1. Using the MMPI-A to Identify Students with Emotional Disturbance
Ellen C. Miller, Ed.D.
New Mexico Association of
School Psychologists
October 28, 2017

2. K-W-L: What We Know
IDEA Criteria for Identification as Emotionally Disturbed
An inability to learn which cannot be explained by intellectual, sensory, or health factors
An inability to build or maintain satisfactory interpersonal relationships with peers and teachers
Inappropriate types of behavior or feelings under normal circumstances
A general pervasive mood of unhappiness or depression
A tendency to develop physical symptoms or fears associated with personal or school problems

3. K-W-L: What We Know
Estimated prevalence—2% of public school enrollment
Some estimates as high as 5% of enrollment
Less than 1% receive special education services under IDEA
Reasons?
Evaluation methods give only clues to underlying emotional issues
Diagnostic criteria not based on current research; have not changed since IDEA became law as PL in 1975

4. K-W-L: What We Know Current methods/instruments used to identify students with ED
Results from individual intelligence & achievement tests
Interviews with teachers & parents
Behavioral observations
Behavior checklists completed by parents & teachers
Projective techniques
Draw-A-Person
Student interviews

5. K-W-L: What I Want to Learn What can MMPI-A bring to the process?
Objective measure
Instrument with solid history in diagnosing psychopathology
Sound statistical development
Based on 30+ years of research using MMPI with adolescents and 20+ years of research as MMPI-A
Can MMPI-A identify students with ED?

6. K-W-L: What I Want to Learn Eight Scales Chosen for Study
Related to poor academic achievement in information from standardization sample for MMPI-A
Hypochondriasis (Hs)
Schizophrenia (Sc)
Hysteria (Hy)
Adolescent-health concerns (A-hea)
Adolescent-low self esteem (A-lse)
Adolescent-low aspirations (A-las)
Adolescent-school problems (A-sch)
Immaturity (IMM)

7. K-W-L: What I Want to Learn Three comparison groups
Normal sample—students in general education classes, not identified with ED
38 students—11 male, 27 female
ED sample—students attending general education campuses identified as ED
36 students—23 male, 13 female
Clinical sample—adolescents in residential treatment centers or mental hospitals receiving psychological treatment
37 adolescents—21 male, 16 female

8. K-W-L: What I Learned
Raw scores from each scale of MMPI-A are converted to uniform T-scores that “represent composite or average linear T-scores and serve to promote percentile equivalence” (Robert Archer, 2005, MMPI-A: Assessing Adolescent Psychopathology, p. 123)
T-scores use for comparison among scales and among participants; similar to percentiles
T-scores charted on profile sheets

9. K-W-L: What I Learned Results
Mean and standard deviation values of three groups including emotional disturbance group (ED), normal group (NG), and clinical inpatient group (CI), and eight scales including Hypochondriasis (Hs), Hysteria (Hy), Schizophrenia (Sc), Adolescent-health concerns (A-hea), Adolescent-low self-esteem (A-lse), Adolescent-low aspirations (A-las), Adolescent-school problems (A-sch), and Immaturity (IMM) . ED NG CI
Measures M SD Hs
54.71
11.01
50.61
13.65
54.81
13.71 Hy
50.00
10.05
51.55
9.72
55.65
11.07 Sc
59.57
12.08
49.08
11.16
60.49
18.27
A-hea
53.77
11.64
51.18
13.47
55.16
13.10
A-lse
55.63
12.10
49.26
10.79
58.41
16.13
A-las
51.57
9.49
49.13
12.55
52.27
12.50
A-sch
56.40
11.77
52.37
12.68
59.46
14.40
IMM
56.57
10.75
48.76
10.68
55.51
14.37

10. K-W-L: What I Learned Results
The r², p values, and effect sizes d of scales.
Measures r² p d Hs
3.57
.278
.15 Hy
1.34
.058
.23 Sc
1.03
.001
.35
A-hea
.18
.396
.13
A-lse
.49
.011
.29
A-las
.01
.475
.12
A-sch
.58
.065
.22
IMM
1.58
.012
.28
Note. Effect size were interpreted according to Cohen’s conventions (Cohen, 1988): small effect, d = .2, medium, d = .5, and large, d = .8 .

11. K-W-L: What I Learned Results
Percentage of accurate classification for selected eight scales of MMPI-A
Classification ED CI
Measure
Sensitivity
Specificity Hs
45.7%
71.1%
51.4% Hy
34.3%
84.2%
45.9%
68.4% Sc
57.1%
73.7%
54.1%
A-hea
62.2%
43.2%
65.8%
A-lse
48.6%
56.8%
A-las
37.1%
78.9%
40.5%
A-sch
IMM
62.9%
71.7%
Note. Emotional disturbance group (ED), n = 35; Normal group, n = 38; Clinic inpatient group (CI), n = 37

12. K-W-L: What I Learned Conclusions
Scores from the 8 selected scales discriminated among the 3 groups with moderate significance
Scores from 8 scales predicted group membership, with Sc scale being best predictor, followed by IMM and A-lse
Study supports authors of MMPI-A by demonstrating that students who score in predicted range on selected scales do experience academic/educational difficulty

13. Discussion/Comments
MMPI-A can be used to assist in identifying students with ED
Adds objective documentation to information obtained from interviews, observation, intelligence & achievement testing, and behavior checklists
Can provide information that clarifies ‘gray areas’ in legal definition (i.e. “satisfactory” interpersonal relationships, “inappropriate” types of behaviors or feelings, “tendency” to develop physical symptoms or fears associated with persons or school problems)

14. Discussion/Comments Further uses of MMPI-A
Some scales appear to have ‘face validity’ for specific symptoms of ED (i.e. Depression and Adolescent-depression) but are not indicators of school difficulties;
How well do these scales discriminate students with ED?
Discriminating between ED and social maladjustment
Codetype 4-9 (Psychopathic Deviate and Hypomania) from MMPI-2 considered markers of Antisocial Personality Disorder in adults
Is similar MMPI-A codetype indicative of Conduct Disorder or Oppositional Defiant Disorder

15. Questions?

16. Ellen C. Miller, Ed.D.