NCJ Number
140712
Journal
Journal of Offender Rehabilitation Volume: 18 Issue: 3/4 Dated: (1992) Pages: 59-74
Date Published
1992
Length
16 pages
Annotation
The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) has been revised and restandardized on new national norms. This study examines the utility of the MMPI-2 in testing incarcerated sex offenders, given the criticism that the restandardization sample was more highly educated and at a higher socioeconomic status than the average adult population.
Abstract
The data used here were obtained from MMPI-2 profiles of incarcerated pedophiles in three types of sex offender treatment programs: 60 in State prison, 24 in Federal prison, and 25 in military confinement facilities. The overall mean MMPI-2 profile for the combined groups presented an unelevated profile with a high point on Scale 4. The two most common elevated profiles were spike 4 and spike 0, but the total of these included only 16.51 percent of the subjects. Multivariate analyses showed significant differences in the profiles for the three groups. The conclusions of past MMPI research with pedophiles can probably be generalized to MMPI-2 profile interpretations if clinicians remember to interpret lower scores as clinically significant. MMPI-2 scores should be used to assess possible strengths and weaknesses that could impact the treatment process, such as depression, anxiety, poor treatment motivation, and social alienation. 3 tables and 32 references