PREDICTING WITH THE MMPI THE ADJUSTMENT OF JUVENILE DELINQUENTS TO INSTITUTIONALIZATION - DOES GENDER MAKE A DIFFERENCE

Relationships between Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory tMMPI) scales and criteria were evaluated to determine if the MMPI is gender biased when considering a juvenile delinquent population. The MMPI was administered to- 549 iuvenile delinquents: SOS Biack men, 57 3iack women, 331 White men, and 76 White women, In addition, behavioral and rating measures were collected; thev served as. adjustment criteria. Except, tor the criterion assessing neurotic symptomatology, equation? that regressed criteria on MMPI scales neither underpredicted nor overpredicted for a gender. The MMPI tended to underpredict ratings of neurotic symptomatology tor women. Significant differences in correlation coefficients tor Biack. men and women occurred for the behavioral, nonrating criteria. Scale 4 was the best predictor for Black men, whereas Scales 8, F, I, and 2 tended to be the best predictors for Black women. Some possible explanations for these results are ottered. © 1991, Taylor & Francis Group, LLC. All rights reserved.