LOW-END SPECIFICITY OF THE BECK DEPRESSION INVENTORY

Selection of nondysphoric control subjects on the basis of low Beck De pression Inventory (BDI) scores has become a methodological issue in d epression research. Therefore, we examined these questions: (1) Do cur rent selection criteria result in a nondysphoric control group, a subs ample of which is characterized by denial, psychopathic, or hypomanic tendencies? (2) Is there an identifiable subgroup of low scorers in wh ich tendencies toward denial, psychopathy, or hypomania are particular ly salient? Undergraduates completed the BDI and Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI). As predicted the proportion of subjects who were elevated on MMPI validity scales was higher in the low-end s ample than in dysphorics, and higher in very low scorers than in other low-end subjects. Low-end subjects did not score higher than other su bjects on MMPI Psychopathic Deviate (MMPI-Pd) and MMPI Hypomania (MMPI -Ma) subscales. Suggestions for obviating problems associated with low -end specificity are offered.