FACTOR STRUCTURE OF THE PARANOIA SCALE OF THE MMPI-2 IN RELATION TO THE HARRIS-LINGOES SUBSCALES AND COMREY FACTOR-ANALYSIS

A 3-factor structure for the Paranoia (Pa) scale of the Minnesota Mult iphasic Personality Inventory-2 (J. N. Butcher, W.G. Dahlstrom, J. R. Graham, A. Tellegen, Br B. Kaemmer, 1989) was derived in a sample of 3 78 patients with substance use disorders and validated by confirmatory factor analysis in a separate sample of 226 patients. Factors labeled Paranoia and Low Morale were positively correlated with each other bu t inversely correlated with Naivete and factor correlations were large ly explained by a General Maladjustment construct, as defined by Welsh 's Anxiety scale. The content of the Paranoia factor was obviously rel ated to the concept of paranoia, and Low Morale had a high correlation with General Maladjustment. Naivete was defined primarily by ''false' ' responses to items that endorse cynical attitudes. The 3 factors cor responded well with the Harris-Lingoes Pa subscales of Persecutory Ide as, Poignancy, and Naivete and aligned closely with groups of factors from the g-factor solution of Comrey (1958).