Utilization of the goldberg MMPI profile classification rules for the assessment of psychopathology in different clinical populations

MMPI profiles of 545 psychiatric inpatients and 560 incarcerated offenders were separated sequentially into normal, sociopathic, neurotic and psychotic groups by means of Goldberg's profile classification rules. Patient-prisoner differences in both rates of classification and profile patterns of groups within diagnostic categories were assessed quantitatively, and profiles were interpreted by use of standard MMPI codebooks. For the hospitalized Ss comparisons also were made between clinical diagnoses and Goldberg-MMPI classifications. The resulting differences in classification rates, similarities of profiles within diagnostic categories, correspondence between obtained and codebook-expected profiles, and agreement between clinical and Goldberg-MMPI classifications were not such that this approach could be used with confidence as a basis for establishing diagnostic group membership. Although Goldberg's system appears to represent certain improvements over previous criterion-related methods of profile classification, it was concluded that its value nonetheless is limited by the assumption of an invariant relationship between test patterns and nontest variables.