| dc.description.abstract | Until most recently university students were considered to
score significantly higher on the MMPI clinical and validity
scales, in terms of their mean profiles, than the original
normative non-psychiatric sample. According to the only study
by Butcher, Graham, Dahlstrom and Bowman (1990) on this
subject, this does not seem to be the case on the MMPI-2.
The present research was a study of the same type as the
Butcher, Graham, et al. (1990) study but with a Canadian
sample of university students, at Lakehead University in
Thunder Bay. The results obtained from the present study
showed significant elevations in terms of the mean profiles
for both male and female students on several of the validity
and clinical scales of the MMPI-2 in comparison to the
normative sample. The obtained differences may reflect the
younger age, as well as the socio-economic differences of the
Lakehead University sample compared to the MMPI-2 normative
group. Results also revealed that the L.U. student sample
responded, as a group, in a manner similar to the Butcher,
Graham, et al. (1990) university student sample. Similar mean
scores were obtained with only very few significant
differences. The group profiles were also compared between
these two student samples and displayed a considerable degree
of similarity. It is unclear whether the apparent contradictions between the results of the present study and
the Butcher, Graham, et al. (1990) study reflect real
differences of statistical and clinical significance, or
whether they are the result of too small samples, or the
different statistical methods and criteria. However, if these
results reflect real differences and not statistical errors,
this would suggest that, contrary to the Butcher, Graham, et
al. (1990) conclusion, the MMPI-2 norms might not be
appropriate for use with college students. | |
