Millon Adolescent Clinical Inventory (MACI Test Critique

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Millon Adolescent Clinical Inventory (MACI) Test Critique The Million Adolescent Clinical Inventory (MACI; Millon, 1993), designed by Theodore Millon, is a 160- item self- report assessment used “primarily in the evaluation of troubled adolescents, and may be used for diagnostic assistance, in formulating treatment plans, and as an outcome measure” (Millon, T. 1993, 2006) in clinical settings. The MACI is a personality inventory with a primary focus on adolescents ages 13-19 and can be used in a variety of settings with a wide range of psychological symptoms and characteristics. Theodore Millon’s theory on human, biological, psychological, and interactional dimensions in the human mind are evolved from different perspectives throughout the …show more content…

“These polarities- active-passive, pleasure- pain, and self-other- are used as a means of describing various types of pathological personalities.” (Dorr, p. 410, 1999) The MACI is based on a theoretical science incorporating in to the human mind. Millon used different sciences and psychological theories to create an evolution model for development. At the time a person is reaching adolescence, they will view their world from these polarities. The active- passive polarity describes ways someone adapts to their environment. Meaning, if someone is active, they can adapt to any environment they are put in or manipulate the environment to fit their current need; whereas, with the passive side, they will just go with the flow of the environment, not changing it to fit their needs. (McCann, p.14, 1999) Another polarity, the pain-pleasure polarity, …show more content…

This assessment was designed to interpret the mind of an adolescent utilizing and integrating his theory into the assessment. Based on the different general outlines of personality, the levels of personality, and the domains of personality, the assessment was designed to predict of help develop a hypothesis of what is troubling an adolescent mentally. There are four different assessments within the MACI broken by age and by gender. There is one assessment for males 13-15, one for females 13-15, one for males 16-19, and one for females 16-19. “The MACI has 31 scales divided into three clinical domains (clinical sydromes, expressed concerns, and personality styles) and a fourth domain consisting of three modifying indices (desirability, disclosure, and debasement) plus a basic validity check.” (Pinto & Grilo, p. 1508, 2004) The MACI was intended to work with the DSM-IV diagnoses for predicting likelihood of a clinical symptom in an adolescent. In the Mental Measurements Yearbook, Sandoval points out there are 31 scales in the MACI and the self- report system allows the personality and predisposition of the adolescent to be rated by the expert on themselves. It is intended to measure common adolescent issues, such as: mood disorders, major depressive disorder, dysthymia, alcohol and substance use, ADHD, etc. The participants in the assessment take a 160 question, true or false format assessment, which

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