Writing a good cookbook: I. A review of MMPI high-point code system studies

A small set-of studies that will be called the high-point code system studi es has contributed greatly to the perception of the MMPI as an empirically grounded clinical instrument. Ten published studies have provided data conc erning the interpretive significance of high-point codes in general. This a rticle provides a methodological evaluation of these studies. We reviewed t he features that distinguish these studies from other MMPI actuarial studie s. The high-point code system studies were designed to maximize clinical us efulness, more so than even other actuarial Studies, but sometimes did so a t a potential cost in power. We address this issue further in a second arti cle on effect sizes derived from the high-point code system studies (McGrat h & Ingersoll, this issue). We found striking differences across studies in the code-definition strategies used. Which strategy represents the optimal high-point coding strategy for clinicians who use the MMPI remains an unre solved question because any strategy requires some tradeoff between the ide als of code group homogeneity and inclusiveness. We also address the issue of whether complete description or unique description of code group members is a more desirable goal for such studies and discuss implications of the findings for future research on this topic.