Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

An Exploration of Latina/o Respondent Scores on the Personality Assessment Inventory

  • Published:
Current Psychology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Despite broad agreement regarding the need for multicultural considerations in applied practice, to date there continues to be a relative scarcity of research on underrepresented groups and personality assessment. This exploratory study is an initial comparison of non-clinical Latino (N = 97) and European American (EA) (N = 123) college students on selected scales of the Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI; Morey 1991). Latinos were hypothesized to produce higher scores than EAs on PAI scales reflecting worldview, spirituality, fatalism, family orientation, interpersonal style, experience of stress, and social environment. The selected PAI scales addressed socially desirable responding (Positive Impression Management - PIM); approach to completing the PAI (Infrequency - INF); health concerns (Somatic Complaints - SOM); traumatic and phobic endorsement (Anxiety Related Disorders - ARD); hypervigilance, persecution, and resentment (Paranoia - PAR); unusual and bizarre conceptions and beliefs (Schizophrenia - SCZ); perceived lack of social support (Non-Support - NON); current or recent life stressors (Stress - STR); relational style (Interpersonal Warmth - WRM); and an overall measure of psychological distress (Mean Clinical Elevation - MCE). Results revealed Latinos produced significantly higher scores than EAs on the INF, ARD, PAR, SCZ, NON, and STR scales. Contrary to hypothesis, EAs produced higher WRM scores. Overall, even in this non-clinical student sample, when compared to EAs, the Latino participants produced scores indicative of greater psychological distress and psychopathology (MCE). This exploratory study can inform future research with Latinos and the PAI and offers considerations and cautions for clinical use of the measure.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Alamilla, S. G., & Wojcik, J. V. (2013). Assessing for personality disorders in the Hispanic client. In L. T. Benuto & L. T. Benuto (Eds.), Guide to psychological assessment with Hispanics (pp. 215–241). New York: Springer Science + Business Media. doi:10.1007/978-1-4614-4412-1_15.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Alegria, M., Mulvaney-Day, N., & Torres, M. (2007). Prevalence of psychiatric disorders across Latino subgroups in the United States. American Journal of Public Health, 97(1), 68–75. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2006.087205.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Alegria, M., Canino, G., Shrout, P., Woo, M., Duan, N., Vila, D., Torres, M., Chen, C. N., & Meng, X. L. (2008). Prevalence of mental illness in immigrant and non-immigrant U.S. Latino groups. American Journal of Psychiatry, 165(3), 359–369. doi:10.1176/appi.ajp.2007.07040704.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Alterman, A. I., Zaballero, A. R., Lin, M. M., Siddiqui, N., Brown, L. S., Rutherford, M. J., et al. (1995). Personality assessment inventory (PAI) scores of lower- socioeconomic African American and Latino methadone maintenance patients. Assessment, 2(1), 91–100. doi:10.1177/1073191195002001009.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • American Psychological Association. (2002). Guidelines on multicultural education, training, research, practice, and organizational change for psychologists. Washington: American Psychological Association.

    Google Scholar 

  • Andersen, P. A. (2012). The basis of cultural differences in nonverbal communications. In L. A. Samovar, R. E. Porter, & E. R. McDaniel (Eds.), Intercultural communication: A reader (13th ed., pp. 293–312). Boston: Wadsworth.

    Google Scholar 

  • Atkinson, D. R. (2004). Counseling American minorities (6th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ayón, C., Marsiglia, F. F., & Bermudez-Parsai, M. (2010). Latino family mental health: exploring the role of discrimination and familismo. Journal of Community Psychology, 38(6), 742–756. doi:10.1002/jcop.20392.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Bentall, R. P., Rowse, G., Shryane, N., Kinderman, P., Howard, R., Blackwood, N., Moore, R., & Corcoran, R. (2009). The cognitive and affective structure of paranoid delusions: a transdiagnostic investigation of patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders and depression. Archives of General Psychiatry, 66(3), 236–247. doi:10.1001/archgenpsychiatry.2009.1.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Butcher, J. N., Cabiya, J., Lucio, E., & Garrido, M. (2007). Using the MMPI-2 to assess Hispanic clients living in the United States. In Assessing Hispanic clients using the MMPI-2 and MMPI-A (pp. 55–72). Washington: American Psychological Association. doi:10.1037/11585-003.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Butcher, J. N., Dahlstrom, W. G., Graham, J. R., Tellegen, A., & Kaemmer, B. (1989). MMPI–2: Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory–2: Manual for administration and scoring. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press.

