Page 3 of 3

Interpretation of the SMIL (MMPI) test.

The range of indicators ranging from 30 to 70 T determines the normal range. However, experience has shown that the distribution of quantitative indicators in this test is uneven and the so-called “Gaussian curve”, which reflects the patterns of this distribution, is “wrong” in nature. This is manifested by the lack of symmetry of increases and decreases in profile peaks in the normal corridor. In the presence of signs of sharpened personality traits and other deviations from the norm, we much more often observe an increase in test scores. A decrease in profile, as a rule, is quantitatively less pronounced and is more often associated with the test person’s setting to hypernormal responses in the so-called “recessed” profiles (see below). The entire data calculation procedure requires accuracy, precision and attention.

The spread of the SMIL profile indicators starts from 50 T - the “ideal-normative” average profile, corresponding to the theoretical averaged norm. In a narrow corridor of the norm - within 46 - 55 T - profile fluctuations are difficult to interpret, since they do not reveal sufficiently pronounced individual personality properties and are characteristic of a completely balanced personality (if the reliability scales do not show a pronounced attitude towards lying - a high scale "L" - or lack of frankness - high "K" scale). In a wide norm corridor (from 30 to 70 T) in the norm profile, each tendency is opposed by an “anti-tendency” that is opposite in direction, and feelings and behavior are subject to the control of consciousness (or emotions are so moderate that minimal control over them is quite sufficient). Increases ranging from 56 to 66 T reveal those leading trends that determine the characterological characteristics of the individual. Higher indicators of different basic scales (67-75 T) highlight those accentuated features that at times complicate a person’s socio-psychological adaptation. Indicators above 75 T indicate impaired adaptation and a deviation of the individual’s state from normal. These may be psychopathic character traits, a state of stress caused by an extreme situation, neurotic disorders and, finally, psychopathology, the presence of which can only be judged by a pathopsychologist or psychiatrist based on the totality of data from psychodiagnostic, experimental psychological and clinical research.

The analysis of the results obtained is based not on studying the meaning of the subject’s answers, but on a statistical procedure for calculating data, during which the quantitative dispersion of different answer options is revealed in relation, on the one hand, to the average normative average, and on the other, to the pathological sharpness of the psychological factor, which represents one or another individual-personal tendency. Most of the statements sound so that the subject, when answering, does not always understand how this characterizes him, which significantly complicates the desire to “improve” or “worse” the results of the examination. At first glance, the technique allows us to outline the subjective internal picture of the “I” of the person being examined. In reality, thanks to the partly projective sound of many statements, the experiment also reveals those psychological aspects that are not realized by a person or are only partially amenable to the control of consciousness. Therefore, only with statistically unreliable data is the personality profile distorted so much that it makes no sense to interpret it. Within the framework of reliable data, even in the presence of trends that partially influence the strengthening or smoothing of the profile pattern, the interpretation reflects a picture of the personality that is close to the true one. At the same time, a very differentiated gradation of the degree of expression of different personal characteristics in their complex combination is possible, when not only high indicators are taken into account, but also their relationship with low indicators.
At the same time, a deviation from the average normative indicators, more than twice the mean square error, reveals an excessive degree of expression of a particular personality trait, taking it beyond a fairly wide (from 30 to 70 standard T points) corridor of normative variation. Such data, as already mentioned, do not necessarily indicate pathology.

A difficult life situation, traumatic events, physical illness - all this can cause a state of temporary maladjustment. Therefore, the interpretation of the data obtained must be carried out in accordance with all the information available about the subject, not to mention the fact that for an adequate idea of ​​the subject it does not hurt to look at him. “Blind” interpretation can only be used for research purposes, when the reliability of the methodology is checked, as well as in large-scale surveys, when not the personality of an individual is interpreted, but some generalized trends of large groups.

The person being tested may claim certain information about the test results. Sometimes such an interview carries psychotherapeutic or recommendatory content. If this happens, then the experimental psychologist or consultant is obliged first of all to respect the interests of the person being examined and never interpret the survey data to his detriment, since the role of the psychologist in society mainly comes down to protecting the person in every sense of the word. If this rule is violated, people will lose confidence in the psychologist and further psychological research will become impossible. The rest follows from this: the interpretation of the data obtained should be carried out from the standpoint of a psychotherapeutic, gentle approach. Each individual personal property usually carries both positive and negative information. Therefore, it is always possible to start an interview by highlighting positive characteristics, and then, against this background, highlight those characteristics and personality traits that create certain difficulties and negatively affect a person’s fate. But this should be done carefully and precisely in the style that is optimal for a given individual: you should pay attention to those recommendations for a correctional approach that are given below, depending on the characteristics of the profile.

Results.

Types of SMIL profiles

The profile is called “linear” if all its indicators are between 45 and 55 T. This profile is most often found in individuals classified as concordant norms, i.e. in harmonious personalities.

