Comparisons of the MMPI and Mini-Mult*

DAVID L. STREINER, CHRISTEL A. WOODWARD, JOHN T. GOODMAN

McMaster University
AND
ANTHONY McLEAN
St Joseph's Hospital
ABSTRACT
The MMP I was compared with two forms of the Mini-Mult, one extracted from the full
MMP I and one administered separately. Across six samples of patients, correlations be-
tween comparable scales ranged from 0.33 to 0.96, with the extracted form having a
higher median correlation. High-point codes derived from both forms of the Mini-Mult
yielded poor agreement with MMP I codes, especially for the separately administered
Mini-Mult. It was concluded that the Mini-Mult is not a reliable substitute for the
MMP I, but can be used to estimate global pathology.
Although the MMP I is the most widely used objective personality test
(Lubin, Wallis, & P aine, 1971; Sundberg & Tyler, 1962), its long length of
366 items renders it impractical for use in many situations. Depressed
patients may take as long as five or six hours to complete it, if they can
finish it at all. P atients coming to a crisis-intervention service are often
too agitated or too upset to be able to answer the questions, even if the
199 research items were eliminated. For these and other reasons, there
has been a constant, although heretofore unsuccessful, search for a shorter
form of the MMP I.
Recently, Kincannon (1968) devised a short form, called the Mini-Mult,
in which the 71 items are administered orally. He reported a loss in relia-
bility of only nine per cent over the MMP I, and concluded that this loss
"was not deemed sufficient to mitigate [sic] against the use of the Mini-
Mult when a standard test could not be obtained [p. 319]."
Further cross validation studies (Castro & Quesada, 1971; Lacks, 1970;
Lacks & P owell, 1970; Gayton & Wilson, 1971) have reported substantial
product-moment correlations between comparable scales of the standard
MMP I and the Mini-Mult, suggesting that the latter could predict the full
MMP I with a high degree of accuracy. These studies used group data and
compared Mini-Mults obtained from the full scale MMP I with the standard
* This study was supported in part by Crant # P .H. 167 from the Ontario Provincial
Research Council.
We would like to thank Drs Paul Grof, Arshad Majeed, and Sol Levin for making
these data available to us, and Angelo Santi and Charles Saunders for their help in
preparing the data.
Dr Streiner is also associated with the Hamilton Psychiatric Hospital, Dr Woodward
with the Chedoke Child and Family Centre, and Dr Goodman with St Joseph's Hospital.
CANAD. J. BEHAV. SCI./REV. CANAD. Sea. OOMP, 5 (1), 1973
Printed in Canada
MMPI AND MINI-MULT 77
MMP I. Kincannon (1968) and Newton (1971) have reported that cor-
relations between standard scale scores of this "internal" Mini-Mult and
the MMP I are consistently higher than comparable correlations between
separately administered "external" Mini-Mults and the MMP I. AH subse-
quent studies which compared the external Mini-Mult with the MMP I
(Armentrout, 1970; Armentrout & Rouzer, 1970; Gayton, Ozmon, & Wil-
son, 1972; Newton, 1971) have yielded smaller correlations than originally
obtained by Kincannon, suggesting that considerable shrinkage in ex-
plained variance has occurred with cross-validation.
Studies which compare the similarity of individual profile pairs have
indicated that the correspondence between the external Mini-Mult and
the MMP I is more modest than group data suggest. Armentrout and Rouzer
(1970) found very limited high point correspondence between exter-
nal Mini-Mult and MMP I profiles. Only 9.6 per cent of their delinquent
sample had the same two scale high points, irrespective of order. Using
a sample of college students, Armentrout (1970) reported that less than
20 per cent of the external Mini-Mult-MMPi profile pairs had the same
two highest clinical scales. In this study, the external Mini-Mult did not
predict invalid standard MMP I profiles well, or did it reliably predict
primed clinical scales.
