Multidimensional Personality Questionnaire (MPQ)

Multidimensional Personality pertaining to affective sensitivity and motivation, Questionnaire (MPQ) interpersonal style, behavioral restraint and conformity, tolerance versus avoidance of risk, and Christopher J. Patrick1 and Mark D. Kramer2 capacity for imaginative engagement. Its 1Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA 11 lower-order (“primary”) trait scales map onto 2University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA three higher-order factors that correspond to temperament dimensions. Its content and measurement properties have made the MPQ Definition advantageous (relative to other well-known personality inventories) for clarifying how psycho- The Multidimensional Personality Questionnaire logical attributes with presumed bases in (MPQ) is a self-report inventory that assesses temperament relate to adaptive and maladaptive personality in terms of 11 lower-order (“primary”) behavior. We first describe the development of the trait scales, which load onto three higher-order MPQ, the basic traits and broad factors it assesses, factors reflecting temperament dimensions. The and alternative brief-screening and simplified- full-length version of the inventory is 276 items; wording forms. We then discuss its associations shorter standard-wording and simplified-wording with other personality inventories and ways it has forms (155 items and 157 items, respectively) are been used to advance understanding of clinical- also available. Each item of the MPQ is answered psychological disorders. (We thank Professor either “true” or “false.” The inventory also con- Auke Tellegen, the author of the MPQ, for his tains validity scales that assess for random valuable input on a draft version of this article.) responding, acquiescence versus “nay-saying,” and social desirability. The MPQ has proven par- ticularly useful for clarifying how temperament- Development and Description of Scales/ related psychological dispositions relate to nor- Factors mative and maladaptive behavior. The MPQ was developed using an iterative approach to test construction in which target con- Introduction structs and scales were progressively refined across multiple rounds of data collection and anal- The Multidimensional Personality Questionnaire ysis (for details, see Tellegen and Waller 2008). (MPQ; Tellegen 2003) is a normal-range person- The goal was to create a set of unidimensional ality inventory that assesses an array of basic traits self-report scales, each measuring a distinctive