The “recessed” profile differs from the linear one in that the indicators of most scales are below 45 T, and a number of others are no higher than 50 T. This profile is most often the result of an attitude towards the testing procedure and is accompanied by high indicators of the L and K reliability scales at low F .

The “borderline” profile reaches 70 - 75 T with its highest points, and the rest of the scales for the most part are not lower than 54 T.

A profile is called “peaked” when, along with the majority of scales that are at the same level, one, two or three are located significantly higher than the others (by 15 - 20 T or more). Depending on the number of such contrasting “peaks,” the profile is called one-, two-, or three-phase. If the rise is significantly expressed on one or two scales spaced from each other, but on others it is little expressed or absent at all, then the profile is characterized as “widely scattered” (for example, 1st and 8th). If the profile peaks exceed 80T, then it is a “high” profile. If the majority (at least 7) ​​of the profile scales are significantly elevated and there are no scales whose indicators are below 55 T (except, in extreme cases, one), then such a profile is called “floating”. The criteria for identifying signs of a floating profile are as follows: F is between 65 and 90 T, each of the scales - 1, 2, 3, 7 and 8 - is above 70, the rest are 56 T and above. This profile indicates severe stress and personality maladjustment.

The “convex” profile is raised in the center and has a gentle slope at the edges.

The “deep” profile is raised on the first and last scales with a relative decrease in the central part.

A profile with many peaks accompanied by accompanying unsharp decreases (7-10 T) of adjacent, contrasting scales is called a “sawtooth”. The slope of the profile shows which part of the profile is located higher.

A “neurotic” or profile with a negative slope is a profile with a rise on the 1st, 2nd and 3rd scales (scales of the neurotic triad); it may be accompanied by a second peak on the 7th and 8th scales. A positive slope is manifested by an increase in the 4th, 6th, 8th and 9th scales, which reflect a high risk of behavioral reactions and were not sufficiently justifiably called psychotic tetrad scales (they are more legitimately called behavioral tetrad scales). Increasing the profile on two adjacent scales produces a double peak. Thus, double peaks 21 (two-one) and 78 (seven-eight) are often found.

A number of profile features were noted, reflecting a certain attitude of the subject towards testing. With a pronounced tendency to avoid frankness and to bring answers as close as possible to the norm, a recessed profile is obtained. During aggravation, i.e. a clear exaggeration of the severity of existing problems and one’s condition, a highly positioned jagged profile is formed. If a subject, trying to understand how the technique works and influence the results, answers “wrong” to almost all statements, then the profile turns out flat, (smoothed) on the 4th, 6th and 8th scales, but inflated on 1 1st and 3rd scales. Conversely, if the majority of statements are answered “true,” then a profile with high peaks on the F, 6, and 8 scales is obtained.

