| dc.description.abstract | The most recent controversy to arise in the area of ethnic
exceptions to normative data in the use of the MMPI centers on
the establishment of minority norms. Significant general profile
and specific scale elevations have been reported for a number of
ethnic groups and although research with American and Canadian
Indians is limited, consistent elevations have been reported for
both psychiatric and normal samples. In light of these findings,
arguments proposing the establishment of culture specific norms
for Indian populations have arisen in the literature. The
purpose of the present study therefore was to examine the
utility of compiling native norms for a primarily Ojibway and
Cree population in the region north of Lake Superior. The
sample consisted of 47 males and 56 females ranging in age from
18 to 58 years. Group Form MMPIs were administered and
demographic questionnaires accompanied the test. Two tailed
z-tests were performed on the 13 scales with and without K. All
means were found to be significantly different from the
population of Minnesota normals. In light of the recent
controversy surrounding the comparison of mean differences,
results are discussed in terms of proportions of individuals
scoring greater than T=70 on individual K corrected scales. In
view of the results, it was concluded that normal native scores
are extreme enough to result in the misclassification of 50% of the population on scales F, D, PD+K, PA, PT+K, SC+K, and MA+K.
With the exception of pathological groups, results from the
present study indicating extreme elevations differ from those of
previous studies in terms of the degree of deviation observed.
Disconcordance is thought to be reflective of variability
introduced by methodological, regional, socioeconomic, and
acculturation differences and is believed to be further evidence
for the establishment of regional ethnic norms. Since it was
determined that standard norms are inappropriate for use with
the Indian population in question, K corrected raw scores
obtained from the native sample were transformed to a
distribution having a mean of 50 and a standard deviation of 10
for each scale. Raw score conversion tables and profile sheets
were then derived for each sex. However, while the present
research demonstrated that the Minnesota norms are not valid for
use with the Indian population in northern Ontario, the clinical
utility of local norms in the diagnosis of pathological
individuals remains in question since it has not been
demonstrated that the usual interpretation of elevated scales
will be equally applicable to profiles plotted against local
norms. It is suggested that future research be directed at an
examination of the validity of the MMPI in the detection of
pathological Indian subgroups in the region for which these
norms have been developed. | |
