ABSTRACT
The Traditional Measures and Their Derivatives The traditional validity measures are Cannot Say (?), L, F, and K. Three additional validity scales were published with the MMPI-2 in 1989 and are named the Variable Response Inconsistency scale (VRIN), the True Response Inconsistency scale (TRIN), and the F-Back scale (FB). The Infrequency-Psychopathology scale F(p), Fake Bad Scale (FBS), and the Superlative (S) scales were added to the profile form after the MMPI-2 was published. All of these scales are described in this chapter. The original intent of Hathaway and McKinley in developing the traditional validity scales was to aid in determining the test-taking attitude of the subject. Some individuals are motivated to distort their responses to the test items, either to minimize the presentation of their psychological problems or to feign or exaggerate their psychopathology. Others may present a distorted picture of themselves by answering the items without fully comprehending their meaning, perhaps by simply not reading the items and responding randomly, or with a True or False response bias. It is important to ascertain the participant’s testtaking disposition before interpreting the clinical scales. Although the validity scales were designed for this purpose, they have also been shown to correlate with personality traits and behaviors. Hence, these scales can enrich the clinical interpretation of the profile by providing the clinician with other psychological descriptors, as well as serving as indicators of the accuracy of the examinee’s self-description.
