Effects of Information About Validity Scales on Underreporting of Symptoms on the MMPI-2

Abstract

The effects of two levels of information about the validity scales of the MMPI-2 on underreporting of symptoms were investigated in a college-student population. Subjects who were instructed and offered incentives to underreport were given no information, general information, or detailed information about the validity scales and were compared to a standard-control group. Results suggested that traditional and supplementary underreporting scales of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory—2 (MMPI-2) are effective in discriminating standard subjects from uncoached underre-porters, but are much less effective in discriminating standard subjects from subjects given either general or detailed information about the underreporting scales. The findings suggest that coaching may enable some subjects to underreport symptoms without detection, but that at least one scale ( Wsd) shows promising resistance to coaching.