The purpose of the present series of studies was to investigate further
the relationship between the MMUT and Mini-Mult high point codes, and
to compare the internally derived Mini-Mult with the separately admini-
stered form.
METHOD AND BESULTS
Study 1
This study was based on 182 patients divided among four samples.
The Recurrent Affective Disorder (HAD) group consisted of 25 male and 36 female
patients who had been referred to the Lithium Clinic of the Hamilton P sychiatric Hos-
pital. The mean age of the males was 45.2 years (S.D. = 12.90) and 43.7 years for the
females (S.D. = 13.35), and they had completed an average of 10.1 years of education.
Four of the patients were diagnosed as Recurrent Depressives, 19 as Schizo-Affectives,
and 37 as Manic-Depressives, of whom 33 were tested during a free interval, two during
a depressed interval, and two during a manic interval.
The Adolescent (Adol) group was comprised of 13 male and six female inpatients
from the Adolescent Unit of the same hospital. The males had a mean age of 15.2 years
(S.D. = 0.87), and 15.5 years for the females (S.D. = 1.58). Fifteen adolescents had
either attended or were attending regular school for an average of 8.9 years, and four
were in vocational schools. Eight were diagnosed as Behaviour Disorders of Childhood,
eight as P ersonality Disorders, one as Transient Situational Disturbance, one as Schizo-
phrenic, and one had no diagnosis.
The Adult group consisted of 28 fathers and 34 mothers of children who had been
referred to the Child Guidance Clinic of the Chedoke-McMaster Centre. The fathers*
78 STBEINEB, WOODWARD, COODMAN, & MCLEAN
mean age was 37.3 years (S.D. = 8.71) and the mothers' was 34.9 years (S.D. = 7.90).
They had completed an average of 10.7 years of schooling.
The Adult Inpatient (AI ) group consisted of 16 male and 24 female patients from
the psychiatric units of St Joseph's Hospital. The mean age of the males was 32.1 years
(S.D. = 17.05) and 32.8 years for the females (S.D. = 17.94), and they had com-
pleted an average of 10.4 years of education. Nineteen of the patients were diagonsed
as having personality disorders, 17 as suffering from varying degrees of depressive ill-
ness, and four as schizophrenic.
In all cases, the patients completed the full MMP I and the Mini-Mult was derived
from the MMP I answer sheets. Raw scores were converted into T scores using the con-
version table given by Kincannon (1968).
P earson product-moment correlation coefficients were computed between compar-
able scales of the MMP I and Mini-Mult for the four groups. With the exception of the
low correlation on the Pd scale for the Adol group (0.33), the correlations are com*
parable to those reported in the previous studies, ranging from 0.61 to 0.96, with a
median of 0.84.
Related t tests were run for each scale, using the T scores from the MMP I and Mini-
Mult. For the HAD group, the elevation of the L scale was significantly higher on the
MMP I than on the Mini-Mult (t (60) = 2.15, p < 0.05), while the elevation of the Pa
scale was significantly higher on the Mini-Mult (r(60) = 2.03, p < 0.05). In the Adol
group, D was higher on the Mini-Mult (t{ 18) = 2.57, p < 0.02), and F and Ma were
higher on the MMP I (f(18) = 5.02, p < 0.001) and <(18) = 2.63, p < 0.01 respec-
tively). In the Adult group, K and Pt were higher on the MMP I (t (61) = 2.45, p <
0.02 and t(61) 4.02, p < 0.001), while Pd and Pa were higher on the Mini-Mult
(t(6l) = 3.52, p < 0.001 and *(61) = 2.40, p < 0.02). For the AI group, the eleva-
tion on the Pd scale was significantly higher on the Mini-Mult than on the MMP I (f(39)
= 3.02, p < 0.01), while the elevations of F, Pt, and Ma were higher on the MMP I
(*(39) = 2.32, p < 0.05; *(39) = 2.43, p < 0.05; and t(39) = 2.86, p < 0.01,
respectively). Thus, of the 44 t tests computed, 13 or 30 per cent showed significantly
different T scores between the Mini-Mult and the MMP I.
