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NEO-PI / MMPI / Specific Inventories — Previous Year Questions

📊 Topic Overview​

MetricValue
Total Questions6 (2.7%)
Priority🟡 MEDIUM — Section B and C

📝 Master Answer — Section B (250 words / 6 marks)​

Q. Explain the Neo-Personality Inventory (NEO-PI). (6 marks)​

Also: "MMPI-2" (2024-Jun C10, 2020-Jun C11, 2019-Dec C10); "Discuss in detail NEO-Personality Inventory." (2017-Jun B9)

NEO Personality Inventory (NEO-PI-R)

The NEO Personality Inventory-Revised (NEO-PI-R) was developed by Paul Costa and Robert McCrae (1992) to operationalise the Five Factor Model of personality.

Structure: 240 items rated on a 5-point Likert scale. Measures all five factors (OCEAN) and 30 facets (6 per factor). For example, Neuroticism facets include: Anxiety, Angry Hostility, Depression, Self-Consciousness, Impulsiveness, Vulnerability.

Forms: Form S (self-report) and Form R (observer rating by spouse/colleague) — their agreement provides convergent evidence for validity.

Strengths: Comprehensive coverage of normal personality; strong cross-cultural validity (replicated in 50+ countries); good reliability (α > 0.85 for factors); useful in clinical, research, and occupational settings.

Abbreviated version: NEO-FFI (60 items, 5 factor scores only) for quick screening.

MMPI-2 (Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2)

Developed by Hathaway and McKinley (1943), revised in 1989 as MMPI-2.

Structure: 567 true/false items. 10 clinical scales: Hypochondriasis (Hs), Depression (D), Hysteria (Hy), Psychopathic Deviance (Pd), Masculinity-Femininity (Mf), Paranoia (Pa), Psychasthenia (Pt), Schizophrenia (Sc), Hypomania (Ma), Social Introversion (Si).

Validity scales: L (Lie), F (Frequency/Infrequency), K (Defensiveness) — detect faking and random responding.

Uses: Clinical diagnosis, forensic evaluation, personnel selection, treatment planning.

Limitation: Length (567 items); requires 6th-grade reading level; norms may not apply cross-culturally.

💡 Exam Tips​

  • For Section C on "MMPI-2": define + list 3–4 clinical scales + mention validity scales + one use.
  • For Section C on "NEO-PI": OCEAN + 30 facets + Likert format + cross-cultural validity.
  • Know which inventory goes with which theorist: NEO-PI → Costa & McCrae (Big Five); 16PF → Cattell; EPQ → Eysenck.