A COMPARISON OF THE MMPI AND THE TSCS IN DISCRIMINATING PSYCHIATRIC DIAGNOSIS AND OFFENSE TYPE AMONG A FORENSIC POPULATION
Abstract
This study was designed to assess the relative efficacy of the MMPI and the TSCS in discriminating among a forensic population grouped by nature of their legal charges and by psychiatric diagnosis. These tests are used in various criminal and mental health settings for assessing current and predicting future functioning. The sample consisted of 194 male subjects who had been remanded by the courts for a forensic evaluation after being charged with serious felony offenses. Subjects were grouped on the nature of their legal charges and psychiatric diagnosis. Considerably more indices were discriminative on the TSCS than the MMPI for both offenses and diagnoses. Comparison of the mean MMPI and TSCS scores were made using one-way analysis of variance for the offense groups and the diagnostic groups. Again, the TSCS was more discriminating than the MMPI. On the MMPI, two scales were discriminating for both the offense and the diagnostic groups, the K and Pa scales and the L and Pt scales, respectively. Whereas, on the TSCS four indices (Total Conflict, Column Variability, Total Variability, and Distribution) proved to demonstrate significant differences among the offense groups. Stepwise discriminant function analyses were then performed on the MMPI and the TSCS individually and on the two tests combined. When treated separately, the discriminant function equation was more robust for the TSCS than the MMPI on both the offense and diagnostic groups. The MMPI was better able to predict the psychotics and the murderers. The TSCS was also more accurate at predicting the psychotics. When combined, the two measures demonstrated a significant contribution to the discriminate equations for both offense and diagnostic groupings. Combined they were more accurate at predicting psychotics and the nonlethal assaultive offenses. Correlations performed on the MMPI and the TSCS scoring indices generated several significant associations: assessment of the relationship between offense and psychiatric diagnosis revealed that a significant relationship did exist and that it was strong. The Psychotic Disorders dominated the violent assault group and the vast majority of murders were associated with the relatively less severe psychopathological subjects. Finally, the two instruments were compared as to the number of valid profiles obtained. The TSCS proved to be twice as effective as the MMPI. (Abstract shortened with permission of author.)
Subject Area
Educational psychology|Psychotherapy|Criminology
Recommended Citation
MICHAEL CECIL SHEEHAN,
"A COMPARISON OF THE MMPI AND THE TSCS IN DISCRIMINATING PSYCHIATRIC DIAGNOSIS AND OFFENSE TYPE AMONG A FORENSIC POPULATION"
(1986).
ETD Collection for Tennessee State University.
Paper AAI8802620.
https://digitalscholarship.tnstate.edu/dissertations/AAI8802620