Assessing the MMPI-based Cook-Medley hostility scale: The implications of dimensionality

The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory- (MMPI-) based Cook-Medley Hostility scale (Cook & Medley, 1954) historically has been used to investigate links between personality factors and health outcomes. We assessed the dimensionality of 27 Cook-Medley items previously found to predict mortality using full-information maximum likelihood factor analysis. The factor analyses revealed that these items serve as indicators for several constructs, with some factors apparently reflecting word usage rather than a meaningful psychological dimension. Our analyses indicate that the psychological meaning of these (sub)scales is ambiguous and differs according to the respondent's gender. The findings are discussed in the context of evidence to support the construct validity of the scale and the implications of dimensionality for making inferences concerning the link among scale scores, personality factors, and health outcomes.