  • Campesino, M., & Schwartz, G. E. (2006). Spirituality among Latinas/os implications of culture in conceptualization and measurement. Advances in Nursing Science, 29(1), 69–81.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Canul, G. D., & Cross, H. J. (1994). The influence of acculturation and racial identity attitudes on Mexican-Americans' MMPI-2 performance. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 50(5), 736–745. doi:10.1002/1097-4679(199409)50:5<736::AID-JCLP2270500511>3.0.CO;2-Z.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Carbonell, S. I. (2000). An assessment practice with Hispanics in Minnesota. In R. H. Dana (Ed.), Handbook of cross-cultural and multicultural personality assessment. Mahwah: Routeledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cervantes, R. C., & Acosta, F. X. (1992). Psychological testing for Hispanic Americans. Applied & Preventive Psychology, 1(4), 209–219. doi:10.1016/S0962-1849(05)80127-1.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chang, J., & Smith, S. R. (2015). An exploration of how Asian Americans respond on the Personality Assessment Inventory. Asian American Journal of Psychology, 6(1), 25–30. doi:10.1037/a0036173.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cohen, J. (1988). Statistical power analysis for the behavioral sciences (2nd ed.). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Earlbaum Associates.

  • Comas-Diaz, L. (2006). Latino healing: the integration of ethnic psychology into psychotherapy. Psychotherapy: Theory, Practice, Training, 43(4), 436–453. doi:10.1037/0033-3204.43.4.436.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cuellar, I., Nyberg, B., Maldonado, R. E., & Roberts, R. E. (1997). Ethnic identity and acculturation in a young adult Mexican-origin population. Journal of Community Psychology, 25(6), 535–549. doi:10.1002/(SICI)1520-6629(199711)25:6<535::AID-JCOP4>3.0.CO;2-O.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Davis, R. E., Resnicow, K., & Couper, M. P. (2011). Survey response styles, acculturation, and culture among a sample of Mexican American adults. Journal of Cross Cultural Psychology, 42(7), 1219–1236. doi:10.1177/0145721710395329.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • DuAlba, L., & Scott, R. L. (1993). Somatization and malingering for workers’ compensation applicants: a cross-cultural MMPI study. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 49(6), 913–917. doi:10.1002/1097-4679(199311)49:6<913::AID-JCLP2270490619>3.0.CO;2-1.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Escobar, J. I., Randolph, E. T., & Hill, M. (1986). Symptoms of schizophrenia in Hispanic and Anglo veterans. Culture and Medical Psychiatry, 10(3), 259–276. doi:10.1007/BF00114700.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Escobar, J. I., Burnam, A. M., Karno, M., Forsythe, A., & Golding, J. M. (1987). Somatization in the community. Archives of General Psychiatry, 44(8), 713–718. doi:10.1001/archpsyc.1987.01800200039006.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Freeman, T. M., Anderman, L. H., & Jensen, J. M. (2007). Sense of belonging in college freshman at the classroom and campus levels. Journal of Experimental Education, 75(3), 203–220. doi:10.3200/JEXE.75.3.203-220.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fry, R. (2002). Latinos in higher education: many enroll, too few graduate. Washington: Pew Hispanic Center Retrieved July 20, 2011, from http://pewhispanic.org/files/reports/11.pdf.

    Google Scholar 

  • Garrido, M., & Velasquez, R. J. (2006). Interpretation of Latino/a MMPI-2 profiles: review and application of empirical findings and cultural-linguistic considerations. In J. N. Butcher (Ed.), MMPI-2: A practitioner’s guide (pp. 477–504). American Psychological Association: Washington.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Gloria, A. M., & Segura-Herrera, T. A. (2004). ¡Somos! Latinas and Latinos in the United States. In D. R. Atkinson (Ed.), Counseling American minorities (6th ed., pp. 279–299). Boston: McGraw Hill.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hall, G. C. N., Bansal, A., & Lopez, S. R. (1999). Ethnicity and psychopathology: A meta analytic review of 31 years of comparative MMPI/MMPI-2 research. Psychological Assessment, 11, 186–197. doi:10.1037/1040-3590.11.2.186.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hathaway, S. R., & McKinley, J. C. (1940). A multiphasic personality schedule (Minnesota): 1. Construction of the schedule. Journal of Psychology, 10, 249–254. doi:10.1080/00223980.1940.9917000.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hopwood, C. J., Flato, C. G., Ambwani, S., Garland, B. H., & Morey, L. C. (2009). A comparison of Latino and Anglo socially desirable responding. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 65, 769–780. doi:10.1002/jclp.20584.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hopwood, C. J., & Moser, J. S. (2011). Personality assessment inventory internalizing and externalizing structure in college students: invariance across sex and ethnicity. Personality and Individual Differences, 50, 116–119. doi:10.1016/j.paid.2010.08.013.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jones, J. (1983). The concept of race in social psychology: from color to culture. In L. Wheeler & P. Shaver (Eds.), Review of personality and social psychology (Vol. 4, pp. 117–150). Beverley Hills: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kang, S. (2006). Measurement of acculturation, scale formats, and language competence: their implications for adjustment. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 37(6), 669–693. doi:10.1177/0022022106292077.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Karno, M., Golding, J. M., Burnam, A. M., Hough, R. L., Escobar, J. I., Wells, K. M., & Boyer, R. (1989). Anxiety disorders among Mexican Americans and non-Hispanic Whites in Los Angeles. Journal of Nervous & Mental Disease, 177, 202–209. doi:10.1001/archpsyc.1987.01800200021004.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lee, S., Nguyen, H. A., & Tsui, J. (2011). Interview language: a proxy measure for acculturation among Asian Americans in a population-based survey. Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health, 13(2), 244–252. doi:10.1007/s10903-009-9278-z.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Markus, H. R., & Kitayama, S. (1991). Culture and the self: implications for cognition, emotion, and motivation. Psychological Review, 98(2), 224–253. doi:10.1037/0033-295X.98.2.224.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Monnot, M. J., Quirk, S. W., Hoeger, M., & Brewer, L. (2009). Bias in personality assessment: Using the MMPI-2 to predict psychiatric diagnoses of African American and Caucasian chemical dependency inpatients. Psychological Assessment, 21(2), 137–151. doi:10.1037/a0015316.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Morey, L. C. (1991). Personality assessment inventory. Lutz: Psychological Assessment Resources.

