This study compared one group of pedophiles, two groups of incestuous fathers, and two groups of incestuous stepfathers on their individual MMPI scale scores and self-reported demographic data. Past research on sex offenders has shown that patterns of variables are better indicators of offender typology than single variables. A nonrandom sample of male abusers (N=177) was drawn from two separate sources, a clinic that screens offenders for treatment disposition and an unrelated outpatient treatment clinic in the Portland, Oregon area. Scores from the 13 MMPI scales as well as data from 17 demographic variables were drawn from clinic interviews and intake records of the offenders. The demographic data included age of the offender, educational level, age at first marriage, number of marriages, number of juvenile and adult arrests, number of jobs, number of past inpatient treatment periods, outpatient treatment periods, and incarcerations, alcohol consumption level, recreational drug usage, adoption status, and incidence of foster care, physical, and sexual abuse. Of these variables, several are susceptible to error in self-report, especially alcohol consumption level, which may be subject to the usefulness of a particular report to the offender. Hence, one statistical analysis was made eliminating alcohol consumption level as a variable.

The MMPI has been used extensively for the clinical assessment of deviancy among sexual offenders. In order to derive a diagnostic scale for the specific identification of male incest offenders, an item analysis, using MMPI data from offenders, compared MMPI data from a nonoffending control sample. The item analysis results were cross validated with MMPI data from a separate sample of incest offenders. Eleven MMPI items were found to be critical in discriminating male incest offenders from nonoffenders, and these items comprise the Ic experimental scale. On the basis of the Ic scale, male incest offenders evidence characterological disturbances in the form of pervasive feelings of psychological and social inadequacy.

Magister Artium (Psychology) - MA(Psych) / In 'n geïndustrialiseerde en Westers-georiënteerde samelewing, kenmerkend van sommige bevolkingsektore van Suid-Afrika, is 'n slanke figuur soms aanduidend van skoonheid en gesondheid. Dit is daarom geensins buitengewoon dat gewigsbewustheid een van die belangrikste verskynsels van ons tyd is nie. Duisende oorgewig-persone poog om 'n "norm" van slankheid na te streef (Polivy & Herman, 1987). Estetiese oorwegings is egter nie die. enigste rede waarom mense gewigsbewus is nie. Versekeringstatistieke dui toenemend daarop dat oorgewig-persone 'n hoër mortaliteitsyfer toon (Stunkard, stinnet & Smoller, 1986). Hierdie uiters nadelige gevolge van oorgewig is tweërlei van aard, naamlik psigies en fisiek. Spesifieke fisieke gevolge waarna in die literatuur (Kirschner, Schneider, Ertel & Gorman, 1988; Millar & Stephens, 1986) verwys word, is beroerte, diabetes, kardiovaskulêre- en ortopediese komplikasies. Op sielkundige vlak verwys Stunkard et al. (1986) na sielkundige stoornisse wat uniek is aan die obese populasie. Hierdie stoornisse kan terug gevoer word na die belewenis van uitermatige sosiale diskriminasie en vooroordeel (Rodin, Schank, Striegel & Moore, 1989). Hoër vlakke van stres, angs,depressie en In verwronge liggaamsbeeld word met die oorgewig-persoon geassosieer (Rodin et al., 1989; Stunkard et al.,1986). In talle gevalle moet hierdie sielkundige las as die grootste negatiewe gevolg van obesiteit beskou word. In Bykomende verskynsel ten opsigte van die probleem van oorgewig is die toename in die oorgewigsyfer van die wêreldpopulasie. Oberholzer (1984) beweer dat alreeds eenderde van die Suid -Afrikaanse bevolking oorgewig is. Ten spyte van die toename in die oorgewigsyfer word In begrip van die verskynsel bemoeilik deur die magdom teoretiese aannames en teenstrydighede rakende die etiologie, behandeling, en voorkoming daarvan. Ten opsigte van die etiologie van obesiteit besef te min klinici die multifaktoriale aard van die verskynsel en verklaar hulle dit dikwels slegs vanuit In enkele perspektief (Sobal & Stunkard, 1989) . Met betrekking tot die behandeling daarvan bestaan daar In wye verskeidenheid van benaderings wat chemoterapie, chirurgie, dieetterapie, akupunktuur, fisieke oefening en psigoterapie insluit.

