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Se presenta una tipología empírica de adolescentes consumidores de drogas desarrollada a partir de las escalas de patrones de personalidad del Inventario Clínico para Adolescentes de Millón (MACI).Se aplicó el MACI y una entrevista clínica semiestructurada a 116 adolescentes chilenos consumidores de drogas, de entre 13 y 19 años, tanto hombres como mujeres. El análisis de conglomerados sugirió una solución óptima de 3 tipos para la muestra de hombres, denominados Transgresor-Poderoso, Subclínico y Oposicionista-Autodegradante. En la muestra de mujeres se encontró una solución de 4 tipos, denominados Oposicionista-Transgresor, Inhibido-Autodegradante, Subclínico y en Riesgo. Esta tipología fue interpretada de acuerdo a los 3 grupos de escalas del MACI y a la información clínica, obteniéndose resultados consistentes con los antecedentes teóricos recabados.An empirical typology of adolescent drug users, using the personality pattern scales from the Millón Adolescent Clinical Inventory (MACI), is presented. The MACI and a clinical interview were applied to 116 Chilean adolescent drug users, between 13 and 19 years of age, both male and female. The cluster analysis results suggested for the male sample a solution composed of 3 personality types, named Unruly-Forceful, Subclinical, and Oppositional-Self Demeaning. The final solution of the female sample was composed of 4 types, named Oppositional-Unruly, Inhibited-Self-Demeaning, Subclinical and at Risk. This typology was interpreted according to the 3 groups of MACI scales and clinical information, obtaining consistent results with the theoretical background.

Inserta en el proyecto de desarrollo de normas chilenas del MACI, se reporta la validación concurrente de los puntajes de corte de las escalas del MACI, utilizando como criterio las escalas clínicas del MMPI-A. Las puntuaciones MMPI-A de los participantes de la muestra de baremación del MACI (n = 807) fueron analizadas a través de una serie de MANOVAS y ANO VAS que diferenciaron significativamente a los grupos de funcionamiento sano y funcionamiento alterado creados a partir de la segmentación de la muestra total según el puntaje de corte de cada escala. La discusión destaca la congruencia de la diferenciación realizada por el MMPI-A y sus aportes a la mejor comprensión de las escalas MACI.Inserted in a project for building Chilean norms for the MACI, the concurrent validation of the cutoff scores of MACI is reported, using as a criterion the MMPI-A scores obtained by the MACI normative sample (n = 807). Data were analyzed through a set of MANOVAS and ANO VAS that allowed significant differentiation between healthy functioning and disorderly functioning groups that were created by dividing the sample on the basis of cutoff scores for each scale. Discussion emphasizes the congruence of MMPI-A results and its contribution to the better understanding of MACI scales.

Se analizó el comportamiento del MACI en adolescentes de población general (n = 391) y clínica (n = 226) determinando, en cada escala, el punto de corte que ofrece la mejor discriminación entre los dos grupos. El 85% de las escalas posee un buen poder discriminativo con índices adecuados de sensibilidad y especificidad; no obstante, las escalas de Sumisión, Insensibilidad Social, Predisposición Delictiva y Sentimientos de Ansiedad no discriminan adecuadamente y, al contrario de lo esperado teóricamente, en las escalas de Dramatización, Egoísmo, Conformismo e Incomodidad Sexual, los puntajes menores son los indicativos de patología. Se valora la aplicabilidad del MACI en población general para detectar casos en riesgo y se analiza la posible influencia de variables culturales en las respuestas a algunas escalas.MACI's performance in general (n = 391) and clinical (n = 226) population of adolescents is analyzed, establishing, for each scale, the cutoff score which allows the best discrimination between these two groups. Results show that most scales (85%) have a good discrimination power with adequate sensibility and specificity indexes. But, Submissive, Social Insensibility, Delinquent Predisposition and Anxious Feelings scales show a poor discrimination power. Also, against theory, for Dramatizing, Egotistic, Conforming and Sexual Disconfort scales, the lower scores indicate pathology. The MACI's applicability for screening cases at risk is valued, and the possible influence of cultural variables in the responses to some scales is analyzed.

Despite the proven psychometric quality of the MACI in Chile, 6 of its clinical scales differentiate in a reversed fashion between adolescents who seek or receive psychological help and those who do not; in addition, these scales appear inversely associated with psychological disorders. Contrary to the theoretical foundations of the MACI, this pattern of results suggests that these scales might not be assessing psychological maladjustment in Chile but rather the absence of it, which points to the possibility of construct bias in these counter-theoretical (CT) scales. To examine this issue, a purposive sample of 49 Chilean clinical psychologists were asked to assess, using a 5-point scale, the extent to which the definition of the construct measured by each CT scale and the content of their items reflected psychological maladjustment in Chilean adolescents. One-sample t-tests suggest that the definitions of the Submissive and Egoistic scales and nearly all the items of the CT scales show construct bias. These results are discussed in terms of cultural differences regarding the notion of adolescent maladjustment, the original item selection criteria, and the implications of CT scales for professional practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An empirical typology of adolescent drug users, using the personality pattern scales from the Millon Adolescent Clinical Inventory (MACI), is presented. The MACI and a clinical interview were applied to 116 Chilean adolescent drug users, between 13 and 19 years of age, both male and female. The cluster analysis results suggested for the male sample a solution composed of 3 personality types, named Unruly-Forceful, Subclinical, and Oppositional-Self Demeaning. The final solution of the female sample was composed of 4 types, named Oppositional-Unruly, Inhibited-Self-Demeaning, Subclinical and at Risk. This typology was interpreted according to the 3 groups of MACI scales and clinical information, obtaining consistent results with the theoretical background. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inserted in a project for building Chilean norms for the MACI, the concurrent validation of the cutoff scores of MACI is reported, using as a criterion the MMPI-A scores obtained by the MACI normative sample (n = 807). Data were analyzed through a set of MANOVAS and ANO VAS that allowed significant differentiation between healthy functioning and disorderly functioning groups that were created by dividing the sample on the basis of cutoff scores for each scale. Discussion emphasizes the congruence of MMPI-A results and its contribution to the better understanding of MACI scales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

MACI's performance in general (n = 391) and clinical (n = 226) population of adolescents is analyzed, establishing, for each scale, the cutoff score which allows the best discrimination between these two groups. Results show that most scales (85%) have a good discrimination power with adequate sensibility and specificity indexes. But, Submissive, Social Insensibility, Delinquent Predisposition and Anxious Feelings scales show a poor discrimination power. Also, against theory, for Dramatizing, Egotistic, Conforming and Sexual Disconfort scales, the lower scores indicate pathology. The MACI's applicability for screening cases at risk is valued, and the possible influence of cultural variables in the responses to some scales is analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]