ABSTRACT
There are several methods of assessing the technical validity of adolescents’ MMPI-A profiles. These methods have traditionally involved the individual and configural interpretation of standard validity scale findings and have often been extended to include an analysis of the overall MMPI basic scale profile configuration for evidence of atypical response set features. Additional methods of evaluating profile validity have also been developed. These methods include the Test-Retest (TR) Index and the Carelessness (CLS) scale for the original form of the MMPI. For the MMPI-A, new validity measures were developed: the Variable Response Inconsistency (VRIN) and True Response Inconsistency (TRIN) scales and the F1 and F2 subscales. The inclusion of these four new validity scales at the beginning of the MMPI-A basic scale profile (in conjunction with reordering L, F, and K to F, L, and K) is among the most readily apparent changes associated with the revised instrument. In addition to discussing these validity assessment tools, this chapter reviews a conceptual model developed by Roger Greene (1989a, 2000) for interpreting technical validity patterns. This model emphasizes the distinction between response consistency and response accuracy as components of technical validity.
