Well I wrote Pearson and the APA and requested that your link be taken down back in January.  I'm actually sorry they are so slow. Red tape I guess...what can you do?.........

psych1 wrote on Mar 14^th, 2009 at 1:12am:


Psych1
Will knowing the questions in advance or understanding MMPI test structure significantly skew results?

Are you aware of any EFFECTIVE countermeasures to an MMPI test?
(by effective, I mean are there any known countermeasures for MMPI that reduce the test's ability to identify potential psychological problems or that would allow someone to conceal a psychological problem the test was designed to illuminate?) 
OR 
Would MMPI countermeasure attempts actually be more likely to indicate a problem area where perhaps none existed?

I am NOT asking you to provide any specific information that would possibly enable someone to attempt to tamper with MMPI test results.

psych1 wrote on Mar 14^th, 2009 at 10:45pm:

im sorry, to hear about your problems. However, you docs seem to be reffering you appropriatley to get to the bottom of your problems. In neuropsych evals, the purpose of the MMPI is to claify what memory problems may be associated with psychaitric factors such as anxiety, poor coping skills, and depression. Several psychiatic illnessses such as severe depression, bipolar disorsder, and schizophrenia are associated with cognitive problems in and of themselves. The MMPI is not used to  label you, it is already quite clear you have had severe depression since you have had ECT treatments.  Again, its used parse out what is psychiatric and what is neurologic, and to see help clarify which one is contributing most  to your memory problems. 

Please talk to the neuropsychologist about what can be done to help your memory problems.  I dont know the specifics of your case and it is unethical to commment or give medical, or mental health advise on this forum.

Thank you for your reply.  You are correct.  I have been suffering from severe depression since a serious auto accident which left me unable to work as a nurse any longer-something I dearly loved.  I completed a whole battery of tests the other day, which I could tell I did not do very well on.  I just wish there was an answer to solve my problem with my memory and I don't understand how the MMPI-2 plays a role in that.  I suppose to get a better view of the "total" me.  It is funny, I have gone from a college graduate to someone barely able to follow a recipe and must write notes for everything.  I lose things all the time and get lost in places I have always gone before.  Thanks for writing back.

Quote:

OF COURSE, there are right & wrong answers. The right answer is the one that the tester is looking for ... and the wrong answer is the one that pegs the person has having something "undesirable".

The actual test has no questions AT ALL along the lines of green eyes, favourite colour etc.   

Some of the actual questions are very obvious attempts to check if a person has psychiatric problems. Hence:
"Evil spirits possess me at times" True/False?

Now, it's pretty obvious that if you're applying for a job as a cop, then it's definitely the WRONG answer to say that you're possessed by evil spirts. This'll get you pegged as a lunatic & there's no way you'll get the job. Instead the best thing to do (even if you are actually possessed by spirits) is to answer False.

In some other circumstances, for example, when trying to plead "not guilty due to insanity" it would actually be the RIGHT answer to reply "True" to this question.

Other questions in the test are more subtle & the right or wrong answer is not immediately obvious ... but that doesn't mean it doesn't exist.

For example:
"I get angry sometimes." True/False?

Now, a normal person always gets angry "sometimes", so I suspect this question was put in as a control to see if a person is lying. So it may be the right answer to admit that "yeah, I do get angry sometimes".

The real check for anger management issues, I think, is other questions such as:
"Sometimes I get so angry and upset I don't know what comes over me." True/False?

Now, a "normal" person would get angry sometimes, but not to the extent of "losing control". So, the right answer here (for the cop interview, anyway) is to reply False.

Quote:
 
No, honest answers do NOT work best if, for example, you really want that cop job to feed your family, but you suffer from occassional episodes of demonic possession.

If you want the job, then the only option is to lie through your teeth and claim to be just like "everyone else" ... not a saint (because that would show that you are lying) .... but just a normal "Joe Average".

Personally, I feel it WOULD be useful to go over the questions first, and think of what it is that "The Man" would be looking for as the "ideal" replies.

And I think it is precisely because of this empowerment, that the "The Man" is so afraid of the questions getting leaked & wants to keep them a secret.

I have to do some research on predicting behaviors...so I was wondering if you could e-mail me the rest of the questions for me to use as my instrument!! I would really appreciate it!!

Hi to all!!!

SUBJECT: SELF ADMINISTERED MMPI-2 TEST SITE:

On a serious note:  When I found the site listed below, it helped save the life of a person who did not know how to communicate the problems they had, as a result they suffered with schizophrenia for many years and was at the edge of doing injury to themselves and others. By helping get the test done and using myself as a 'Control' sample we printed out a result that helped prompt a 'Doctor' to finally do their job.

Since then, I have been a fan of the MMPI-2 test and the possibilities it has when used correctly. For us unwashed mortals it gives us at least an idea of where to look.

EVERYONE here should give 'PSYCH1' a swift kick in the @#% for protecting his turf above all else!!!  He has done a disservice to us all
by limiting access to knowledge with the excuse that MMPI-2 can be abused.  Anything can be abused, cars, booze, drugs, relationships, guns, power or knowledge - are we to live in the stone age 'pysch1'?

The MMPI-2 copyright protection psych1 refers to cannot be any greater then when it has been published in various books by Dr. James N Butcher himself (UM authority on MMPI-2).

LOOK UP  ISBN # 1-55798-182-5    (see pages 233 to 246)


RIP little buddy:
www.fixcas.com/scholar/mmpi.htm ; ('thanks' to 'psych1')


......for now, Mad Mikey is a Saaaaaaad Mikey.....

try to keep smilin'!!!  (except psych1)