MMPI or psych interview?

[Sullio]

My uncle, a retired deputy sheriff, tells me that some states do not give actual psychological interviews, while some others do. For those that do not, they apparently only administer the MMPI (Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory), which is a 567-question "mental health" test. I took this for a security job.

Anyone else ever hear of any PDs administering this test instead of actual psychological interviews?

[Unbeatable]

Yeah, I took the mmpi to be a correctional officer (just the written) and I took the same 567 question mmpi test for a pd a few days ago and I am set to have a follow up interview next week.

[Sullio]

Yeah, it seems like they do both, actually. I'm going in on wednesday for an oral interview and I think they're going to have me take the mmpi in "preparation" for the psych. interview.

[Samuel]

We do both.

[explcdt8]

I thought the MMPI was not a 'mental health' test per say, but that it matched personality traits to a profile developed by the chief.

[Sullio]

I thought the MMPI was not a 'mental health' test per say, but that it matched personality traits to a profile developed by the chief.

You're right, technically it's a personality exam. The department I'm applying for describes it as a "mental health survey", so that's why I put it that way.

[jvale00]

I think a lot of departments give the MMPI with a couple of other tests. They are some how evaluated and that determines whether or not you work there. If you fail an MMPI it doesn't mean your certified nuts. I had a guy in my academy who bombed it while in the hiring phase with an agency but passed it with another. It all depends on what the department is looking for. I remember him saying he answered the questions the same. Here's how I answered a few of the questions:

1. Do you love your Mom? Yes.
2. Do you play with fire? No.
3. Are you attracted to animals? No.
4. Do you hear voices in your head? No.
etc. etc.

:D

[ajiu]

:mad::mad: i take a mmpi test in china, but i failed ,it have 566 questions. it looks that we just copy your american mmpi test . and they did not tell me why,
it will take the second mmpi one week later. i wish this time is ok

[Joeyd6]

I thought the MMPI was not a 'mental health' test per say, but that it matched personality traits to a profile developed by the chief.

The MMPI IS NOT a personality tets. It is a formal diagnostic tool used in the medical community!!!!

The MMPI scores you on 10 categories of items called scales. It looks to see if your score is within an acceptable norm of the GENERAL FUNCTIONING POPULATION. Yes, the population here in America. Not the law enforcement world, the average person. When your score flags outside the norm on any of the ten scales, then you get flagged for questioning.

The hiring agency has no say about the MMPI. The scores are not subjective. They are objective based on your answers. If you take a MMPI in New York, and forward the answers to 1,000 police deaprtment psychologists, all 1,000 will have the same score.

The personality traits test you speak of is called the Inwald Personality Inventory. This is a law enforcemnt based trait test. But again, the hiring authority has no say on scoring. There is only one score based on your answers.