ABSTRACT
As MMPI use matured, the value of item content became more evident. Leary (1956, 1957) articulated the multilevel interpersonal method for diagnosis and this provided a theoretical foundation for valuing item content. The first two levels of Leary’s method help to reconcile the interplay between the Clinical and Content scales (Friedman et al., 2001). Level I data are more objective in nature and yield information on how others see the individual (i.e., Clinical scales). This may or may not be commensurate with the way that individuals see themselves. Level II data remain subjective, exhibiting perspectives based on individual experience. This information reflects the individual’s internal phenomena and subjective experience (i.e., Content scales).
