Date of Award
Summer 2015
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)
Department
Psychology
Committee Director
Richard W. Handel
Committee Member
Robert P. Archer
Committee Member
Desideria S. Hacker
Committee Member
Serina A. Neumann
Committee Member
James F. Paulson
Abstract
Test bias has long been an area of investigation in the personality assessment literature, including the MMPI-2-RF. Research on previous versions of the MMPI and MMPI-2-RF has pointed to mixed results. The current study aims to examine test bias on the MMPI-2-RF’s nine Internalizing Specific Problem Scales by examining measurement invariance using MIMIC modeling and investigating differential item functioning (DIF). After removal of invalid protocols, the first sample consisted of 2,980 protocols from various settings requested from Pearson (255 African American and 2,755 Caucasian protocols). The second sample consisted of 1,379 valid protocols from psychiatric inpatient settings (1,245 Caucasian and 133 African American protocols). MIMIC modeling was conducted using delta parametrization and the WLSMV estimator in Mplus (Muthén and Muthén, 1998-2012). Latent continuous response variables and threshold estimates were used to accommodate categorical indicators. Results of the MIMIC modeling pointed to latent mean differences in four of the nine and two of the nine scales in the Pearson and inpatient samples, respectively. In both samples, latent mean differences were found between African Americans and Caucasians on the Multiple Specific Fears scale. Evidence of DIF was seen in seven of the nine scales in both the Pearson and inpatient samples. However, only a total of four items were found to functioning differently on the Inefficacy and Multiple Specific Fears scales across both samples. These results have implications for the MMPI-2-RF’s invariance across African American and Caucasian test takers and overall psychological assessment standards involving fairness in testing.
Rights
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DOI
10.25777/d32k-3a35
ISBN
9781339009858
Recommended Citation
Brokenbourgh, Megan A..
"Examining the Measurement Invariance of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2-Restructured Form Internalizing Specific Problem Scales in African- American and Caucasian Men"
(2015). Doctor of Psychology (PsyD), Dissertation, Psychology, Old Dominion University, DOI: 10.25777/d32k-3a35
https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/psychology_etds/5
Included in
Clinical Psychology Commons, Personality and Social Contexts Commons, Quantitative Psychology Commons
Comments
The VIRGINIA CONSORTIUM PROGRAM IN CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY is a joint program of Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk State University, and Old Dominion University.