First off, I'd like to thank you, psych1, for your explanations of how the MMPI works; You've already answered some of the questions I was going to ask.

However, I still have a few. Many questions seem to have several different interpretations, or connotations that can completely change how you would answer the question. If this only occurred once in a while, I'm sure it would average out. However, it seems far to frequent for comfort.

A big problems seems to come from subjectively rating a subjective qualifier, and then trying to stuff it into a true/false matrix.
Questions that start, "I sometimes have... [statement]"
Let's say [statement] happens all the time. The answer should be 'false', since 'sometimes' is far removed from 'all the time'. If [statement] happens hardly at all, the answer is still 'false', since 'sometimes' is also far removed from 'hardly at all'. Only when your frequency of [statement] approaches 50/50 should you answer 'true'. The problem, I'd wager, is that many people are going to answer 'true' if [statement] happens all the time, and 'false' if it happens seldomly. The reasoning being if it happens often, then logically, that includes sometimes, therefore the answer is 'true'.
How are these differences reconciled?

Then there are connotative differences. Take the T/F questions: "I would like to be an used car salesman." And, "I would like to sell automobiles." These questions were listed in a Psychology textbook as an example of repeated questions to test for consistent answers. Yet, I can think of many legitimate reasons why they might be answered differently. What if someone has the image of the sleaze-ball used car salesman that would sell his grandmother a lemon, as compared to the guy selling brand new cars from the factory. That person will likely score as deceptive or inconsistent.

Now to look at some actual MMPI examples:
3) I wake up fresh and rested most mornings.
Is the question testing for 'fresh and rested' or 'mornings'? If one has a schedule where they wake up in the evening, it seems like you should simply transpose 'evening' for 'morning'. But this is exactly the sort of interpretation we're not supposed to read into, since we can't be sure if we're being categorized into a statistical group (night shift people or 'morning person') or testing for poor sleep habits. What if the answer is, "It depends on what day it is?" What about, "Right now, yes. If I actually get a job and have to wake up at a particular time, probably not."

4) I think I would enjoy the work of a librarian.
Ok, is this asking about what you think a librarian does? Maybe a stereotypical librarian? Or what an librarian job is really like? How many people actually know what a librarian job is really like? Or is this question referring to liking quiet scholarly pursuits? Perhaps it refers to helping others find information, almost like solving a problem? Perhaps it refers to a fondness for organization?

5) I am easily awakened by noise.
What kind of noise? Normal, random, sounds from outside? Or a child crying next you? Quiet conversation in the next room? Laughing in the next room? This question is way to vague. Normal every-day sounds? No. Unexpected banging near my head? Yes. How would I answer this?

Only five questions in, and already three of them have serious wording issues.
And I didn't even complain about question 2) "I have a good appetite." I'm reasonably certain that 'good' in this instance refers to normal or appropriate. However, anyone speaking this line in real life would probably have meant 'I'm very hungry' i.e. more so than normal.

Moving right along...
7) I like to read newspaper articles on crime.
Imagine the thought process upon reading this question:
"Well, sure, I guess. But I wouldn't say I like them over other articles. But I don't hate them. I guess I don't like them, I'm indifferent. So that would be 'false' then. But saying 'false' seems to suggest I don't like them. Ok, I'll put 'true' here, and next time I see something similar I'll put 'false' so it'll even out."
Do you see where I'm going with this?

24) Evil spirits possess me at times.
Ok, WTF. Who is going to answer 'true' to this question? I'd postulate even a person who believes this to be true, is going to answer this 'false', especially while applying for a job. Ok, granted, maybe you're not actually checking for insanity, but rather a statistical category. Would that category happen to be the people who answer 'true' just to see what'll happen?

25) I would like to be a singer.
Ah, it's the same problems as question 4, but more so. Again, I'm going to say that most people don't actually know what it's like to be a singer. Are we talking about the myriad stereotypical singers, or actual singers?
This question even has a talent conditional thrown in. As in, if I had the talent to do so, yes. But seeing as I don't, no. Which way should I answer this question?