Validity scales

One of the very important advantages of the methodology is the presence in its structure of rating scales, or, as they are more often called, reliability scales, which determine the reliability of the data obtained and the attitude of the subjects regarding the examination procedure. This is the “lie” scale - L, the “reliability” scale - F and the “correction” scale - K. In addition, there is a scale indicated by a question mark - “?”. Scale "?" records the number of statements to which the subject could not give a definite answer; in this case, the scale indicator “?” significant if it exceeds 26 raw points, because the number 26 corresponds to the number of statements removed from the calculation, accompanied in the booklet by the remark - “The number of this statement should be circled.” If the scale indicator is “?” above 70 raw points, the test data is unreliable. The total figure is within 36 - 40 s.b. acceptable; results from 41 to 60 s.b. indicate the expressed wariness and lack of frankness of the subject.
Correct presentation of the technique and a preliminary conversation between the psychologist and the subject significantly reduces mistrust and secrecy, which are reflected in the increase in insignificant answers. The "L" scale includes those statements that reveal the subject's tendency to present himself in the most favorable light possible, demonstrating very strict adherence to social norms. High scores on the “L” scale (70 T and above), i.e. more than 10 s.b., indicate a deliberate desire to embellish oneself, “to show oneself in the best light,” denying the presence in one’s behavior of weaknesses inherent in any person - the ability to be angry at least sometimes or even a little, to be lazy, to neglect diligence, strictness of manners, truthfulness , accuracy in the most minimum sizes and in the most forgivable situation. In this case, the profile appears smoothed, lowered or recessed. Most of all, high indicators of the L scale affect the underestimation of the 4th, 6th, 7th and 8th scales. An increase in the L scale within the range of 60 - 69 T is often found in people of a primitive mental make-up with insufficient self-understanding and low adaptive capabilities. In individuals with a high level of education and culture, profile distortions due to an increase in the L scale are rare. A moderate increase in L - up to 60 T is observed in old age normally as a reflection of age-related personality changes towards increased normative behavior.
Low scores on the L scale (0 - 2 s.b.) indicate the absence of a tendency to embellish one’s character. The profile is unreliable if L is 70 T and higher. Retesting is required after an additional conversation with the subject.
Another scale that allows you to judge the reliability of the results obtained is the F reliability scale. High scores on this scale may cast doubt on the reliability of the examination if the F scores are above 80 T (for this scale, the upper limit of the norm is 10 T higher than for other scales). The reasons may be different: excessive anxiety at the time of the examination, which affected the performance and correct understanding of statements; negligence in recording responses; the desire to slander oneself, to stun the psychologist with the uniqueness of one’s personality, to emphasize the defects of one’s character; a tendency to dramatize existing circumstances and one’s attitude towards them; an attempt to portray another, fictitious person; decreased performance due to fatigue or illness. Some increase in F may be the result of excessive diligence with pronounced self-criticism and frankness. In individuals who are more or less disharmonious and in a state of discomfort, F may be at the level of 65 - 75T, which reflects emotional instability. High F, accompanied by an increase in the profile on the 4th, 6th, 8th and 9th scales, is found in individuals prone to affective reactions and with low conformity. However, indicators above 80 T, as a rule, reflect a high level of emotional tension, which can be associated with both severe stress and neuropsychic disorders of a different nature. In practice, there are often profiles that, despite the high F (up to 90 T), according to objective observation and the results of other methods, still reflect the real-life experiences of the subject. In the context of the totality of available data, they may be considered as information worthy of serious consideration, but when statistically processing and deriving average results of the study group, these profiles should not be included.
Indicators of the K correction scale are moderately increased (55 - 60 T) with a person’s natural defensive reaction to an attempt to invade the world of his innermost experiences, i.e. with good control over emotions. A significant increase (above 65 T) indicates a lack of frankness, a desire to hide character defects and the presence of any problems and conflicts. High K indices positively correlate with the presence of defensive reactions of the repression type. A profile with a high K (66 T and above) is often accompanied by an increased indicator on the 3rd scale and recessed 4th, 7th and 8th. Such a profile indicates that the subject did not want to talk about himself openly and demonstrates only his sociability and desire to make a pleasant impression. Due to the fact that the K scale registers intentionally hidden or unconsciously repressed psychological problems (emotional tension, antisocial tendencies and non-conformity of attitudes), a certain part of the indicator of this scale (as already described in more detail above) is added to the raw scores of some of the scales most dependent on it : 0.5 - to the 1st scale, 0.4 - to the 4th, 0.2 - to the 9th and 1.0 K each (the entire value of K as a whole) - to the 7th and 8th scales.
Low scores on the K scale are usually observed with elevated and high F and reflect frankness and self-criticism. Reduced K is typical for people with low intelligence, but can also be associated with a decrease in self-control with excessive emotional tension and personal disintegration. A good guideline for assessing the reliability of the profile and identifying the subject’s attitude towards the testing procedure, in addition to the specified criteria, is the “F-K” factor, i.e. the difference between the raw results of these scales. On average, its value in harmonious individuals ranges from +6 to -6. If the difference F-K = +7... +11, then during the examination the subject has a vaguely expressed tendency to emphasize existing problems, to dramatize his difficulties, to aggravate his state. If F-K = from -7 to -11, then a negative attitude towards testing, closedness, and lack of frankness is revealed.
The value (F-K) in raw points exceeding ± 11 in one direction or another casts doubt on the reliability of the data obtained, which at least should be considered through the prism of the identified installation

Profile coding (according to Welsh and Hathaway).

In addition to the graphical representation of the profile in everyday practical work and when presenting material in publications, it is convenient to describe profiles in encoded form, which requires knowledge of the coding rules. The Welsh coding method most accurately reflects the profile features. In this case, all basic scales are written according to their serial number in such a sequence that the highest scale is in first place, then the rest as they decrease. To show their place on the graph in accordance with the T-score scale, you need to put the following signs:

Separate the numbers of scales located at the level of 120T and above with the sign “!! ",
- scales following them, but located below 120, but above 110T, are separated from the rest with a “!” sign,
- scales located in the profile below 110, but above 100 T with the sign “**”,
- scales located below 100, but above 90 T - “*”,
- scales located below 90, but above 80 T - “ ” “,
- scales located below 80, but above 70 T - “ ’ “,
- scales located below 70, but above 60 T - “ - “,
- scales located below 60, but above 50 T - “ / “,
- scales located below 50, but above 40 T - “: “,
- scales located below 40, but above 30 T - with the “#” sign.
The same principle of notation for confidence scales. For example, a profile 2*3 4”187'0 - 6/5:9FK/L encoded in this way means that the leading peak on the 2nd scale is located above 90T, the 3rd and 4th scales are located above 80T and are at the same level (this is indicated by the line under the designations of these scales in the code), the 1st, 8th and 7th scales are located above 70T, of which the 1st is the highest located, then 8- me and 7th; 0th scale - above 60T, 6th above 50T, 5th - above 40T, 9th - above 30T, F is above K and L and is located above 60T /but up to 70T/, K is above 50T, and L - below 50T, but above 40T.

