central tendency, variance, and scale intercorrelations. MMPI-2 protocols were analyzed from 197 chronic pain (CP), and 200 traumatic brain injury (TBI) ...
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Abstracts from the 19th Annual Meeting
controls (N = 107) scored significantly higher than persons with neurological diagnoses (N = 33). Both groups learned better when information was repeated and presented in multiple modalities. This instrument has potential applicability in health settings as a means of assessing patients' ability to understand and recall health information and follow through on health care instructions.
FORENSIC NEUROPSYCHOLOGY Baker, W., Senior, G., & Douglas, L. Difficulty in Classifying Medico-Legal Groups with the MMPI-2. The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-Revised (MMPI-2) is one of the most frequently used psychological measures in the medico-legal arena. Perhaps because of the MMPI's long history and the nature of clinicians' biases, there has been little to no research conducted into developing more effective methods of analysis and interpretation. The method proposed in this study utilizes the cluster analysis of clinical scales to characterize performance, and a method of comparison which accounts for measures of central tendency, variance, and scale intercorrelations. MMPI-2 protocols were analyzed from 197 chronic pain (CP), and 200 traumatic brain injury (TBI) patients. A hierarchical clustering procedure was performed on K-corrected T scores of the MMPI-2 using the 10 clinical scales. Three relatively homogeneous, and almost identical subgroups (High Distress-High Disturbance; High Distress-Low Disturbance; Within Normal Limits) were identified for both TBI and CP groups. In general, CP profiles replicated the MMPI and MMPI-2 findings of previous researchers. The patterns of cluster types found in this study support the view that the clusters represent a continuum of generalized distress or pathology rather than specific patterns of problems. While this is certainly an endorsement of the ability of the MMPI-2 to reflect such difficulties, the utility of the MMPI-2 as a screening measure to differentiate various clinical groups, in a medico-legal setting, appears limited.
Senior, G., Lothrop, P., & Deacon, S. TBI(f): An MMPI-2 Scale for Assessing Traumatic Brain Injury in a Forensic Setting. The MMPI-2 is, perhaps, the most commonly utilized measure for personality assessment in medicolegal settings. Although much research has been done examining the potential impact of traumatic brain injury (TBI) upon MMPI-2 Basic scales, few attempts have been made to develop a scale specific to this type of injury and clinical setting. The TBI(f) scale was developed to directly measure those MMPI-2 items that have a high base rate of endorsement in TBI patients. Initial item content was selected using the protocols of 100 individuals who had sustained a traumatic brain injury and were being assessed as part of ongoing litigation. Endorsement rates of all 567 items were contrasted with the published rates for the restandardization sample to ensure that all selected items had a substantially higher base rate of endorsement in TBI than unimpaired individuals. Factor analysis was utilized to derive three subscales with moderately high alpha coefficients (0.75-0.82) that differentially reflect cognitive, emotional, and physical concerns. Cross-validation was conducted using a second sample 100 TBI subjects, and test specificity was examined using medicolegal protocols of chronic pain and posttraumatic stress disorder patients. Incremental validity was also examined by comparing the test operating characteristics of the TBI(f) scale with the MMPI-2 Cerebral Impairment Index and the Gass Items.
