Application of the Megargee MMPI Typology to a Population of Defendants Referred for Psychiatric Evaluation

• NCJ Number: 133916
• Journal: Criminal Justice and Behavior Volume: 18 Issue: 4 Dated: (December 1991) Pages: 397-405
• Author(s): T A Wrobel; P K Calovini; T O Martin
• Date Published: 1991
• Length: 9 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: *This document is currently unavailable from NCJRS.

Annotation

This study examined whether the Megargee typology of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) can classify a large proportion of the profiles encountered in a sample of defendants referred for psychological or psychiatric evaluation prior to sentencing. A sample of 560 clients in Ohio, including 449 males and 111 females, was examined.

Abstract

Data were collected from the offender's records including standard MMPI scales, demographic information, and offense history. Interesting differences existed in the distribution of types between males and females. Females tended to have a greater proportion of the more benign types, while the males had a greater proportion of the more disturbed groups. In general, the distribution of profile types among male outpatient defendants appeared to be similar to that obtained in forensic inpatient and incarcerated mental health samples. The MMPI appeared to be sensitive to the presence of pathology in different settings. However, for the females in the present sample, the distribution of profile types did not parallel any of the male samples, indicating the possible need for a separate classification system for females. 1 table and 14 references