Exploring the hierarchical structure of the MMPI-2-RF Personality Psychopathology Five in psychiatric patient and university student samples

J Pers Assess. 2014;96(2):166-72. doi: 10.1080/00223891.2013.825623. Epub 2013 Sep 5.

Abstract

In this study our goal was to examine the hierarchical structure of personality pathology as conceptualized by Harkness and McNulty's (1994) Personality Psychopathology Five (PSY-5) model, as recently operationalized by the MMPI-2-RF (Ben-Porath & Tellegen, 2011) PSY-5r scales. We used Goldberg's (2006) "bass-ackwards" method to obtain factor structure using PSY-5r item data, successively extracting from 1 to 5 factors in a sample of psychiatric patients (n = 1,000) and a sample of university undergraduate students (n = 1,331). Participants from these samples had completed either the MMPI-2 or the MMPI-2-RF. The results were mostly consistent across the 2 samples, with some differences at the 3-factor level. In the patient sample a factor structure representing 3 broad psychopathology domains (internalizing, externalizing, and psychoticism) emerged; in the student sample the 3-factor level represented what is more commonly observed in "normal-range" personality models (negative emotionality, introversion, and disconstraint). At the 5-factor level the basic structure was similar across the 2 samples and represented well the PSY-5r domains.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Factor Analysis, Statistical
  • Female
  • Humans
  • MMPI / standards*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Personality / classification*
  • Personality Disorders / classification*
  • Personality Disorders / diagnosis
  • Psychiatric Status Rating Scales / standards*
  • Young Adult