MMPI-2, MMPI-2-RF, and MMPI-A Administrations (2007-2014): Any Evidence of a "New Standard?"

The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2-Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF) was introduced at the 2007 American Psychological Association convention, and has been marketed every year since as the "new standard" for MMPI measures. The MMPI-A-RF, marketed as the "new standard in ado...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Professional psychology, research and practice research and practice, 2017-08, Vol.48 (4), p.267-274
Main Authors: Williams, Carolyn L., Lally, Stephen J.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Acceptance
Ethical dilemmas
Ethics
Experts
Marketing
Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory
Personality
Personality Measures
Personality tests
Psychologists
Public access
Quantitative psychology
Royalty
Scrutiny
Test Administration
Test Standardization
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Summary:The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2-Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF) was introduced at the 2007 American Psychological Association convention, and has been marketed every year since as the "new standard" for MMPI measures. The MMPI-A-RF, marketed as the "new standard in adolescent personality assessment," was released in 2016. However, the adequacy of the MMPI-2-RF as a viable replacement for the MMPI-2 is debated among experts. University of Minnesota MMPI royalty statements, available under Minnesota law guaranteeing public access to government records, were examined to determine use of the various MMPI instruments. Six years after the introduction of the MMPI-2-RF, practitioners were more likely to administer the MMPI-2. For the most recent 3 years, test administrations of the MMPI-2-RF appear to have stabilized around 30% of all administrations of the adult instruments. In contrast, according to figures in the publisher's 1995 royalty statement, the MMPI-2 achieved near universal professional acceptance in the 6 years following its introduction. Although still widely used (i.e., 576,576 MMPI-2, MMPI-2-RF, and MMPI-A estimated administrations in 2014) and despite the debut of the MMPI-2-RF in 2008, results show an 18% decrease in use of the adult versions from 2007 to 2014. The ethical issues facing psychologists in determining when a psychological test is obsolete and the Frye and Daubert admissibility standards for forensic testimony are considered. Also explored are marketing forces, previously unavailable for psychologists' scrutiny, which can impact these issues.
ISSN:0735-7028
1939-1323
DOI:10.1037/pro0000088