Use of the Golden-Meehl indicators in the detection of schizoid-taxon membership

Investigated the ability of 7 MMPI items to identify schizoid-taxon membership as identified by R. R. Golden and P. E. Meehl . 113 schizophrenics (mean age 26.9 yrs), 24 acute depressives (mean age 40 yrs), and 43 remitted depressives (mean age 45.4 yrs) participated. With a cutting score of 4 or more items answered in the schizoid direction, 53.1% of schizophrenics were identified as taxon members, whereas 70.9% of acutely depressed Ss were so identified. In contrast, 9.3% of remitted depressives were identified as taxon members. Only 33.3% of a subgroup of the schizophrenics were consistently identified as taxon members on 2 testings, whereas 37.8% of this group were consistently identified as nontaxon members. The correlation of the scores from Test 1 to Test 2 was .54. The sum of the standard scores for the depression (D), Psychasthenia (Pt), Schizophrenia (Sc), and Social Introversion (Si) scales was also unsuccessful in identifying taxon members regardless of the cutting score used, although it did differentiate the 2 groups of depressives. The 7 items and the sum of the D, Pt, Sc, and Si scales may be reasonable indicators of current psychopathology and emotional distress. (4 ref)