The Hathaway coding method is much more concise and simpler. Scales located in the 45-55T zone are not recorded at all, instead a dash “-” is placed; scales located above 70T are separated by an apostrophe “`”, followed by scales located in the zone 55-69T and above; then, after the “/” sign, the scales located below 45T are written down; indicators of reliability scales are given in raw points sequentially, respectively L:F:K separated by a colon, while an “X” is placed in front of a number of reliability scales if the profile is unreliable for at least one of them.
Thus, the profile described above, encoded according to Welsh as 2*34”187’-6/5:9FK/L when encoded according to Hathaway looks like this: 234187’0 - /59Х5:17:13
Coding is useful for briefly describing a profile, as well as for more clearly and quickly dividing material into typologically or clinically similar groups. Coding helps to identify the most general characteristics and patterns.

Interpretation based on the main scales of the SMPI test (MMPI) and their combinations.

Profile analysis can go in different ways. The most primitive approach usually comes down to a sequential interpretation of each scale, i.e. "from left to right". Such an interpretation is fraught with contradictions and does not create a holistic image of the personality and its problems, even if contrasting depressions are taken into account. At the same time, the following problem can be perplexing: for example, one of the highly located scales reveals high achievement motivation and a spontaneous, sthenic style of interpersonal interaction, while the other, opposite in value, is located significantly (at least 6T) lower, but in in absolute terms, it is significantly increased in relation to the average normative data. In this case, some interpreters highlight the content of the first of the scales, leveling the meaning of the second, while others interpret first one, then the other. In the first version, the profile remains undeciphered and the interpretation is incomplete. The second option gives conflicting information, as if two different people are being described. Therefore, when interpreting, a holistic approach must be followed, assessing the overall configuration of the profile in the context of the relationship of confidence scales with the height of not only leading peaks, but also contrasting depressions, both absolute and relative. From this point of view, the “top-down” interpretation deserves attention, considering the scales according to the degree of their significance, based on the “height” of the indicators. For this interpretation, it is quite enough to focus on the profile code; however, such an interpretation sounds more like an assessment of the accentuated character traits and the degree of adaptation of the person being examined, leaving in the shadows the nuances of characterological interpretation, since the complex relationships of scales that find themselves in the “corridor of the norm” fall out of the interpretation, although this information is of great importance for understanding compensatory mechanisms and hidden reserves of personality.
Next, we will touch upon those substantive and quantitative characteristics of individual scales and their complex relationships with other profile scales. As mentioned above, each of the main profile scales reveals certain personality traits if this scale is the only prevailing peak in the profile, located within the normative range. Higher indicators reveal a reaction to an unfavorable situation or a state of maladaptation - depending on the height of the profile, but in both cases we are talking about leading individual personal tendencies.
The scales are generally divided into four groups: 1. “Strong” register scales, revealing sthenic personality traits; these are the 4th, 6th and 9th scales.2. Scales of the “weak” register, reflecting hyposthenic traits - 2nd, 7th and 0th scale.3. Scales of “mixed” type of response - 1st and 3rd scales.4. The 5th and 8th scales stand apart, of which the increased 5th in men and decreased in women softens the sthenic characteristics, and the increased 8th in both of them enhances individualism.
More on this later, when discussing the holistic interpretation of the profile.
Next, we will consider the meanings of the basic scales in their sequence, paying special attention to the fate-realizing tendencies implicit in them.

