A Factor Analysis of Items on the Mmpi Hysteria Scale1

PREVIOUS papers (I, 2) have reported results of factor analyses of items on the Hypochondriasis and Depression scales of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (3). The most prominent factor in the Hs scale analysis was called “Poor Physical Health.” On the Depression scale, the main factor was described as “Neuroticism.” From the first of these factors a scale of 17 items was proposed, with the title “Health Concern.” From the Neuroticism factor on the D scale, a second scale was suggested. It contains 26 items and was entitled “Neuroticism.” Continuing with the series of analyses of items on the principal abnormal scales of the MMPI, the present article is concerned with items from the Hysteria (Hy) scale. The procedure will be outlined here but certain details presented in the initial article of the series (I) will not be repeated. The factor analysis variables included the 60 MMPI H y scale items plus three additional dichotomized variables, Age, Sex, and Hospitalization. Of the 360 cases in the sample, 77 per cent were 25 years of age or more, 51 per cent were male, and 47 per cent were Los Angeles Veterans’ Administration Hospital patients of random psychiatric diagnosis. The hospital cases were about equally divided among men and women. A majority of the normal cases were education students