Personality Assessment of Early Visually Impaired Persons Using the CPI and the MMPI

Abstract

The California Psychological Inventory and the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory were administered to 128 women and men, aged 18-55, who were totally blind or partially sighted from birth, infancy, or early childhood, who had no other neurological, perceptual, or sensory-motor difficulties in addition to blindness, and had completed the eighth grade. The significant findings relate to the differences between the sample and sighted reference groups. Although both inventories seem to be highly sensitive to the adjustment patterns of early visually impaired persons, the findings clearly indicate that individual personality test results can be interpreted only when norms are appropriate and based on a representative group of visually impaired persons. Variant CPI and MMPI scale scores may not necessarily reflect psychopathology, but rather may be indicative of the unique adaptive processes of persons who experienced early visual impairment. Since the total experience of congenital or early visual impairment is not easily understood, normative data must be developed so meaningful and relevant comparisons can be made among persons who have shared common developmental experiences.