1st scale
The 1st scale, according to the leading, core feature embedded in it, is designated as the “over-control” scale. Being the leading peak (60-69T) in a profile in which the remaining scales are at the level of 45-55 T, it reveals a motivational focus on meeting normative criteria both in the social environment and in the sphere of physiological functions of one’s body. The main problem of this type of personality is the suppression of spontaneity (i.e., ease, spontaneity of reactions), inhibition of active self-realization, control of aggressiveness, hypersocial orientation of interests, orientation to rules, instructions, directions; inertia in decision making, over-responsibility, combined with a tendency to avoid serious responsibility for fear of failure. The style of thinking is inert, dogmatic, relying on existing common points of view, rules and instructions. This cognitive style is devoid of freedom, independence and looseness. The basis for knowledge of the surrounding world for people of this type are ready-made generally accepted clichés. In interpersonal relationships - high demands on both oneself and others in terms of compliance with the moral criteria of society. Stinginess of emotional manifestations, caution, prudence. The emotional sphere is distinguished by a contradictory clash of restraint and irritability, which creates a mixed type of reaction characteristic of persons with a psychosomatic predisposition, i.e. with a tendency to transform emotional tension into painful reactions of the whole organism or individual organs (gastrointestinal tract, autonomic nervous system, cardiovascular activity). The hypersociality of attitudes looks like a “facade” trying to hide the grumpiness, irritability, and edifying intonations of an individual who does not give himself the freedom to fulfill his desires, attributing them to human weaknesses, while condemning others who allow themselves to realize their own desires contrary to the permitted normative rules. The characterological prototype of this personality variant in literature is Chekhov’s Belikov (“Man in a Case”), who was distinguished, on the one hand, by conformity and diligence, on the other, by hypocrisy and “boringness.” His favorite expression - “No matter what happens” - gives a figurative idea of ​​the essence of this person. He takes particular pleasure in proclaiming well-known truths: “The Volga flows into the Caspian Sea”, “An island is a piece of land surrounded on all sides by water.” He is dogmatically committed to established principles and does not trust the vicissitudes of the weather: he wears dark glasses and galoshes, takes with him “just in case” an umbrella and a hat to cover his ears, providing options for both sunny, rainy or windy weather. Belikov could not bear the test of life and died of grief when he fell in love with a woman who could easily violate the style of behavior that was considered generally accepted in a small town full of prejudices. For an individual with a SMIL profile, in which the 1st scale is above 65 T, it significantly prevails over others and determines the accentuation of character according to the type of sensitive-anxious (suspicious) personality, the fate of which in its main aspects is based on the choice of a profession that allows one to realize a dogmatic way of thinking , adherence to instructions and firm rules, loneliness as a tribute to increased demands on others, a highly moral (or pseudo-moral) lifestyle with a pronounced tendency to suppress pressing needs. Representing a mixed type of response, scale 1 reveals a predisposition to the psychosomatic variant of maladjustment. Increased data on the 1st scale indicates an individual’s propensity for professional activities in which such qualities as diligence, the ability to obey the established order and follow certain instructions and directives, the ability to restrain the inherent weaknesses of a person, and resist temptations are appropriate and necessary. This is an office type of employee, a conscientious official, this is also a security service, labor protection, personnel service in the army. Such features are also found among clergy, missionary helpers (as opposed to missionary leaders or fans), and also as one of the features in the personality structure of a teacher, formed under the influence of social orders over many previous decades in our country. With excessive emotional tension (scale indicator above 75 T), difficult adaptation is manifested by an increased focus on deviations from the norm, both in terms of interpersonal relationships, where people in this circle are irritated by the irresponsibility and insufficient morality of the actions of others in their opinion, and in the sphere of well-being, where excessive attention to the functions of one’s own body can develop into hypochondriasis. An illustration of the fact that it is certain basic individual personal characteristics that underlie the formation of hypochondriacal manifestations is the following example: everyone who has come into contact with the lifestyle of athletes knows that both coaches and doctors force them to be attentive to their