For each person, a Total P athology Score (TP S) was derived from the Mini-Mult and
MMP I separately, using the scheme outlined in Appendix E of Marks and Seeman
(1963). This involves assigning a rank between one and five to each scale dependent
upon its degree of elevation, and summing across scales to arrive at the final TP S. The
correlations between Mini-Mult and MMP I 7TSS were 0.85 for the HAD group, 0.90 for
the Adol group, 0.86 for the Adult group, and 0.87 for the AI group. Related t tests
showed no significant differences between the two TPSS for any of the samples.
As a further check on the comparability of the forms, two Hathaway high-point
codes (Hathaway & Mcehl, 1951) were derived for each person, one based on the
MMP I and one on the Mini-Mult. There was considered to be "Good" agreement if the
Mini-Mult code were any permutation of the MMP I high-point code. For example, if
the MMP I code were 924, then a 942, 249, 294, 429, or 492 code on the Mini-Mult
would be good agreement. If the two codes differed by only one scale, then agreement
was "Intermediate." AH other codes were said to be "Discordant." The results for the
four groups are presented in Table 1. The greatest agreement was found in the Adol
group, with nearly 69 per cent of the codes having "Good" agreement, while for the
other three groups, less than one-third of the codes had "Good" agreement.
Study 2
The second study consisted of seven males and 13 females admitted to the inpatient
psychiatric units of St Joseph's Hospital. The mean age of the males was 30.4 years
MMPI AND MIN I-MULT
79
TABLE 1
Per cent agreement
Agreement
Good
Intermediate
Discordant
TABLE 2*
Correlation;
Scale
L
F
K
Hs
D
Hy
Pd
Pa
Pt
Sc
Ma
between
Group
MMI-I and Mini-Mult high-point codes
RAD (%)
24 0
29.5
45.9
! between the MMPI
aMMPi
versus
aMMC
0.
0
0.
n
0.
0.
0
0.
0.
0.
0.
85
83
.89
m
77
95
88
80
91
87
79
i and
dMMPl
versus
dMMe
0.
0
0
0
0
0.
0
0
0
0
0
.83
.81
.90
92
.93
90
.86
.87
93
94
.78
Adol <%)
68.4
26.3
.1.3
Mini-Mult
Adult (%) AI (%)
22.6
45.2
32.3
dMMPl
versus
dMMS
0.
0
0.
0.
0.
0.
0.
0.
0.
0.
0.
70
88
51
.68
.83
.80
65
70
93
.87
71
30.0
47.5
25.5
dMMe
versus
dMMS
0.74
0.63
0.59
0.77
0.8(5
0.78
0.68
0.78
0.93
0.90
0.85
Total {%)
29.6
38.4
32.1
*MMPI = admission MMPI; CIMMPI = discharge MMPI; amie
Mini-Mult extracted from aMMPi; dMMe = Mini-Mult extracted
from dmiFi; dMMs = Mini-Mult given separately upon discharge.
(S.D . 11.7) and 36.7 years (S.D. = 12.8) for the females. They had an average of
11.0 years of school (S.D. = 2.23). Four males were diagnosed as having various per-
sonality disorders, two had affective disorders, and one was Schizophrenic. For the
females, six had affective disorders, one was an Anxiety Neurotic, and six were given
diagnoses involving various degrees of paranoia.
Upon admission, all patients were administered the MMPI. Just prior to discharge,
both the full MMPI and the 71 item Mini-Mult were given. Mini-Mults were extracted
from the two MMPIS. Thus, there were five "tests" for each subject: an admission MMPI
(aMMPi); an admission Mini-Mult extracted from it (aMMe); a discharge MMPI
(dMMPl); its extracted Mini-Mult form (dMMe); and a discharge Mini-Mult given
separately (dMMs).
