Alcoholism Scales of the MMPI: Contributions and Future Directions

Abstract

Though MMPI [Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory] alcoholism scales were constructed to provide objective information for making alcoholism diagnoses, they did not meet with general acceptance. Research was criticized since alcoholics were not clearly defined and were not subdivided into homogeneous categories. Pre-alcoholics were not studied and no consistent findings emerged. The present review of alcoholics and pre-alcoholics indicates that some scales, such as the MacAndrew, are consistent in discriminating alcoholics from controls even when alcoholics were not subdivided into homogeneous categories. Alcoholics have personality characteristics that distinguish them from other groups and provide psychometric justification for alcoholism diagnoses.