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Assessing the Validity of Clients’ Responses

It is important to verify that the client has taken the MIDSA carefully and truthfully. Thus, the report starts by reporting:

  • Whether the client rushed through questions so quickly that he or she could not have been reading the questions carefully and, if so, how many times.
  • Whether any discrepancies were found between what the client and the person administering the MIDSA reported about the client’s involvement in sexual and nonsexual crimes.
  • The client’s score on three lie scales and one compliance checking scale–
    • Positive Image Scale—did the client exaggerate his or her positive traits?
    • Negative Emotional Denial—did the client not admit that he or she has undesirable negative reactions?
    • Sex Lie Scale—did the client deny or minimize his or her sexual behavior and fantasies?
    • Improbability Scale—how did the client answer questions that are designed to catch lack of attention or understanding of the questions?

Below is an example of the MIDSA Report Validity section for an individual who has sexually offended. It is followed by an interpretation of the section in red font.

VALIDITY OF RESPONDENT’S ANSWERS

MIDSA checks that the respondent is answering truthfully in three ways. First, it monitors how quickly the respondent answers the questions and stops if the respondent speeds. All instances are included in the report. Second, it compares the respondent’s answers on specific questions to answers entered by the session manager to check that the respondent is answering honestly, and third, it provides one to four general lie scales. 

The respondent was not caught speeding over the course of the assessment.

Discrepancies Analysis

No Discrepancy: The respondent and session manager agreed that the respondent has been convicted of a sexual crime. 

No Discrepancy: The respondent and session manager agreed that the respondent has been convicted of a nonsexual crime.

Lie Scales

The MIDSA includes four lie scales. All respondents answer the questions for the Positive Image Scale. Respondents who take the Attitudes and Behavior Change portion of the MIDSA will generate scores on the other scales as well. 

The respondent’s scores on the Positive Image, Negative Emotion Denial, and Sexual Lie Scales appear in the charts below. The Improbability scale is calculated as a sum and is reported in the textual explanation. 

Click here for help understanding the scale figures.

Positive Image. The Positive Image scale consists of nine items that respondents would answer if they wished to appear in a positive light. Examples are claiming that (a) they never litter and (b) are always good listeners. Respondents who are high on this scale may be inclined to exaggerate their positive traits. 

Negative Emotion Denial. The Negative Emotion Denial scale consists of nine items that assess respondents’ tendency to deny negative characteristics. For example, a respondent who scores high on this scale would deny that he ever would try to get even rather than forgive and forget. Respondents who score high on this scale are not admitting that they have undesirable negative reactions to things. 

Sexual lie scale. This scale contains six items that describe sexual thoughts and behaviors. High scores on this lie scale indicate that the respondent is denying engaging in sexual behaviors and having sexual thoughts. T Scores greater than 65 on this lie scale indicate defensiveness about sexual behavior, and that responses on the sexualization scales should be interpreted with caution. 

Improbability Scale. The Improbability scale consists of three items that are highly unlikely to occur. If a respondent answers two or more items in the improbable direction, one should question his understanding or reading of the questions on the MIDSA. The respondent’s score was 0.0. 

This respondent is low on his Positive Image Scale (T score, only 3% of ACCs* and 27% of ASOs** score lower), suggesting that he is not attempting to create an overly positive impression of himself. Both relative to the normative community control (> 37% of ACCs) and the sex offender comparison group (> 55% of ASOs), he is also being reasonably straightforward about his sexual behavior. Both are consistent with the lack of discrepancies between his report of his crimes and that of the Session Manager. Although he is only slightly above the mean of the community control on his admission of negative emotions (T score = 53.9; > 65%), he is higher than 95% of those in the sex offender comparison group on his reluctance to admit such emotions.  His zero score on the Improbability scale indicates that he paid attention to MIDSA questions and was compliant with providing reasonable answers. This scale is consistent with the finding that he did not speed, that is, he never answered questions so quickly that he could not be processing them. Consequently, this is a valid profile, but the test interpreter should be aware that the respondent is less forthcoming reporting his negative emotions than incarcerated sex offenders.

  *ACC = Adult Community Control sample

**ASO = Adults who have sexually offended comparative sample