Pearson product-moment correlation coefficients were computed on the JC-corrected
scores for corresponding scales between the admission MMPI and its extracted Mini-
Mult, the discharge MMPI and both its extracted form and the separately administered
Mini-Mult, and between the extracted and separate forms of the discharge Mini-Mult,
and are presented in Table 2. All of the correlations were significant beyond the 0.05
level, and all except one (K scale for dMMPl vs dMMs) beyond the 0.01 level. The
correlations between the MMPI and the respective extracted form of the Mini-Mull
were higher than the correlations between the MMPI and the separately administered
Mini-Mult (Mon 0.87 for aMMPi us aMMe; 0.90 for dMMPl vs dMMe; and 0.71 for
dMMPl OS dMMS ).
80 STKEINEB, WOODWARD, GOODMAN, & MCLEAN
A series of related t tests were run between corresponding scales of the MMP IS versus
the extracted Mini-Mults. The T scores for scales F and Ma were significantly higher
on the aMMPi than on the aMMe (t(19) = 2.092, p = 0.05 and t(19) = 2.258, p <
0.03, respectively) while the D scale was higher for the aMMe (<(19) = 2.383, p <
0.03). The comparisons using the discharge forms showed that Sc was significantly
higher on the dsocra than on the dMMe (/(19) = 3.173, p < 0.005).
There were no significant differences in elevation on any scale between the dMMPi
and dMMs.
Correlations between MMFI and Mini-Mult TP SS were consistently high: 0.95 be-
tween aMMPi and aMMe; 0.97 between dMMPi and dMMe; 0.91 between dMMPi and
dMMs; and 0.94 between dMMe and CIMMS. None of the related t tests showed any
significant difference in the magnitude of the two scores.
Although there was a significant decrease in TP S on the Mini-Mult from admission
(X = 27.15) to discharge (X = 23.85; t( 19) = 2.283, p < 0.01), this change was not
significant for the MMpi-derived TPSS (X = 26.55 on admission, 24.05 on discharge).
Comparing the aMMPi and aMMe Hathaway high-point codes, 30 per cent of the pro-
files had good agreement, 50 per cent intermediate, and 20 per cent discordant. For
the dMMPi and dMMe, 35 per cent were rated as good, 50 per cent as intermediate,
and the remainder as discordant. Comparison of the dMMPi with the dMMs resulted
in 20 per cent good, 60 per cent intermediate, and 20 per cent discordant agreement.
Study 3
The third study consisted of 50 consecutive admissions to the same psychiatric units.
The 32 females had a mean age of 32.5 years (S.D. = 10.49) with an average of 10.3
years of education (S.D. = 2.30), while the average age of the 18 males was 35.6
years (S.D. = 13.81) and they had 9.8 years of school (S.D. = 1.59). Among die
females, 14 were diagnosed as having various affective disorders, 12 as personality
disorders, two as paranoid schizophrenic, two as psychotic, and two had overdosed.
Six of the men had various affective disorders, six were diagnosed as personality dis-
orders, three as paranoid, two men had overdosed, and one had a psyehophysiological
reaction.
All patients were administered the MMP I upon admission and, in all cases, the Mini-
Mult was given within the next 24 hours (MMS). Also, the 71 Mini-Mult items were
extracted from the full MMFI (MMe).
P earson correlations between comparable scales on the MMP I and MMs ranged from
0.46 to 0.81, with a median of 0.75, while those between the MMP I and MMe ranged
from 0.56 to 0.88, with 0.83 being the median.
P aired t tests showed a significantly higher T score for the Ma scale on the MMP I as
compared with the MMS (t (49) = 2.254, p < 0.03). Six of the 11 t tests comparing
the MMP I with the MMe were significant, three in favour of the MMP I (L, t(49)
2.441, p < 0.02; F, t (49) = 2.190, p < 0.04; and Ma, t (49) = 2.242, p < 0.03), and
three in favour of the MMe (Hs, (49) = 2.637, p < 0.02; D, *(49) = 3.120, p <
0.005; and Hy, *(49) = 2.142, p < 0.04). Furthermore, the MMC and MMS differed
significantly on two scales, L, with the MMS showing a higher T value (tf(49) = 2,873,
p < 0.01) and D, with the MMe being higher (t (49) = 2.895, p < 0.01).