well-being, weight, sleep, routine nutrition. However, the profiles of athletes usually have a low 1st scale, since their attention to their own health is associated with the attitudes of coaches and doctors, and is not a natural quality. In the structure of neurotic disorders or within the framework of neurosis-like pathology, high scores on scale 1 (above 70 T) reveal hypochondriacal symptoms. The combination of scales 1 and 2 is typical for aging men and is alarming in terms of predisposition to gastroenterological diseases. In particular, this profile indicates the possibility of developing a stomach ulcer. At the same time, not only hypochondriasis is manifested, but also such personal traits as dogmatism, hypocrisy are strengthened, thinking becomes more inert, and caution, didacticism, and edifying tone are more pronounced in interpersonal contacts.
The 1st scale in the structure of the neurotic triad 213’ reveals a defense mechanism of the “flight into illness” type, while illness (explicit or imaginary) is a screen that masks the desire to shift responsibility for existing problems onto others as the only socially acceptable way to justify one’s passivity.
In the profiles of patients in therapeutic clinics and outpatient clinics, high scores on scale 1 reveal signs of hospitalism (the desire for long-term repeated hospital stays) and hypochondriacal personality development. The psychotherapeutic flexibility of individuals of this type, due to the inertia of their attitudes, is extremely low: they are constantly looking for help, but are rarely satisfied, continuing their search for a miraculous healer. Moving from one doctor to another, they carefully preserve old prescriptions and treatment regimens, carry with them a detailed list of all their ailments, and study the available medical literature. Normally, profile code 12 (read one or two) is more common in older men, and profile type 13 (one to three) is quite common among women over 50 years of age.
When interpreting the profile, it should be borne in mind that the psychological properties of the 3rd scale largely overshadow and absorb the characteristics of the 1st if the scales are at the same level; this is even more evident if the 3rd scale is higher than the 1st. Therefore, instead of emotional restraint and emphasized modesty in behavior when drawing a 12'-/ profile, the interpretation of a 13'-/ profile will indicate the presence of such properties as emotional lability and demonstrativeness.
When indicators of the 1st scale prevail over the 3rd, a passive attitude towards conflict, avoidance of solving problems, and self-centeredness, masked by a declaration of hypersocial attitudes, are revealed. As a rule, these are people who suffered in childhood from a lack of emotional warmth from loved ones and only during periods associated with any illness were they surrounded by attention, which contributed to the consolidation of the mechanism of protection from problems by “going into illness.” The presence of such a defense mechanism indicates emotional immaturity, which is especially obvious in the structure of experiences of a neurotic personality, when the compensating role of the defense mechanism develops into a stable non-constructive style of experience, reducing the level of free-floating anxiety, but leaving quite pronounced emotional tension.
In the behavior of individuals of this type, the fight against illness is essentially transformed into a fight for the right to be considered sick, since the status of a sick person for them (usually unconsciously) represents something like an alibi in relation to the feeling of guilt for insufficient social activity. Hence the often arising “rental” attitude towards one’s illness, i.e. the desire to be more socially protected and supported as a chronically ill person by various public institutions (medical, trade union, social security) or family members. The contingent of patients in psychiatric clinics with a leading 8th scale in the profile is characterized by pronounced hypochondriasis. At the same time, it is impossible to exclude senestopathy, that is, deceptions of perception associated with serious mental disorders. However, in terms of the style of interpersonal communication, patients of this kind are distinguished by greater sociability, adherence to generally accepted norms of behavior and stinginess of emotions. Thus, the 1st scale, both in normal conditions and in mental disorders, carries the core tendency of a sensitive-anxious hypersocial personality.
In general, in individuals of this type, in all their life’s vicissitudes, a fateful thread is visible, manifested by dissatisfaction with the imperfection of people and the moral laws by which they are guided, as well as their own duality: as between Scylla and Charybdis, the soul cannot simultaneously realize two polar needs: 1st - to remain within the framework of the hypersocial and moral demands placed on oneself and others, 2nd - to achieve success and respect (which is a universal human need). The most successful social role is that of a zealous enforcer of laws, a keeper of traditions, a guardian of morality, protecting others from risky actions.

