EFFECTIVENESS OF THE MMPI-2 VALIDITY INDICATORS IN THE DETECTION OF DEFENSIVE RESPONDING IN CLINICAL AND NONCLINICAL SAMPLES

In this study, patients diagnosed with schizophrenia (n = 38) who had previously completed the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2) by responding honestly were asked to complete it again with instructions to conceal their symptoms. A student group (n = 49) follo wed similar instructions. Under instructions to fake good, both studen ts and patients were able to produce clinical profiles that were signi ficantly less pathological. The Other-Deception and Superlative Scales were best at distinguishing fake-good and honest profiles in the stud ent sample. The Edwards Social Desirability Scale and the L scale were best al distinguishing fake-good and honest profiles in the patient s ample. The Wiggins Social Desirability scale was best at distinguishin g honestly responding students from patients faking good.