The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory versus the Beck Depression Inventory

Within the realm of Psychology, psychological testing plays an important role in finding out the mental status of a client. The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) is a comprehensive inventory that has a great deal to offer in the world of Psychology. Also, within the specific domain personality tests, the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) also is a very powerful tool for Psychologists nowadays. By taking a closer look at the key features of the MMPI and the BDI along with the benefits and the disadvantages of the tests, one will note that the disadvantages are minor and that these tests are the vital in today’s society.

The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) was first developed in the year 1942. However, the test that is used today is actually the second revision which was instituted in 1989 and is known as the MMPI-2. According to Hogan, the MMPI-2 requires anywhere from 60 to 90 minutes to finish and has a whopping 567 test items to complete (487). Furthermore, the MMPI-2 is the “most frequently used, most widely researched, and most often referenced tests” explains Hogan (487). The MMPI initially had two main features which were (1) “validity indexes were explicitly used” and (2) “the test used criterion-keying to develop nine clinical scales” which was later changed to a total of ten scales (487). Hogan goes on to state that with the revision of the MMPI of 1989, the MMPI-2 removed all of it’s gender specific references, it used clinical scales instead of diagnostic categories, it developed entirely new norms, and it’s original T-score changed from 70 to 65 (488).

Next, the Beck Depression Inventory offered a new technique for diagnosis of those suffering from any spectrum of depression. The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II) is not as predominately ranked in use as the MMPI-2, however, it ranks in at a close second. The BDI-II is a tool in Psychology for measuring the severity of depression. According to Hogan, this test is administered to both adolescents and adults and determines by responses on a four point scale if there is a “major problem” or if it is “not a problem” (501). The BDI-II consists of only 21 items and takes only five to ten minutes to complete entirely. The 21 items constructs a score between 0-63; 0-13 is considered minimal depression; 14-19 is considered mild depression; 20-28 is moderate depression; and 29-53 is considered severe depression (501).

With regard to the MMPI-2, while it is has many benefits to the field of Psychology, it also has a few disadvantages. First off, the MMPI-2 is a very time consuming test. While an average person can finish the test in 60 to 90 minutes, a person with a lower reading ability can take up to two or more hours to complete. Furthermore, Hogan points out that the MMPI-2 only measures a total of four underlying dimensions, two of them being “psychotic mentation” and “neurotic tendencies” (495). However, with the BDI-II compared to the MMPI-2, the benefits outweigh the disadvantages. The BDI is a majorly useful tool for figuring out the severity of depression which is also considered the common cold of psychological ailments. Almost everyone in their lives will suffer at least one bout of depression. Using the BDI-II, it is quick and efficient to find out the severity of a person’s depression. The test again only takes five to ten minutes and all the questions are straightforward, simple, and at a sixth grade reading level.

Although it seems that the BDI-II is a little more progressed, user friendly, and less time consuming, the MMPI-2 offers a variety of benefits. It says a lot that it is ranked number one as the most used test. However, I believe that with more future revisions, the MMPI-2 will become more like the BDI-II. In my opinion, I think that both are useful for measuring different aspects in a person. Even though the MMPI-2 is more time consuming, I think that I would fall into the mainstream in believing that the MMPI-2 will be my number one used test when I earn my PH.D or PSY.D. So, while there are some advantages and some disadvantages to the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (2) and the Beck Depression Inventory (2), it is clear that both are vital in the field of Psychology. They are a pertinent tool for Psychologists and both the comprehensive inventory known as the MMPI-2 and the specific domain personality test known as the BDI-II are extremely vital in today’s society.