A principal-components analysis of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory factor scales.

Johnson, Butcher, Null, and Johnson (1984) reported on factor scales developed from the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI). A principal-components analysis of the 21 factor scales and Edwards's (1957) Social Desirability (SD) scale gave 5 factors. The SD scale had the highest absolute loading on the 1st MMPI factor. Also, the 1st-factor loadings of the scales were linearly related to the SD intensity intensity index of the scales. A 2nd principal-components analysis of 16 of the Johnson et al. scales along with marker scales for the first 3 MMPI factors also resulted in 5 factors; the SD scale again had the highest absolute loading on the 1st factor, and the 1st-factor loadings were again linearly related to the SD intensity index. On only 2 of the 5 factors did any of the factor scales have higher absolute loadings than 1 of the marker scales, suggesting that Johnson et al. were overly optimistic that their scales may serve as marker scales