Detecting underreport in real-world assessment contexts. The utility of multiple-scale indicators

Authors

DOI: https://doi.org/10.6018/analesps.502511
Keywords: Underreport, MMPI-2, Validity indicators, Organizational context assessment

Abstract

Underreport of symptoms and personality characteristics is a relevant problem for psychological assessment. Nevertheless, most of the studies in this field use simulation designs. This study aims at comparing underreport prevalence in real-world samples of different contexts, using single-scale and multiple-scale underreport indicators from the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory–2 (MMPI-2) to identify the best one and assess its implications on the clinical scales scores. Using a Differential Prevalence Group design, 1438 participants were assessed with the MMPI-2, grouped in three samples from two non-clinical contexts (community and organizational) and one clinical context. The organizational sample had the highest prevalence of underreporting. Overall, multiple-scale indicator LKS ≥ T65 performed better at distinguishing these samples. Analysis of variance revealed that LKS ≥ T65 was also the only indicator in which participants doing underreport consistently varied from honest responders in the clinical scales scores, while also having lower probability of producing both type I and II errors. The existence of underreport has clear implication on the clinical scales results. The multiple-scale indicator is the most robust and should be used in the detection of underreporting. This is a relevant implication for psychological assessment in different contexts, mainly in the organizational context.

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Author Biographies

Prof. Bárbara Gonzalez, Universidade Lusófona de Humanidades e Tecnologias, HEI-Lab: Digital Human-Environment Interactions Lab, Lisbon, Portugal

Doctoral Thesis in Clinical Psychology, in 2013, at the University of Lisbon, with the theme of Fibromyalgia: Personality and life history.
Assistant Professor since 2013 at the School of Psychology and Life Sciences of University Lusophone of Humanities and Technologies (Lisbon, Portugal)
Responsible and lecturer in curricular units of the Psychology course and the Master in Clinical and Health Psychology
Member of the Research Center of U.L.H.T., with research work and publications in the field of personality and psychopathology and its correlates in different contexts.

Prof. Rosa Novo, Research Centre for Psychological Science, Faculdade de Psicologia, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal

Doctoral Thesis in Clinical Psychology, in 2001, at the University of Lisbon.
Associate Professor since 2007 at the Faculty of Psychology.
Responsible and lecturer in courses related with Psychological Assessment of Children, Adolescents and Adults.
Clinical Psychologist with regular practice on the Psychological Assessment and Diagnosis requested by courts, schools and diverse official institutions.
Responsible by the Psychological Assessment Unit at the Public Services of the Faculty of Psychology of University of Lisbon.
Member of the Research Center of the CICPSI, with research work and publications inthe field of Psychological Assessment, Clinical Psychology, and Clinical Health Psychology.

Pilar Reis, Faculdade de Psicologia da Universidade de Lisboa

Master’s in Clinical Psychology, in 2020, at the University of Lisbon. Master Thesis with the theme of Underreport in MMPI-2: Assessment of Personality Psychopathology.
Research Assistant since 2020 at the Faculty of Psychology.
Clinical Psychologist Intern at a substance use disorder treatment facility.

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Published
27-08-2022
How to Cite
Gonzalez, B., Novo, R., & Farrajota, P. (2022). Detecting underreport in real-world assessment contexts. The utility of multiple-scale indicators. Anales de Psicología / Annals of Psychology, 38(3), 555–564. https://doi.org/10.6018/analesps.502511
Issue
Vol. 38 No. 3 (2022): October - December
Section
Methodology

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