MMPI Trivia 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which MMPI-2 code type (2-spike on Scale 2) is most commonly associated with depression?
- Scale 4 spike
- Scale 2 spike (Correct answer)
- Scale 9 spike
- Scale 6 spike
Correct answer: Scale 2 spike
Scale 2 (Depression/D) is the primary indicator of depressive symptoms; a single spike on Scale 2 strongly suggests depressive features.
Question 2: The VRIN scale on the MMPI-2 detects what type of response pattern?
- Virtuous self-presentation
- Variable Response Inconsistency (random responding) (Correct answer)
- Verbal reasoning deficits
- Very rare symptom endorsement
Correct answer: Variable Response Inconsistency (random responding)
VRIN (Variable Response Inconsistency) flags random or inconsistent responding by comparing semantically similar item pairs.
Question 3: Scale 7 (Pt) on the MMPI-2 was originally associated with which disorder?
- Psychopathy
- Paranoia
- Psychasthenia (anxiety/obsessive-compulsive features) (Correct answer)
- Psychosomatic illness
Correct answer: Psychasthenia (anxiety/obsessive-compulsive features)
Scale 7 (Pt) stands for Psychasthenia, an older term reflecting anxiety, obsessiveness, and ruminative thinking.
Question 4: The Harris-Lingoes subscales were developed to provide what benefit?
- Norms for non-English speakers
- More granular interpretation of clinical scale content (Correct answer)
- A short-form version of the MMPI
- Automated computer scoring
Correct answer: More granular interpretation of clinical scale content
Harris and Lingoes rationally derived subscales within several clinical scales to identify which content facets are driving an elevated score.
Question 5: What does the 'Fp' (Infrequency-Psychopathology) scale specifically detect on the MMPI-2?
- Faking good in a psychiatric population
- Over-reporting symptoms even among psychiatric patients (Correct answer)
- Frequency of psychotic episodes
- False-positive clinical elevations
Correct answer: Over-reporting symptoms even among psychiatric patients
Fp contains items rarely endorsed even by psychiatric inpatients, helping identify exaggeration that Fb or F alone might miss in clinical settings.
Question 6: Which two scales form the classic 'neurotic triad' when elevated on the MMPI-2?
- Scales 1, 2, and 3 (Correct answer)
- Scales 4, 6, and 8
- Scales 7, 8, and 9
- Scales 2, 6, and 0
Correct answer: Scales 1, 2, and 3
Scales 1 (Hs), 2 (D), and 3 (Hy) together are called the 'neurotic triad' because they commonly co-elevate in somatoform and neurotic presentations.
Question 7: The Restructured Clinical (RC) scales in the MMPI-2-RF were created primarily to address what methodological concern?
- Cultural bias in item wording
- High intercorrelations (factor overlap) among the original clinical scales (Correct answer)
- Lack of adolescent norms
- Insufficient items per scale
Correct answer: High intercorrelations (factor overlap) among the original clinical scales
Tellegen and colleagues developed the RC scales by removing a shared 'demoralization' variance component so each scale measured a more distinct construct.
MMPI Trivia 5
Which MMPI-2 code type (2-spike on Scale 2) is most commonly associated with depression?