Korean J Psychosom Med.  2022 Dec;30(2):119-126. 10.22722/KJPM.2022.30.2.119.

Clinical Utility of the MMPI-A-RF’s Internalization and Externalization Higher-Order Scales: Comparison With the K-CBCL’s Internalization and Externalization Scales

• Shin EB
• Park EH
• Hong HJ

• KMID: 2538673
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.22722/KJPM.2022.30.2.119

Abstract

Objectives
：The purpose of this study was to examine the clinical utility of the internalization and externalization higher-order scales of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-Adolescent Restructured Form (MMPI-A-RF), compared with those scales of the Korean Child Behavior Checklist (K-CBCL).
Methods
：43 adolescents with internalizing disorders and 44 adolescents with externalizing disorders and their parents were administered the MMPI-A-RF and K-CBCL each. To verify the difference between the internalization and externalization scales of the MMPI-A-RF and K-CBCL for each group, independent-sample t test was performed. To compare the agreement between the MMPI-A-RF and K-CBCL, correlation analysis was also conducted. Lastly, to identify which scales significantly best predict each of the internalizing and externalizing disorder, logistic regression analysis was conducted.
Results
：Internalization scales of the MMPI-A-RF and K-CBCL were significantly higher in the internalizing disorder group, and the externalization scales were significantly higher in the externalizing disorder group. The positive correlation was significant only for internalization problems between the two evaluation measures in both groups (each r=0.360, p<0.05, r=0.572, p<0.05). In addition, the scales significantly predicted internalizing and externalizing disorders were the internalization and externalization scales of the MMPI-A-RF, followed by the externalization scale of the K-CBCL (R² =0.407, p<0.05).
Conclusions
：The internalization and externalization higher-order scales of the MMPI-A-RF were found to reliably reflect the characteristics of each disorder in adolescents and be useful evaluative scales to differentiate dis-orders. Moreover, if adolescents show externalization problems, additional information from the K-CBCL can be more useful to differentiate disorders.

Keyword

MMPI-A-RF; Adolescents; Internalization; Externalization; K-CBCL