ABSTRACT
The Validity scales are some of the best known and most widely used scales for the MMPI-2. Before a test profile is analyzed, the clinician uses the Validity scales to lay the foundation for building the psychological profile from the remaining clinical and special scales. The term validity is somewhat misleading. Validity in psychological testing refers to whether the tool measures what it claims to measure (Greene, 2000). The Validity scales on the MMPI-2 capture the respondent’s response style. These scales help the examiner to determine if the respondent exaggerated or underreported psychopathology, attempted to fake bad or fake good in the answers, or answered in an inconsistent or random manner. Many reasons exist for the myriad of response styles. A respondent could be trying to appear more pathological to receive disability compensation. In another scenario, respondents could attempt to minimize their pathology in a child custody evaluation to appear more stable and psychologically healthy. The Validity scales have become more than a measure of test accuracy. They provide useful clinical data on the individual respondent.
