Browsing by Subject "MMPI-2"

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    Detecting underreport in real-world assessment contexts: The utility of multiple-scale indicators
    (Universidad de Murcia. Servicio de Publicaciones, 2022) Gonzalez, Bárbara; Novo, Rosa; Farrajota, Pilar
    Underreport of symptoms and personality characteristics is a relevant problem for psychological assessment. Nevertheless, most of the studies in this field use simulation designs. This study aims at comparing underreport prevalence in real-world samples of different contexts, using single-scale and multiple-scale underreport indicators from the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory–2 (MMPI-2) to identify the best one and assess its implications on the clinical scales scores. Using a Differential Prevalence Group design, 1438 participants were assessed with the MMPI-2, grouped in three samples from two non-clinical contexts (community and organizational) and one clinical context. The organizational sample had the highest prevalence of underreporting. Overall, multiple-scale indi-cator LKS ≥ T65 performed better at distinguishing these samples. Analy-sis of variance revealed that LKS ≥ T65 was also the only indicator in which participants doing underreport consistently varied from honest re-sponders in the clinical scales scores, while also having lower probability of producing both type I and II errors. The existence of underreport has clear implication on the clinical scales results. The multiple-scale indicator is the most robust and should be used in the detection of underreporting. This is a relevant implication for psychological assessment in different contexts, mainly in the organizational context.
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    Self-deception in forensic self-reports: Detection, effects and testing the model
    (Universidad de Murcia. Servicio de Publicaciones, 2025-10) Arce, Ramón; Fariña, Francisca; Sanmarco, Jéssica; Novo, Mercedes; Sin departamento asociado
    Background/aims: Dissimulation, understood as a positive self-presentation in self-reports, is suspected in child custody dispute forensic evaluations. Dissimulation is displayed through two-manifestations: con-cealment of negative qualities (denial of symptoms) and claiming non-existent positive qualities or exaggerating existing ones (social desirability). Moreover, the nature of dissimulation may be conscious (impression man-agement) or unconscious (self-deception). Nevertheless, the effects of self-deception in self-reports of parents involved child custody forensic dis-putes are unknown. Thus, a field study was designed with the aim of de-termining the efficacy of self-deception measures, the effects of dissimula-tion on self-reported mental health markers, and to test the purportedly unconscious nature of self-deception. Method: 223 parents involved in court-mandated child custody proceedings endorsed the MMPI-2 and 100 parents from intact families under standard instructions. The K, S, Esd and PMH4 measures of self-deception, the standard clinical scales and the ob-vious and subtle subscales were scored. Results: The results exhibited signif-icant higher scores, consistent with dissimulation, were observed in the population suspected of dissimulation (child custody litigants) in K, S, and Esd scales; and a significant association between dissimulation classification and dissimulation suspected population. In relation to the effects of dis-simulation, the results showed that the suspected population of dissimula-tion reported significantly fewer clinical symptoms (denial of symptoms) and more positive qualities related to being granted child custody (social desirability). Finally, the results suggested that the underlying process of self-deception is not unconscious for the individual exercising conscious control over his/her biased responses. Discussion: The implications of the results for forensic psychology evaluation of child custody dispute cases and the two-component model for dissimulation are discussed.