The detection of malingering and deception with a short form of the MMPI-2 based on the L, F, and K scales.

This project examined the use of a short inventory based on the validity subscales from the MMPI-2. In Study 1, 69 subjects responded to the extracted L, F, and K items and to those items when embedded in the complete MMPI-2. Correlations between administrations were equivalent to the original test-retest reliabilities for these scales. In Study 2, 60 subjects responded to the short-form with instructions to be honest, fake good, or fake bad. The correct classification rate was 77% using the standard MMPI-2 rules of L greater than 7OT for faking good and F greater than 7OT for faking bad. Taken together, these findings suggest that the short-form may be useful alone or when combined with other questionnaires to identify potential problems in self-report.