    Google Scholar 

  • Morey, L. C. (2007). Personality assessment inventory professional manual (2nd ed.). Lutz: Psychological Assessment Resources.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pew Hispanic Center. (2008). U.S. Population Projections: 2005–2050. Retrieved from http://www.pewhispanic.org/2008/02/11/us-population-projections-2005-2050/.

  • Phinney, J. (1992). The Multigroup ethnic identity measure: a new scale for use with adolescents and young adults from diverse groups. Journal of Adolescent Research, 7, 156–176.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pole, N., Best, S. R., Metzler, T., & Marmar, C. R. (2005). Why are Hispanics at greater risk for PTSD? Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, 11(2), 144–161. doi:10.1037/1099-9809.11.2.144.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Quintana, S. M., Vogel, M. C., & Ybarra, V. C. (1991). Meta-analysis of Latino students’ adjustment in higher education. Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences, 13, 155–168. doi:10.1177/07399863910132003.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ramos-Sanchez, L., & Atkinson, D. R. (2009). The relationships between Mexican American acculturation, cultural values, gender, and help-seeking intentions. Journal of Counseling & Development, 87, 62–87. doi:10.1002/j.1556-6678.2009.tb00550.x.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ridley, C. R. (1984). Clinical treatment of the nondisclosing black client: a therapeutic paradox. American Psychologist, 39(11), 1234–1244. doi:10.1037/0003-066X.39.11.1234.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sen, P., & Chowdhury, A. N. (2006). Culture, ethnicity, and paranoia. Current Psychiatry Reports, 8(3), 174–178. doi:10.1007/s11920-006-0020-4.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Smedley, B. D., Myers, H. F., & Harrell, S. P. (1993). Minority-status stresses and the college adjustment of ethnic minority freshmen. Journal of Higher Education, 64, 434–452. doi:10.2307/2960051.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Smith, S. R., Gorske, T. T., Wiggins, C., & Little, J. A. (2010). Personality assessment use by clinical neuropsychologists. International Journal of Testing, 10, 6–20. doi:10.1080/15305050903534787.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Taylor, P., Lopez, M. H., Martinez, J., & Velasco, G. (2012). When labels don’t fit: Hispanics and their views of identity. Retrieved from http://www.pewhispanic.org/2012/04/04/iv-language-use-among-latinos/.

  • U.S. Census Bureau. (2010). The Hispanic population: 2010. Retrieved from https://www.census.gov/prod/cen2010/briefs/c2010br-04.pdf.

  • U.S. Census Bureau. (2012). U.S. Census Bureau projections show a slower growing, older, more diverse nation a half century from now. Retrieved from https://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/population/cb12-243.html.

  • Zapata-Sola, A., Kreuch, T., Landers, R. N., Hoyt, T., & Butcher, J. N. (2009). Personality assessment in personnel selection using the MMPI-2: a cross-cultural comparison. International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology, 9(2), 287–298.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Psychology and Child Development Department, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA, 93407-0329, USA

    Aaron R. Estrada

  2. Department of Counseling, Clinical, and School Psychology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA

    Steven R. Smith

Authors
  1. Aaron R. Estrada
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Steven R. Smith
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Aaron R. Estrada.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of Interest

On behalf of all authors, the corresponding author states that there is no conflict of interest.

Funding

There was no funding for this study.

Ethical Approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

This article does not contain any studies with animals performed by any of the authors.

Informed Consent

Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Estrada, A.R., Smith, S.R. An Exploration of Latina/o Respondent Scores on the Personality Assessment Inventory. Curr Psychol 38, 782–791 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-017-9652-2

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-017-9652-2

Keywords

Search

Navigation