Final answer:
The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory, or MMPI, is an empirically keyed test of personality composed of true/false questions that help to establish a clinical profile of an individual. It's widely used in clinical, occupational, and counseling settings to assess personality and psychological conditions.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) is an example of an empirically keyed test of personality. This means that the MMPI is a type of psychological test designed to measure certain aspects of a person's personality, and its items have been selected because they have empirically been shown to differentiate between people with and without certain diagnoses or traits.
Unlike projective tests, such as the Rorschach Inkblot Test or the Thematic Apperception Test (TAT), which are based on how individuals interpret ambiguous stimuli, the MMPI uses a series of true/false questions to establish a clinical profile. Originally, the test included 504 questions but was updated to the MMPI-2 with 567 questions and later revised to the MMPI-2-RF with 338 questions. The MMPI assesses a range of psychological conditions and attributes across 10 clinical scales, such as hypochondriasis, depression, hysteria, and others. It also includes validity scales to detect potential faking or response biases.
Designed for adults, the MMPI is widely used within clinical settings for diagnosis and treatment planning, as well as in occupational screenings and counseling services. It takes 1-2 hours to complete, and while it was originally developed for clinical use, its applications have broadened over the years, making it a versatile tool in psychological assessment.