The ability of the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory--Third Edition to detect malingering

Abstract

This study investigated the ability of the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory--Third Edition (MCMI-III) to discriminate students malingering psychopathology (n = 106) from bona fide psychiatric inpatients (n = 202). Students were randomly assigned to a fake-bad or an honest-responding condition. Analyses investigated the ability of the modifier indices to discriminate fake-bad group participants from the psychiatric inpatients. Scale X raw cutoff score > 178 yielded a positive predictive power (PPP) of 0.0, a negative predictive power (NPP) of 63.1, and a hit rate of 63.1%. Optimal cutoff scores were developed. Scale X Base Rate (BR) > 84 provided a PPP of 55.6, an NPP of 72.1, and a hit rate of 65.2%. Scale Y BR < 26 yielded a PPP of 52.5 and a hit rate of 64.8%. Receiver operating characteristic analyses found that Scale X best classified malingerers. Overall, the MCMI-III modifier indices were of minimal clinical utility in distinguishing college student malingerers from bona fide psychiatric inpatients.