# Springer International Publishing AG 2017 V. Zeigler-Hill, T.K. Shackelford (eds.), Encyclopedia of Personality and Individual Differences, DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-28099-8_48-1 2 Multidimensional Personality Questionnaire (MPQ) trait construct, which together would provide for a capacity for self-involving engagement in a wide comprehensive assessment of normal personality. range of perceptual and imaginative experiences. The current full-length version of the inventory This scale loads modestly on both PEM and (Tellegen 2003) comprises 276 items. NEM, and while identified as a primary trait, The MPQ contains 11 primary (first-order) trait attains the substantive breadth of a higher-order scales that operate as indicators or facets of trait in its own right. three uncorrelated (orthogonal) higher-order fac- In addition, the MPQ includes three validity tors: Positive Emotionality (PEM), Negative scales, two for detecting lack of consistency Emotionality (NEM), and Constraint (CON). (semantic congruence) in responding – the Vari- These higher-order factors have been interpreted able Response Inconsistency (VRIN) and True as broad dimensions of temperament (Tellegen Response Inconsistency (TRIN) scales – and one 1985). PEM and NEM reflect variations in the for assessing socially desirable responding, the propensity to experience positive and negative Unlikely Virtues. The two inconsistency scales affect, respectively, across events and situations. each comprise several pairs of items, which are Each is associated with a primary trait scale that used to assess for inattentive/random responding assesses general mood orientation: Wellbeing (VRIN) and acquiescence and “nay-saying” (reflecting tendencies to be happy, fun-loving, biases (TRIN). The Unlikely Virtues scale and optimistic) in the case of PEM, and Stress assesses tendencies to claim uncommon positive Reaction (reflecting tendencies to be nervous, attributes or to deny common vices, and as such, is sensitive, and worried) in the case of NEM. In viewed as indexing proneness to impression man- addition, each is associated with other primary agement (“other-deception”), as opposed to psy- trait scales that index behavioral expressions of chological defensiveness (“self-deception”). positive and negative emotionality in the interpersonal domain – i.e., agency (Achievement, Social Potency) and affiliation (Social Closeness) as Alternate Forms components of PEM, and antagonism (Aggression) and estrangement (Alienation) as In addition to the current 276-item full MPQ, and components of NEM. The Achievement and the original 300-item version that preceded it, two Social Potency scales assess, respectively, tenden- shorter-length versions exist – the 155-item brief- cies toward (a) ambition, work ethic, and persis- form version (MPQ-BF; Patrick et al. 2002) and tence, and (b) dominance, persuasiveness, and the 157-item simplified-wording form (MPQ-SF; leadership. The Social Closeness scale assesses Patrick et al. 2013). The MPQ-BF was developed proclivities toward sociability, warmth, connect- for large-scale screening purposes and consists of edness with others, and acceptance of support. a subset of items from the 276-item full form that The Alienation and Aggression scales (as facets (a) provide for effective measurement of the of NEM) assess, respectively, proneness toward MPQ’s 11 primary traits in less time, (b) retain (a) mistrust, perceptions of hostile intent, and the higher-order factor structure of the full-form feelings of victimization and betrayal, and MPQ, and (c) allow for evaluation of protocol (b) truculence, vengefulness, exploitativeness, validity through somewhat abbreviated VRIN and enjoyment of violent images/exchanges. and TRIN scales along with the complete The CON factor of the MPQ is marked by Unlikely Virtues scale. The MPQ-SF was devel- three primary trait scales that measure ten- oped for use with youthful and educationally dis- dencies toward high versus low behavioral advantaged populations and consists of a subset of restraint: Control (planfulness vs. impulsivity), items from the 276-item full form worded to be Harm Avoidance (intolerance vs. tolerance of comprehensible at a primary-school (6th to 7th danger), and Traditionalism (conventionality grade) reading level. Like the MPQ-BF, it pro- vs. nonconformity). A final MPQ scale, Absorp- vides effective coverage of the 11 MPQ primary tion, indexes variations in openness to and traits, exhibits the same factor structure as the Multidimensional Personality Questionnaire (MPQ) 3 standard-wording full form, and includes versions constructs can be estimated using trait scales of of the MPQ’s three validity scales. the MPQ has proven valuable in studies of psychopathology.

