NCJ Number
49754
Journal
Journal of Abnormal Psychology Volume: 74 Issue: 5 Dated: (1969) Pages: 612-614
Date Published
1969
Length
3 pages
Annotation
THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE MINNESOTA MULTIPHASIC PERSONALITY INVENTORY (MMPI) IN DISTINGUISHING RECIDIVISTS FROM NONRECIDIVISTS BY COMPARING VARIOUS INVENTORY RESULTS IS TESTED.
Abstract
ALL BOYS FROM HENNEPIN AND RAMSEY COUNTIES, MINNESOTA, WHO WERE PAROLED FROM THE STATE TRAINING SCHOOL AT RED WING BETWEEN JANUARY 1, 1966, AND JULY 31, 1966, WERE INCLUDED IN THE STUDY. OF THE 159 SUBJECTS, 82 WERE RECIDIVISTS, 69 NONRECIDIVISTS, AND 8 REMAINED UNCLASSIFIED. THERE WAS NO DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE GROUPS WITH RESPECT TO AGE, INTELLIGENCE QUOTIENT AND LENGTH OF TIME INSTITUTIONALIZED. THE NONRECIDIVISTS WERE ON PAROLE FOR AN AVERAGE OF 9.1 MONTHS, WHILE THE RECIDIVISTS HAD BEEN ON PAROLE FOR AN AVERAGE OF 4.2 MONTHS. PREVIOUS TO HIS PLACEMENT AT THE TRAINING SCHOOL, EACH SUBJECT WAS ADMINISTERED THE MMPI AS PART OF A ROUTINE BATTERY OF TESTS. TESTING WAS THUS CONDUCTED MORE THAN 5 MONTHS PRIOR TO THE PAROLE OF ALL SUBJECTS. BECAUSE OF THE POSSIBLE EFFECTS OF PAROLE OR INSTITUTIONAL ADJUSTMENT ON TEST PERFORMANCE, NO ATTEMPT WAS MADE TO OBTAIN MORE RECENT MMPI RESULTS. WHEN THE GROUPS WERE COMPARED ON THE BASIS OF THEIR MEAN T SCORES ON THE 3 VALIDITY AND 10 CLINICAL SCALES, THERE WERE NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES AT EVEN THE .10 LEVEL. IT IS CONCLUDED THAT THE RESULTS OF THE INVESTIGATION STRONGLY SUGGEST THAT THE MMPI, CONSIDERED ALONE, IS NOT ASSOCIATED WITH RECIDIVISM TO ANY IMPORTANT EXTENT WITHIN SUCH HOMOGENEOUS POPULATIONS AS THE PRESENT ONE. IT IS ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THE MOST SERIOUS CRITICISM THAT CAN BE LEVELED AT THE PRESENT STUDY IS THAT NO ATTEMPT WAS MADE TO CONTROL FOR THE EFFECTS OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS INTO WHICH THE PAROLEE WAS PLACED UPON RELEASE. DATA FROM THE STUDY ARE PROVIDED, AND REFERENCES ARE GIVEN. (RCB)