"A Factor Analytic Investigation of the Millon Adolescent Clinical Inve" by Mary Alicia Tait

Date of Award

Spring 2025

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Psychology

First Advisor

James Hoelzle

Second Advisor

Ed de St. Aubin

Third Advisor

Stephen Saunders

Abstract

The Millon Adolescent Clinical Inventory – Second Edition (MACI-II; Millon et al., 2020) is an adolescent self-report measure of personality and psychopathology. Its predecessor, the Millon Adolescent Clinical Inventory (MACI; Millon et al., 1993) is one of the most frequently used measures in forensic evaluation of justice involved youth (Archer et al., 2006; Baum et al., 2009; Viljoen et al., 2010). The factor structure of the MACI has been evaluated in diverse psychiatric and juvenile justice samples (e.g., Adkisson et al., 2002; Newman et al., 2015; Romm et al., 1999, Salekin, 2002; Woodland et al., 2014) and inconsistent findings have emerged, raising questions regarding construct validity. Notably, no factor analytic study has been conducted on the MACI-II. This study explored the MACI-II factor structure in a justice involved youth sample and the normative clinical sample. An invariant three dimensional solution emphasizing Internalizing, Externalizing, and Underlying Anger was identified. Results suggested invariance in MACI-II factor structures across diverse samples. This study provides psychometric evidence to support admissibility of the MACI-II in a court setting and allows for more nuanced interpretation of MACI-II scale elevations. That latter should, theoretically, result in better informed psycho-legal decisions.

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