Interpreting mmpii-2 score

Question

Hi. I am curious what percentile the following scores are on the mmpii 2 test

the L score was 71 and the K score was 72

what percentile does that put someone with those high of scores?

thanks

Answer 1

Hi Jason,

When interpreting a MMPI-2 protocol, it can certainly be helpful to consider the relative frequency of a given profile pattern in various settings and this information would come from the MMPI-2 normative sample and would not necessarily be for individual scales, rather it would be for the relative frequency of a particular profile pattern or code type. The important thing to remember when interpreting the MMPI-2 (and any other assessment measure) is that you need to look at the pattern of scale elevations as a whole because it is the pattern of item endorsement that yields information about the MMPI-2 profile, not individual scaled scores. Consider the L and K scores you provided - a L score of 71 is considered elevated and may be suggestive of a lack of insight or intentional underreporting whereas a K score of 72, which is also elevated, is suggestive of defensiveness and unintentional underreporting. The conclusions you draw from these two scales must be considered within the context of the validity scales, which also influences interpretation of the clinical scales. So, unfortunately, answering your question is more complex than simply what are the associated percentiles.