Assessment Using the MMPI-2-RF

The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory–2–Restructured Form (MMPI–2–RF) represents a paradigm shift in psychology. What was once a black-and-white approach to diagnosis — you either had a disorder or you didn't — has changed to a more flexible and realistic system that recognizes a continuum of functioning.

In this introductory guide, David M. McCord offers a thorough overview of the MMPI–2–RF and each of its 51 scales, along with practical considerations for administration and scoring.

In the first pass, the examiner quickly scans the results to get a broad sense of the client's personality and psychopathology. The second pass entails a more methodical analysis that focuses on specific domains, such as somatic/cognitive dysfunction and interpersonal functioning.

A rich case example brings this process to life by showing readers how to evaluate an actual score report and communicate their interpretations in narrative format.

List of Figures, Tables, Exhibits, and Interpretation Guidelines

About the Series

Acknowledgments

Introduction

1. Overview of the MMPI–2–RF: History, Development, and Psychometric Considerations
2. Administration and Scoring
3. Description and Interpretation of the Protocol Validity Scales
4. Description and Interpretation of the Substantive Scales
5. Interpretive Framework
6. Case Example
7. Concluding Comments

Glossary

References

Index

About the Author

David M. McCord, PhD, is a professor of clinical psychology at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, North Carolina.

He received a BA in psychology from Duke University in 1972, an MA in clinical psychology from Western Carolina University in 1979, and a PhD in clinical psychology from the University of Alabama in 1984, where he studied with Dr. Raymond Fowler. He completed his predoctoral internship year in the School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, in 1984, mentored by Dr. Charles S. Newmark.

His publications and professional presentations focus generally on personality assessment and personality theory, with a primary focus on the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory–2–Restructured Clinical Scales and the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory–2–Restructured Form.

He serves on the editorial board of Psychological Assessment and is a frequent ad hoc reviewer for other journals.

Assessment Using the MMPI–2–RF is a practical guide that will be of huge value to students and experienced test users alike. As a seasoned personality assessment researcher and instructor, McCord is uniquely qualified to write this concise introduction to the MMPI–2–RF, highlighting the paradigm shift in assessment psychology reflected in its development, and offering detailed guidelines for administration, scoring, and interpretation of the inventory.
—Yossef S. Ben-Porath, PhD
Professor of Psychological Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, OH

This book presents an important shift in MMPI–2–RF interpretation by emphasizing the hierarchically organized dimensional structure of the MMPI–2–RF and provides an empirically supported interpretive framework, allowing readers to build a clinically useful and relevant report. The practical application of a dimensionally driven MMPI–2–RF interpretation is consistent with empirically driven models of psychopathology and represents a cutting-edge integration of contemporary theory in clinical practice. This guide will be widely used by instructors of graduate-level applied personality assessment as well as psychologists conducting MMPI–2–RF-based assessments in clinical and forensic settings.
—Paul A. Arbisi, PhD, ABAP, ABPP, LP
Staff Clinical Psychologist, Minneapolis VA Health Care Center; Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Adjunct Professor, Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis

McCord has written a succinct, organized, and very user-friendly guide on how to interpret the MMPI–2–RF. It clearly elucidates the organizational framework of the instrument, which will be helpful to those getting started and a breath of fresh air to seasoned MMPI users otherwise accustomed to deciphering overly complicated interpretive schemes. Graduate students and practicing mental health professionals will benefit greatly from this book!
—Martin Sellbom, PhD
University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand

This accessible resource will be very helpful for those learning about and beginning to use the MMPI–2–RF, particularly graduate students in clinical and counseling psychology programs.
—Dustin B. Wygant, PhD
Associate Professor of Psychology and Director of Clinical Training, Eastern Kentucky University, Richmond

• The MMPI-2-RF in Practice
  

  This DVD demonstrates how to administer the MMPI-2-RF while addressing a client's questions and concerns both compassionately and without divulging information that would influence the outcome of the assessment.

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