NCJ Number
79384
Journal
Security Management Volume: 25 Issue: 9 Dated: (September 1981) Pages: 35-38
Date Published
1981
Length
4 pages
Annotation
This article discusses the use of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) as a way of screening security guards for personality maladjustment.
Abstract
The test consists of 550 different questions plus 16 repeated questions to test for consistency of response. Each item is self-descriptive. The person taking the test responds by agreeing, disagreeing, or not answering each of the test items. The reading comprehension required for the test is approximately at the sixth grade level. About 2 hours are needed for a typical security guard to complete the test, although it can take longer if the person's English reading ability is limited. To avoid incorrect assessments of a person's character due to limited English literacy, some questions are designed to indicate the test taker's degree of literacy. The MMPI is useful because particular groups of maladjusted individuals were found to respond to particular groups of items on the test in specific ways. Standard scales were developed to measure certain personality characteristics. The scale called 'Pd' is the most important in the personality assessment of security guards. The scale separates 'normal' people from criminal psychopaths because it identifies people who have committed criminal acts. Using the MMPI alone will show that roughly 50 percent of the people tested are low risk and thus can be cleared, requiring no additional work for the security company. Two tables are included.