The TP S correlated 0.90 between the MMP I and MMe, and 0.80 between the MMP I
and MMS. No statistically significant differences appeared in the magnitudes of the TP S
between the forms.
Comparing the MMP I and MMe, 32 per cent of the profiles yielded good agreement
MMPI AND MINI-MULT 81
in high-point codes, 48 per cent were intermediate, and 20 per cent were discordant.
Only 24 per cent of the profiles from the MMS were in good agreement with the MMFI,
58 per cent were intermediate, and 18 per cent were discordant.
D ISCUSSION
These data indicate that the Mini-Mult extracted from the full MMFI
yields results that are different from a separately administered Mini-Mult,
and that both differ from the MMP I in some important respects.
In all three studies, correlations with comparable scales on the MMP I
were higher for the extracted form than the separate form. Similarly, sig-
nificant differences in scale elevations were found more frequently with
the separate form than the extracted Mini-Mult. Further, there was greater
concordance between MMP I and extracted Mini-Mult high-point codes
than between the MMP I and separately administered Mini-Mults. Conse-
quently, studies based on internal Mini-Mults (e.g., Lacks, 1970; Lacks &
Powell, 1970) may yield results that arc spuriously high, owing to the
effect of the 495 unscored items. Lord and Novick (1968) caution against
routinely assuming that performance on a given item is unaffected by the
context in which it occurs. These data show that the assumption is, in
fact, unwarranted, and that the reliability as estimated from internal Mini-
Mults is higher than the reliability of separately administered external
forms.
These data further indicate that the separately given Mini-Mult, despite
its obvious advantage in terms of time needed to complete it, is an inade-
quate substitute for the full MMP I. The low concordance between external
Mini-Mult and MMP I high-point codes, ranging from 20 to 24 per cent in
these studies, would contraindicate its use as a diagnostic instrument.
However, it appears as if the Mini-Mult derived TPS may prove useful
as a global index of pathology. It correlates highly with MMP I TPSS across
many populations and does not differ significantly from it in magnitude.
Both MMP I and Mini-Mult derived TPSS at discharge decreased, reflecting
a change in elevation of the clinical scales. Decrease in the degree of path-
ology exhibited at discharge has been reported widely in the literature
(e.g., Marks & Seeman, 1963; Lewinsohn, 1965). However, only the dif-
ference between admission and discharge Mini-Mult derived TPSS was
significant. These data can be interpreted in two ways. The Mini-Mult
TPS changes may be spuriously large and overestimate changes in patient
functioning. An equally plausible explanation is that the Mini-Mult de-
rived TPS change scores provide a more sensitive index of changes in
clinical functioning from admission to discharge. Empirical exploration of
82 STBEINEB, WOODWABD, GOODMAN, & MCLEAN
the degree to which the Mini-Mult TPS change reflects clinically observed
changes in patient functioning is needed.
RESUME
Comparaison de deux versions reduites (Mini-Mult) du MMP I, dont l'une est simple-
ment extraite des resultats dc l'echelle complete et l'autre est administree separ&nent.
En six echantillons de patients, les correlations entre echelles comparables s'etendent
de 0.33 a 0.96, la correlation mediane la plus 61evee etant fournie par la version extraite
de la version complete. Les echelles les plus elevees dcrivees des deux versions ne con-
cordent que faiblement avec cclles du MMP I, surtout dans la version Mini-Mult sepa-
ree. La conclusion affirme que la version reduite ne saurait remplacer valablement la
version complete, mais qu'elle peut fournir un estime global de la pathologic
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