medical procedures that require psychological clearance, such as bariatric surgery

What to Expect When You Take It

• The MMPI should be administered, scored, and interpreted by a professional, preferably a clinical psychologist or psychiatrist, who has received special training in MMPI use. The MMPI is copyrighted by the University of Minnesota, so clinicians must pay to administer and use the test.
• The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory test should be used with other assessment tools as well. A diagnosis should never be made solely on the results of the MMPI.
• The MMPI can be administered individually or in groups, and computerized versions are also available. Both the MMPI-2 and the MMPI-2-RF are designed for individuals aged 18 years and older.
• The test can be scored by hand or by a computer, but the results should always be interpreted by a qualified mental health professional who has had extensive training in MMPI interpretation.

How Long Is the MMPI?

• The MMPI-2 contains 567 test items and takes approximately 60 to 90 minutes to complete.
• The MMPI-2-RF contains 338 questions and takes around 35 to 50 minutes to finish.
• The MMPI-3 contains 335 self-report items and takes 25 to 35 minutes to administer on a computer and 35 to 40 minutes on paper and pencil.

What the MMPI Is Looking For

The MMPI-2 and MMPI-A have 10 clinical scales that are used to indicate different psychological conditions, though the MMPI-2-RF and the MMPI-A-RF use different scales.

Despite the names given to each scale, they are not a pure measure since many conditions have overlapping symptoms. Because of this, most psychologists simply refer to each scale by number.

Here’s a brief overview of the clinical scales on the MMPI-2 and the MMPI-A.

Scale 1—Hypochondriasis

This scale was designed to assess a neurotic concern over bodily functioning. The items on this scale concern physical symptoms and well-being. It was originally developed to identify people displaying the symptoms of hypochondria, or a tendency to believe that one has an undiagnosed medical condition.

Scale 2—Depression

This scale was originally designed to identify depression, characterized by poor morale, lack of hope in the future, and general dissatisfaction with one’s own life situation. Very high scores may indicate depression, while moderate scores tend to reveal a general dissatisfaction with one’s life.

Scale 3—Hysteria

The third scale was originally designed to identify those who display hysteria or physical complaints in stressful situations. Those who are well-educated and of a high social class tend to score higher on this scale. Women also tend to score higher than men on this scale.

Scale 4—Psychopathic Deviate

Originally developed to identify psychopathic individuals, this scale measures social deviation, lack of acceptance of authority, and amorality (a disregard for morality). This scale can be thought of as a measure of disobedience and antisocial behavior.

High scorers tend to be more rebellious, while low scorers are more accepting of authority. Despite the name of this scale, high scorers are usually diagnosed with a personality disorder rather than a psychotic disorder.

Scale 5—Masculinity-Femininity

This scale was designed by the original authors to identify what they referred to as “homosexual tendencies,” for which it was largely ineffective. Today, it is used to assess how much or how little a person identifies how rigidly an individual identifies with stereotypical male and female gender roles.

Scale 6—Paranoia

This scale was originally developed to identify individuals with paranoid symptoms such as suspiciousness, feelings of persecution, grandiose self-concepts, excessive sensitivity, and rigid attitudes. Those who score high on this scale tend to have paranoid or psychotic symptoms.

Scale 7—Psychasthenia

This diagnostic label is no longer used today and the symptoms described on this scale are more reflective of anxiety, depression, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. This scale was originally used to measure excessive doubts, compulsions, obsessions, and unreasonable fears.

Scale 8—Schizophrenia

This scale was originally developed to identify individuals with schizophrenia. It reflects a wide variety of areas, including:

• Bizarre thought processes
• Peculiar perceptions
• Social alienation
• Poor familial relationships
• Difficulties in concentration and impulse control
• Lack of deep interests
• Disturbing questions of self-worth and self-identity
• Sexual difficulties

The scale can also show potential substance abuse, emotional or social alienation, eccentricities, and a limited interest in other people.

