SEX AND GENDER BIAS IN SELF-REPORT PERSONALITY-DISORDER INVENTORIES -ITEM ANALYSES OF THE MCMI-II, MMPI, AND PDQ-R

There has been considerable controversy and research regarding sex bia s in the diagnosis of personality disorders, but little has involved s elf-report inventories. Thus this study investigated items from the Mi llon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory-II (Millon, 1987), the Minnesota Mu ltiphasic Personality Inventory (Morey, Waugh, & Blashfield, 1985), an d the Personality Diagnostic Questionnaire-Revised (Hyler & Rieder, 19 87). Subjects (N = 189) completed the Histrionic, Dependent, Antisocia l, and Narcissistic scales from these inventories, along with the Bem Sex Role Inventory (Bem, 1974) and the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (D erogatis, 1977). Items were considered to evidence sex or gender bias if they (a) failed to correlate with dysfunction and (b) exhibited sex or gender role differences. At least 13 items evidenced sex bias (76 items using a more liberal threshold). The majority were from Narcissi stic scales; few Histrionic items evidenced sex or gender bias. Implic ations with respect to sex-bias assessment and item construction are d iscussed.