Comparability of MMPI-3 Scores From Remote and In-Person Administrations and the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on MMPI-3 Scores

The COVID-19 pandemic onset necessitated remote administration of psychological instruments, including the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-3 (MMPI-3). Although previous evidence has demonstrated that MMPI scale scores are robust across administration modalities, the specific effects of remote administration on the psychometric properties of MMPI-3 scale scores must be investigated. Distinguishing psychometric differences due to administration modality from substantive changes in psychological symptoms due to the COVID-19 pandemic is also important. Thus, goals of the present study include evaluating the psychometric comparability of MMPI-3 scores derived from in-person and remote administration modalities and examining substantive scale scores changes associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. Using a large sample of college students (n = 2,503), rates of protocol invalidity, mean scale scores, reliability, and criterion validity were compared across participants completing the MMPI-3 in-person (both prior to and after the onset of COVID-19) and via remote administration. Results demonstrate comparably low rates of protocol invalidity, negligible differences in reliability, and similar patterns of criterion validity for MMPI-3 scale scores across administration modalities. Results also indicate that mean MMPI-3 scale scores pre- and post-COVID-19 onset substantially differ on select scales, but that scores on remote and in-person protocols administered post-COVID-19 have negligible differences. Remote MMPI-3 scale scores also demonstrated expected patterns of correlations with external criteria, supporting the validity of remote scores. Overall, the present study demonstrates that MMPI-3 protocols administered remotely and in-person are extremely psychometrically similar, although scores have generally increased post-COVID-19 onset for reasons independent of administration modality.