Scale 9—Hypomania

This scale was developed to identify characteristics of hypomania, such as:

• Elevated mood
• Hallucinations
• Delusions of grandeur
• Accelerated speech and motor activity
• Irritability
• Flight of ideas
• Brief periods of depression

Scale 0—Social Introversion

This scale was developed later than the other nine scales. It’s designed to assess a person’s shyness and tendency to withdraw from social contacts and responsibilities.

How the MMPI Checks for Accurate Answers

All of the MMPI tests use validity scales of varying sorts to help assess the accuracy of each individual’s answers. Since these tests can be used for circumstances like employment screenings and custody hearings, test takers may not be completely honest in their answers.

Validity scales can show how accurate the test is, as well as to what degree answers may have been distorted.

The MMPI-2 uses the following scales.

• The L Scale: Also called the lie scale, it flags efforts to appear overly virtuous. High scores suggest someone is trying to present themselves in an unrealistically positive light.
• The F Scale: Detects overreporting or inconsistent answers. High scores can indicate that a person is exaggerating symptoms, is in significant distress, or is responding carelessly
• The K Scale: Known as the defensiveness scale, it detects subtle attempts to underreport problems. High scores can indicate that someone is minimizing issues or trying to present themselves in a too-favorable light.
• The ? Scale: Also known as the “cannot say” scale, this validity scale assesses the number of items left unanswered. The MMPI manual recommends that any test with 30 or more unanswered questions should be declared invalid.
• TRIN Scale: Detects “fixed” responding, such as marking mostly true or mostly false answers without actually reading the questions. This may reflect misunderstanding, low comprehension, or defiance. It uses 20 paired opposite items to flag inconsistent patterns.
• VRIN Scale: Detects inconsistent, random responses. Like fixed responding, this can be intentional, or it can be due to not understanding the material or not being able to read it.
• The Fb Scale: Shows shifts in responding between the first half of the test and the second half. High scores can suggest inattention, random answering, fatigue, stress, or attempts or overreport or underreport symptoms.
• The Fp Scale: This scale helps detect intentional overreporting in people who have a mental health disorder of some sort or who were using random or fixed responding.
• The FBS Scale: The “symptom validity” scale is used for people taking the test who claim they have a personal injury or disability. This scale can help establish the credibility of the test taker.
• The S Scale: The “superlative self-presentation” scale was developed in 1995 to look for additional underreporting. It also has sub-scales that assess the test taker’s belief in human goodness, serenity, contentment with life, patience/denial of irritability, and denial of moral flaws.

How Accurate Is the MMPI Test?

The MMPI is considered reliable; however, it is just one tool of many to diagnose mental health conditions.

Although the MMPI provides useful information, a health professional shouldn’t rely on just one tool in order to make a full diagnosis.

Diagnoses should be made by taking many things into account, such as:

Things to Consider Before You Take the Test

If you’re taking the MMPI test, the following are some helpful tips to keep in mind:

• It’s not a pass/fail test: There is no way to get the test questions right or wrong. The test is a tool used to assess personality and mental illnesses.
• You can take an MMPI test online for free: Some sites offer a free practice test so you can get comfortable with the types of questions.
• You don’t study for this test: Taking a practice test can help you feel more prepared for when you take the real test; however, there are no right or wrong answers, so try not to stress. You don’t study for the MMPI as you would for a test in school.
• The test should be given by a professional: It’s OK to take a practice test, but the real test should be administered and scored by a health professional.
• Be honest: Don’t try to modify your test answers; honesty helps make the test more valid.

You may be able to take the MMPI online. Alternatively, research local psychologists and/or psychiatrists and other health professionals who can administer the test in person.

You may feel apprehensive about the test and the possibility of being diagnosed with a mental health condition. But remember: The MMPI is just one of the tools your therapist might use to provide the accurate assessment, diagnosis, and treatment you need to feel your best.