Predictive Validity of MMPI-2 Immaturity Index for Early Termination of Police Officers

Personality tests are frequently administered during the process of hiring police officers. The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2) is one of the most widely used instruments in the selection of candidates. Pre-employment MMPI-2 scores have also been used to predict police misconduct and early termination of police officers. This study looked at the predictive ability of the immaturity index for the early termination of officers. The immaturity index is a composition of three scales from the MMPI-2 that includes the Lie scale, Hypomania, and Psychopathic Deviate. Results showed the immaturity index as a significant predictor of officers being terminated for cause and no longer being employed by the department within one year of hire. This data supports the utility of the index for predicting potentially problematic behavior in police officer recruits. In addition, because the MMPI-2 is a common assessment given during the onboarding psychiatric evaluation of police officers, potential candidates for hire with elevated immaturity index scores may be reconsidered or warrant further evaluation.