Test selection: MMPI vs. PAI vs. MCMI

[Rivi]

Hello everyone,

Just wondering what you guys see as the main distinctions and what your preferences are for these tests. I know the basics about them all but I am curious about how and why people chose one of these over the other.

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[WJPSYCH]

I know the main reason one of the state prisons I worked in used the PAI over the MMPI was cost of administration. I was told that the PAI was cheaper, another clinic I worked in said the same thing.

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

Things I consider (in order):
-Referral question
-Access to the assessment
-Efficacy with the patient population
-Individual limitations of the patient
-Time for administration/completion
-Cost

There is a variance of reading levels, for instance the PAI only requires a 4th grade reading level, while the MCMI requires an 8th grade reading level. Data often gets confounded because of the difference between 'completing' 8 years of formal education and actually having an 8th grade reading level.

 

[Pragma]

MCMI is nice in particular for Axis II issues. I don't use it often, but they also have some highly specific treatment recommendations that are generated based on the patient's response patterns.

I use the PAI most of the time though, as it is easy to administer, reading level is lower, and usually gives me all of the information I need. Cost is another factor at the place I work at.

I have only used the RF version of the MMPI a couple of times. Didn't seem like anything special compared to the earlier version.

 

[cara susanna]

I like the PAI, but it doesn't give as much information about personality as the MCMI does.

 

[thepug]

I like the MCMI because it only takes about 30 min to administer and it was normed on only clinical subjects. I also enjoy the evolutionary theory in which it is rooted, not because I like evolutionary theory, but because it allows for considerable expansion upon constructs in future versions.

 

[DynamicDidactic]

I have never used the MCMI. As far as PAI vs. MMPI, I think one needs to consider many different factors. In general, I prefer the PAI b/c I find the construction and constructs of the test to be more valid and in line with what I think is important (I am not trying to say the MMPI is not valid). I do believe there are cases/individuals/populations where the MMPI can be more useful and often find it more applicable than the PAI. Furthermore, the PAI is much faster and I find that patients can better understand the results. So, you need to weigh the needs of your patients, your needs, and the assessment itself when deciding which one to use (which is true of all assessments).

 

[eudaimonPsyD]

Things I consider (in order):
-Referral question
-Access to the assessment
-Efficacy with the patient population
-Individual limitations of the patient
-Time for administration/completion
-Cost

Great list, exactly the approach I take as well. I'm at an assessment-based private practice now and my supervisor leans toward the MCMI when suspected Axis II. Unfortunately the practice doesn't utilize the PAI or the MMPI. Personally I like the PAI because of many of the reasons others have said (cost, comprehension level) and I like the balance between the pathology-based scales and the other factors relating to treatment.

 

[postitnote]

Both the MMPI and PAI have their place, in my mind. If there is the potential for legal issues, I tend to prefer the MMPI due to the strong research background. For general client use, I like the PAI (administration time, client acceptability, reading comprehension, item development, etc.). I am not a fan of the MCMI at all. The psychometric properties are poor (PPP, construct validity, temporal stability). It has shown significant gender bias and overdiagnosis. I like Millon's conceptualization and description of personality disorders but not his assessment measures.

 

[Neuropsych2be]

I have tons of experience with the MMPI-2 and like the test. I just spent last Saturday at Fielding getting trained by Ben-Porath himself on the new MMPI-2 RF. I like the new revision a lot. But the more exposure I get to the PAI, the more I like it. It has less research but frankly it is better psycho metrically. The scales are cleaner, the reading level required by the client is lower, and interpretation simpler. So I am slowly becoming a convert to the PAI.