Failure of Wiener and Harmon Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) Subtle scales as personality descriptors and as validity indicators

Prototypical Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) correlates in the form of spouse ratings were used as criteria to evaluate the validity of the Wiener and Harmon MMPI subtle scales for describing personality and for indicating profile validity. Results from a normative sample (n = 1,682) and a marital counseling sample (n = 369) indicated that the addition of the subtle scales to the obvious scales attenuates validity to the same degree as the addition of a random variable. Likewise, results did not support the use of an index based on MMPI subtle scales designed to detect overreporting or underreporting of psychopathology. These findings are discussed in terms of their relevance to clinical assessment.