No description available.

Recent literature suggests that not only does Attention-deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD/ADD) persist into adulthood, but it can also be accompanied by personality characteristics which cause emotional difficulties. In fact, adults diagnosed with ADHD can present with a profusion of difficulties. Several constructs appear to accumulate dynamically throughout development to place the adult with ADHD at risk for multiple emotional problems. These interwoven influences include familial characteristics, childhood emotional and academic difficulties, and inadequate coping skills to respond to adulthood pressures. This document, first, describes a developmental model for conceptualizing negative trajectories leading to nonadaptive coping and psychopathology and identifies personality factors of adults diagnosed with ADHD. This model provides clinicians and researchers with a better understanding of the complexity and challenges of adulthood ADHD in order to aid in diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. The purpose of this study is to examine personality factors common to adults diagnosed with ADHD and compares these characteristics with a group of adults diagnosed with a depressive disorder. Adults responding to a community advertisement who provided documentation of the diagnosis of Attention-deficit Hyperactivity Disorder were administered the MMPI-2. This ADHD group was compared with MMPI-2 profiles of a group of adults diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder or Dysthymic Disorder. A cluster analysis procedure was performed and results are discussed.

The primary purpose of the present study was to examine the potential relationships that exist between anger expression, as measured by several MMPI-2 scales, and chronic pain.

The disabling conditions of chronic low-back pain continue to cost patient, family, and society. The intricate mechanisms which perpetuate this medical condition often consist of both organic and functional factors. This study evaluated personality and psychosocial variables which may control individual responses to facet denervation, a treatment for chronic lumbar distress. The subjects were 47 chronic pain patients whose symptoms conformed to the facet syndrome. Patient responses to the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) and the Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire were reviewed in an effort to predict statistically symptomatic relief. Also, the patients' involvement in litigation and their accuracy in determining their pain level were studied as possible influencing variables. Results show the litigation factor and two scalesof the MMPI to be most useful in predicting patient response from facet denervation treatment.

The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) was one of the most widely used psychological tests administered to adolescents. The MMPI-A is a revised version of the MMPI that was developed specifically for adolescents. The purpose of this study is to establish clinical correlates for the MMPI-A standard scale codetypes.

Over the past ten years there has been a dramatic increase in the number of drug addicted teens in this country. Accompanying this increase in drug usage of adolescents has been an rise in the number of treatment and evaluation centers to serve the adolescent drug abusing population. Comprehensive and individualized assessment of drug addicted teens is needed as the basis for adolescent treatment programs. Many adolescent drug treatment programs have relied primarily on in-house, informal questionnaires to assess personality traits. There is a need for more objective measures to assess personality traits in adolescent drug addicted populations. This study used information from intake interviews of 842 inpatient adolescents and examined the amount of drug use in relationship to; personality, negative life events (number of times arrested for drugs, number of times runaway from home, number of suicide attempts, and substance abuse) and gender. Personality was assessed using the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI). This study family history of decreased the complexity of interpreting MMPI results by reducing the scores to categories reflective of two common personality traits found in drug addicted populations - introversion and extroversion. Codetypes, which reflect the subjects two most heightened clinical MMPI scales, were also utilized in this study. In this investigation personality traits of introversion and extroversion were not found to be related to amount of drug use, or gender. A heightened scale 4 (Psychopathic Deviate) was consistently found in this sample of adolescent drug abusers. Gender differences were found in membership in codetype group and in terms of total amount of drug use. Females who reported a maternal family history of substance abuse were more likely to use greater amounts of drugs than males with either a maternal or paternal family history of substance abuse. Negative life events were found to differ by gender with females having higher rates of suicide attempts than males, and males having greater number of drug arrests than females. A thorough assessment of maternal drug history for drug addicted females, and treatment modalities focused on personality types who score high on MMPI scale 4, may be important issues to be considered in residential treatment of drug addicted adolescents. / Graduation date: 1993

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Tulsa, 1993. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 86-92).