Straw men in the Land of Oz: A reply to Butcher and Ben-Porath (2004)

Previously published research by the authors which analysed 2080 MMPI‐2 protocols of personal injury claimants assessed in a forensic psychiatry practice challenged the validity of code‐type‐based interpretations, the role the MMPI‐2 plays in differential diagnosis, and assumptions made regarding diagnostically‐specific patterns on the test. Although over 2 years old, this work was recently criticised by Butcher and Ben‐Porath (2004) and the present article is a reply to those criticisms and concludes again the importance of empirical accuracy and an active hypothesis‐testing approach.