34) I have never been in trouble because of my sexual behavior.
Define 'trouble' i this context, please. Trouble as in, I got arrested? Or trouble as in, I got caught cheating? Or trouble as in, I got an STD? Or trouble as in, my mom caught me masturbating? Does this question imply deviant behavior? What's considered deviant? Also, some people equate trouble with simple embarrassment, does that count?

68) I sometimes tease animals.
Define 'tease' in this context, please. Good natured teasing one might engage in with a family pet? Reading teasing as closer to playing. Or the cruelty a kid might inflict on a squirrel? Reading teasing as mischief. What about shouting 'Moo!' to cows out of the window of a moving car?

I'll stop here as I think I've covered most of the types of problems.
It seems like some of these questions are deliberately vague. If that's the case, then it is up to the test taker to interpret them, and I have trouble seeing how that's useful. If there are multiple interpretations, than how is anyone able to tell what I meant and put me in a category?
Regardless, if they're up for interpretation, I'd be able to answer some because I can feel like I'm 'leaning' towards a particular interpretation, and therefore an answer. But there would still be many that are basically unanswerable without clarification. Seeing as there is never any clarification (and the non-PhD test administrators would probably be unqualified to comment anyway) I'm always inclined to remember how I answered, and then answer the other way on a similar question later. But apparently that's not correct to do either. Where does that leave me?

About copyright.
I mean no offense, but you would do well to brush up on your impression of what copyright is, and what it isn't. The quoting of a few questions in a discussion about how the test works easily falls under fair use. e.g. This post. The purpose of copyright is never to stifle discussion.
Your claim that because we aren't studying psychology gives us no moral or ethical reason to see or quote the questions is quite misguided. Or did I mis-read what you said?
I will, however, agree that posting the whole test would be a copyright violation. (Though trying to combat it is a lost cause - if anything, it makes sure more people see it. Streisand Effect, anyone?) As for the 75 questions originally posted here, that's probably going to be considered fair use. But, it depends on more factors than just a flat percentage of the work. (See fair use link above)
You've taken a rather over-defensive copyright stance with regard to this work. Do you work on/for/research/publish the MMPI?
And finally, if seeing the questions invalidates the test, then the test is flawed. Just as in cryptography, if seeing the encryption algorithm breaks the encryption, then that encryption scheme is flawed.

Thank you comrade!

TC

Ok to be honest,i dont understand this:

L Lie 11   83 

I have a high lie score here. I am not sure why, i answered everything to the best of my ability and yet it says i scored very high on the lie portion. How can that be? I dont understand.

Yea, i took it twice. I am trying to be a police officer. Everything on the result i got seems to be inline. yet the L-lie score seems high, too high. But hopefully it wont be a disqualifier, i really answered to the best of my ability.

If the questions themselves are completely unimportant, than why not just have very abstract questions asking to pick between different words, like:
1) Red or Blue
2) Car or Train
3) Fast or Slow
ext.

I mean, couldn't you build up the same statistical models about groups answering similarly, or interpret/assign meanings to the questions similarly?

And then you wouldn't have to worry about a 'Lie' index, because why would you lie about 'Red or Blue', and you don't have to worry about some people thinking a particular question is going to disqualify them.

For those wishing to know the MMPI 2 test questions in full:  Do a search in your local library (or nearest university library) and see if they have the following book:

Development and use of the MMPI-2 Content Scales by James Neal Butcher.

It contains the entire list of questions in an appendix at the back of the book, or so one Amazon review of the book says.  (No wonder it's currently out of stock......)

My local university library has it, and I'll be borrowing it on Monday.

I suspect my boss will have me pass the Rorschach test in order to be able to fire me.

The protection my union offer is that if I fail the test, I will be sent to see another psy.

Do you know how I could prepare for that test ?