2nd scale
2nd scale - “pessimistic” scale. It belongs to the group of scales of the hypothymic, hyposthenic circle, characteristic of a weak type of higher nervous activity. As a leading peak in a profile that does not go beyond the norm, it reveals the predominance of a passive personal position. The leading motivational focus is avoiding failure. Individuals of this type are characterized by the following features: a high level of awareness of existing problems through the prism of dissatisfaction and a pessimistic assessment of their prospects; a tendency to think, inertia in decision making, a pronounced depth of experience, an analytical mind, skepticism, self-criticism, some lack of confidence in oneself and one’s capabilities. Individuals whose profiles are accentuated on the 2nd scale (“melancholic” according to Gannushkin, inhibited according to Leonhard and Lichko, “sad people” according to Dikaya, “pessimistic” according to the typology of the author of the manual) are capable of refusing to realize immediate needs for the sake of distant plans. In order to avoid conflict with the social environment, egocentric tendencies are inhibited due to increased control of consciousness. The style of interpersonal behavior is manifested by features of dependence, which are most noticeable in contacts with an authoritative person and with the object of affection; at the same time, distance and a painfully acute sense of self-esteem can be heard at the same time (especially when combining peaks on the 2nd and 4th profile scales). Affiliative need, i.e. the need for understanding, love, and a friendly attitude towards oneself is one of the leading needs, never fully saturated and at the same time, primarily frustrated, which largely determines the zone of psychotraumatic influence. The style of thinking is verbal: the perception, processing and reproduction of information is based on the word, a semantic basis, and meaningful analysis. This cognitive style is formed later in comparison with the visual-figurative and intuitive types of perception and is the most complex cognitive style. Being emotional idealists, individuals in this circle represent Szondi's unreal irrational personality type. Under stress, there is a tendency to stop reactions, i.e. to blocking activity, or driven behavior, subordination to the leading personality. The defense mechanism is refusal of self-realization and strengthening of consciousness control. Correction of behavior under stress should be aimed at increasing self-esteem and self-confidence and manifest itself as encouragement and support. In professional terms, there is a need for such types of activities that are closer to the “office” style of work in the humanitarian or general theoretical (with sufficiently high intelligence) direction, where a serious, thoughtful attitude to the work performed is especially important. A peak on the 2nd scale, reaching a level of 70 -75 T, reveals accentuation of the hypothymic (hyposthenic) type. High scores on the 2nd scale may be associated with a situation of severe disappointment after an experienced failure or in connection with a disease that disrupts the normal course of life and long-term plans of a person. This profile outlines a certain state, at least a depressive reaction within the framework of the adaptation syndrome. However, this is only a quantitative aspect that reveals the characteristics of not only a psychogenically provoked state, but also provides for the predisposition of a given individual to such reactions in a situation of stress. Depression is the most common anthropotypical (i.e., inherent in man and humanity) reaction to distress. However, with a pronounced sthenic (or hypersthenic) type of reaction (the leading scales in the profile are 9th and 4th), even in a situation of severe stress, such as, for example, a forensic investigative situation with a very pessimistic perspective, we noted absence of depression as such. On the contrary, anxious anticipation of the outcome of the situation and social deprivation caused protest reactions with exaltation, bravado, and active self-affirmation in individuals of the hyperthymic type.
Experience shows that the depressive type of reaction is not at all a universal and strictly obligatory reaction to psychotrauma and develops only on the basis of a certain predisposition. Therefore, a rise in the profile on the 2nd scale above 70 T reveals in the subject not only a low mood due to negative experiences, but also certain personal characteristics: a tendency to acutely experience failures, to worry, to an increased sense of guilt with a self-critical attitude towards one’s shortcomings, with self-doubt.
These features are aggravated in the 270"-/9 type profile, characteristic of persons with accentuation of the inhibited type, with anxious and suspicious traits. In the eternal conflict between egocentric and altruistic tendencies, representatives of this group of people give preference to the latter. By refusing self-realization, the confrontation of these contradictory tendencies is excluded and the risk of a conflict with the environment is reduced. If an increase on the 1st scale means an unconscious, repressed refusal of self-actualization, then an increase on the 2nd reveals conscious self-control, when unrealized intentions - due to external circumstances or internal reasons - are reflected in a low mood as the result of a deficiency or loss. At the same time, individuals in this circle can show sufficient activity, following the leader, as the most conforming and socially pliable group. A moderate increase in the 2nd scale with the onset of adulthood is considered as a natural “acquired skepticism”, a wiser attitude to life’s problems, as opposed to the carelessness and optimism of youth, which is characterized by relatively lower scores on the 2nd and high scores on the 9th (the “optimism” scale).
A simultaneous increase in the 2nd and 9th scales reflects a tendency to mood swings, a cyclothymic personality variant or cyclothymia. A profile like 24"-/9 should be alarming in terms of increased suicidal risk (S-risk), since in addition to the characteristics of the 2nd scale there is a decrease in the level of love of life and optimism (determined by the 9th scale) and increased impulsivity (4th scale) .
Individuals with a moderate rise on the 2nd scale as a dominant peak are fertile ground for both individual and group psychotherapy.
Of all the typological options, persons with the 2nd scale predominant in the SMIL profile are distinguished by the greatest vulnerability in relation to life’s adversities, the desire to comprehend and “slow down” their own immediate impulses, to avoid confrontation with the cruel laws of real life due to a pessimistic assessment of their capabilities in life. countering the sterile attitudes of others. The pattern (structure, drawing) of a given personality is such that the fate-realizing tendency bears the imprint of a certain passivity, and circumstances can dominate the character. Apparently, therefore, this type is characterized by fatalism, i.e. the tendency to rely on how everything “works out by itself,” “where the curve will take you,” and “how lucky you are,” rather than trying to influence fate yourself. These are passion-bearers: without realizing it themselves, they revel in the role of the victim, meekly bearing his cross. (Type “2” should be distinguished from senile passivity acquired over the years). By refusing to fulfill immediate egoistic needs, type “2” individuals hope to thereby solve distant problems and form a base of spiritual values. Unfulfilled needs are sublimated and manifested by general humanistic tendencies. Personal aspects of life are determined by their desire to preserve the family; persons of this circle get married, focusing on the similarity of characters or agreeing to a dependent position; show pronounced responsibility for children and react painfully to separation from loved ones. Among individuals of this type there are more monogamous people. If there is a social niche corresponding to their personal inclinations, they successfully realize their abilities, while showing emphasized responsibility. Even in a criminal environment, they are able to perform only the most honest and driven roles (treasurer or “on lookout”). They say about such people that they “have the fear of God in their souls”; They are more likely than others to be capable of altruistic manifestations. This does not mean that they do not have selfish aspirations, but the fear of inconsistency with their own idea of ​​the ideal “I” and low resistance to stress form a pronounced “Super-Ego”. However, this is just the shell of a snail hiding in its shell. If at the same time there is a low level of intellectual capabilities, then the personality is little noticeable. However, such people also have “their own genre in their soul,” it is only hidden from prying eyes. If these are people with high intelligence, then, without wasting their time on everyday trifles, they gravitate towards serious generalizations. The social role of such individuals is the formation of humane ideas and liberal tendencies in the quiet of their offices (which is often used for their own purposes by staid pragmatists). Among them are those philosophers who are either approached or punished by those in power, depending on whether these ideas are beneficial or dangerous for them. They themselves do not enter into power of their own free will, but the aura of “holiness” flatters them.

