MMPI and MIT discriminators of biogenic and psychogenic impotence

Administered the Male Impotence Test (MIT) and the MMPI to 32 17-67 yr old male patients complaining of impotence. Subsequently, the tumescence of these patients was recorded for 1-3 nights. An attempt was made to evaluate the predictive validity of the MIT and the MMPI in discriminating between those who produced normal penile tumescence during sleep and those who did not. Normal nocturnal tumescence was taken to indicate the physiological capacity for achieving arousal and hence was suggestive of psychogenic impotence. Results suggest that the MIT is without value for differentiating between psychogenic and biogenic impotence, whereas 2 rules from the MMPI (Mf scale scores above 60 and one or more scales above a T score of 70) appropriately classified 90% of the cases. The samples of biogenic and psychogenic impotence did not differ, however, in degree or pathology nor was there any specific profile related to either condition.