Relations with Other Personality Inventories Associations with Psychopathology

Published research studies (e.g., Church 1994; A substantial body of research also exists on rela- Tellegen and Waller 2008) have documented sys- tions between traits and dimensions assessed tematic associations of primary traits and higher- by the MPQ and psychiatric conditions of various order factors of the MPQ with traits and factors of types. For example, drawing on the MPQ person- other well-known inventories of normative ality model, Tellegen (1985) proposed that personality discussed in this volume, including anxiety and depression overlap as a function of Five-Factor Model questionnaires (e.g., Big Five their mutual association with generalized negative Inventory), the California Psychological Inven- affect (or “demoralization”; Tellegen et al. 2003), tory, the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire, and but differ in that depression is characterized the Temperament and Character Inventory. In uniquely by a deficiency in positive affect. This addition, relationships have been documented idea served as critical inspiration for Clark and with pathological personality inventories includ- Watson’s(1991)influential tripartite model of ing the MMPI (Lee, this volume; Sellbom, this depression. Substantial research has also volume), the Dimensional Assessment of Person- documented relations between psychiatric condi- ality Pathology (Livesley and Jackson 2006), and tions involving deficient impulse control (i.e., the Schedule for Nonadaptive and Adaptive “externalizing” disorders) and MPQ personality Personality (Clark 1993). This body of work dem- traits (e.g., Krueger et al. 1996). Like anxious- onstrates conceptually meaningful associations depressive (internalizing) disorders, externalizing between trait dispositions as indexed by the conditions show positive associations with traits MPQ and traits represented in other personality from the domain of NEM (though more so with inventories, and provides a basis for comparing Aggression and Alienation than with Stress Reac- and contrasting the coverage of trait attributes tion), while also exhibiting distinct negative rela- provided by different inventories. tions with traits from the domain of CON. In turn, Other work has shown that the MPQ can be knowledge of the MPQ correlates of clinical dis- useful for clarifying the content coverage, from a orders has helped to reshape conceptualizations of normative-trait perspective, of scales measuring the disorders themselves. For example, drawing complex personality constructs such as socializa- on findings regarding the distinct MPQ correlates tion, narcissism, sensation seeking, and empathic of anxiety/mood and impulse-related disorders, ability. For example, using the brief form version Miller et al. (2003) used MPQ trait-scale data to of the MPQ, Patrick et al. (2002) showed that distinguish variants (“subtypes”) of post- the Socialization scale of the California Psycho- traumatic stress disorder – an internalizing variant logical Inventory, developed to index internaliza- with elevated levels of NEM traits, and an exter- tion of societal norms/values, assesses aspects nalizing variant scoring low on CON traits as well of Negative Emotionality (low Alienation and as high on NEM traits. Aggression) along with aspects of Constraint The MPQ has also proven valuable in the study (high Control and Traditionalism). By contrast, of personality disorders. One condition of this Zuckerman’s(1979) Sensation Seeking Scale pri- type that has been studied extensively using the marily assesses lack of Constraint (low Harm MPQ is psychopathic personality (psychopathy). Avoidance and Traditionalism, in particular, and For example, the MPQ primary traits and higher- to a lesser degree low Control). As discussed in order dimensions have provided a useful frame- the next section, the fact that complex personality work for clarifying the nature of distinct affective- 4 Multidimensional Personality Questionnaire (MPQ) interpersonal and impulsive-antisocial factors of ▶ Antagonism psychopathy – as assessed by instruments such as ▶ Anxiety the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R; Hare ▶ Anxiousness 2003) and the Psychopathic Personality Inventory ▶ Assertiveness (PPI; Lilienfeld and Widows 2005). Researchers ▶ Communion have also found the MPQ useful for clarifying the ▶ Conformity role of basic traits in observed associations ▶ Conscientiousness between psychopathy factors and specific prob- ▶ Constraint lem behaviors of concern to clinicians, including ▶ Core and Surface Characteristics of Personality substance addictions, depression, and suicidality. ▶ Depressivity More recently, MPQ-based subscales have been ▶ Detachment developed for assessing psychopathy in terms of ▶ Disinhibition the triarchic model of psychopathy (Patrick et al. ▶ Distress 2009), which characterizes this construct in ▶ Extraversion terms of biobehavioral constructs of boldness ▶ Fearlessness (fearlessness), meanness (callousness), and disin- ▶ Happiness hibition (externalizing proneness). Brislin et al. ▶ Harm Avoidance (2015) created subscales for measuring these ▶ Higher-Order Structures of Personality psychopathy-related dispositions and presented ▶ Hostility evidence for their validity in both offender and ▶ Impulsivity nonoffender samples. ▶ Need for Achievement ▶ Need for Affiliation ▶ Need for Power Conclusion ▶ Negative Affect ▶ Neuroticism The MPQ provides for unique assessment of per- ▶ Nomothetic Study of Personality sonality in terms of affective, interpersonal, and ▶ Nonaffective Constraint behavioral traits organized around broad factors ▶ Normative Personality Development corresponding to dimensions of temperament. As ▶ Novelty Seeking such, it provides a valuable complement to per- ▶ Openness sonality inventories that represent traits in terms ▶ Persistence of common-language concepts. It has been used ▶ Personality and Subjective Well-Being extensively in research directed at understanding ▶ Personality Assessment the role of dispositional tendencies in psycholog- ▶ Personality Disorder ical health and maladjustment. Given the avail- ▶ Personality Processes ability of brief-screening and simplified-wording ▶ Personality Structure forms along with the full-length version, the MPQ ▶ Planning Ahead is well-suited for use across a wide range of ▶ Positive Affect assessment populations and administration ▶ Risk-Taking contexts. ▶ Sensation Seeking Scale ▶ Shyness ▶ Social Dominance Orientation Cross-References ▶ Submissiveness ▶ Temperament ▶ Achievement Motives ▶ Temperament Trait ▶ Agency ▶ Threat Sensitivity ▶ Aggression ▶ Three-Factor Model of Personality ▶ Agreeableness ▶ Traditionalism Multidimensional Personality Questionnaire (MPQ) 5

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