3rd scale
The 3rd scale is called the “emotional lability” scale. An increase in profile on this scale reveals the instability of emotions and a conflicting combination of multidirectional tendencies: a high level of aspirations is combined with the need to participate in the interests of the group, selfishness - with altruistic declarations, aggressiveness - with the desire to please others. Persons with the leading 3rd scale are distinguished by a certain demonstrativeness, brightness of emotional manifestations with some superficiality of experiences, instability of self-esteem, which is significantly influenced by a significant environment; They are distinguished by a conviction in the identity of their “I” to the declared ideals, a certain “childishness”, immaturity of attitudes and judgments. The type of perception, processing and reproduction of information is visual-figurative, sensory, artistic. Personalities of this type think in holistic images that have shape, color and emotional overtones. This is the most direct type of thinking characteristic of the early period of development; it is where a child begins to comprehend the world around him. Remaining a basic characteristic, emotional lability manifests itself as a leading tendency, giving the type of thinking a visual-figurative, sensual style.
The predominance of emotions over rationality with a pronounced realistic life platform allows us to attribute this personality variant to the irrational realistic type according to Szondi. There is a pronounced ability to easily adapt to various social roles. Artistic postures, facial expressions and gestures attract the attention of others, which serves as a stimulating factor that excites and flatters their vanity. The 3rd scale correlates with the hy factor according to Szondi, in which hy+ and hy- represent multidirectional qualities - exhibitionism and shyness. Persons with the leading 3rd scale have tropism (attraction) to types of professional activities in which the need for communication and the experience of vivid feelings is satisfied. Personalities of this type need the opportunity to demonstrate themselves; increased emotivity, a pronounced tendency to transform, demonstrative traits, the need for involvement in the general mood of others creates favorable soil for self-determination in the field of artistic activity, where these properties are quite appropriate, in pedagogy or in the field of social activity, where these qualities can be a good addition to provided that there is sufficiently high intelligence and a mature civic platform. These personal characteristics can also find application in working conditions in the service sector, in amateur performances, as well as as a variant of a professional manager in production, in administrative work or in the officer personnel service, since these people are able to both obey and command, easily passing from one social role to another. Sensitivity to external effects and the need for immediate social encouragement in individuals of this type can be successfully used as leverage when trying to control their behavior by a manager, taking into account the importance for them of the opinion of the reference group. A profile with a leading 3rd scale (70 T and above) reveals an accentuation of the hysteroid type, in which the above features are sharpened. Signs of emotional immaturity are revealed that are more characteristic of a female type of behavior with a certain infantilism, affectation, and dependent tendencies. Despite their pronounced egocentrism and tendency to feel sorry for themselves, these individuals strive to level out the conflict and attach great importance to family status.
Individuals with a high 3rd scale (above 75 T) are characterized by increased nervousness, tearfulness, excessive dramatization of ongoing events, and a tendency to narrow consciousness, even to the point of fainting. In a situation of stress, individuals with a high 3rd scale in their profile are characterized by pronounced vegetative reactions. Defense mechanisms manifest themselves in two ways: 1) displacement from consciousness of that negative information that is conflict-provoking or damages the reputation of the individual, the subjective image of one’s own “I”; 2) psychological anxiety is transformed at the organismal (biological) level into functional disorders. These mechanisms, complementing each other, create the ground for psychosomatic disorders, that is, physical diseases that develop in close connection with negative emotional experiences. Finally, the 3rd option for relieving increased anxiety is to respond externally, dramatize experiences, and demonstrate demonstrative emotional reactions.
Separately, clinical manifestations of hysterical neurosis should be highlighted. They are reflected in the SMIL profile in the form of the so-called conversion five (meaning the Roman numeral V). The profile is characterized by a combination of high 1st and 3rd with a relatively low 2nd. The term “conversion” in this case means the translation of emotional tension into somatic (physical) disorders. In response to an unfavorable situation that violates the integrity and congruence of the “I” image, the individual experiences disturbances in the motor sphere, speech activity, auditory or visual sensitivity. Moreover, these disorders bear the imprint of conditional “desirability” due to the subjective impossibility of resolving the conflict in a constructive way. The properties inherent in the 3rd scale come to the fore, absorbing to a large extent the characteristics of the 1st scale. An example of conversion symptoms can be false mutism (muteness that developed in a situation of interpersonal conflict), astasia-abasia (loss of balance leading to the inability to stand and move on one’s feet), not associated with organic damage to the cerebellar structures of the brain, writer’s cramp leading to loss of disability due to cramps of the fingers and not accompanied by neurological pathology. Due to the absence of a visible, physiologically diagnosable pathology, hysteria was once dubbed the “great pretender.” However, in reality, patients with hysteria suffer from these disorders. Repression from consciousness of internal conflict associated with the contradictory structure of motivation occurs unconsciously as a neurotic defense against stress. This is an involuntary mechanism, beyond the control of consciousness. The conditional desirability of developing disorders does not mean that they have true utility.
Absorption by the 3rd scale of characteristics of the 1st does not cancel the orientation towards social norms, which only mask the egocentric tendencies of the individual, and the transformation of neurotic anxiety into functional somatic disorders to a certain extent serves as a way of gaining a comfortable social position or avoiding responsibility.
The combination of high scores on the 3rd and 4th scales significantly enhances the characteristics of the 3rd, increasing the likelihood of hysterical type behavioral reactions with a tendency to “self-inflate” in conflict situations and with a pronounced desire for emotional involvement. Correcting these reactions is extremely difficult, since despite seeming suggestibility, these individuals are rather “self-suggestible,” i.e. malleable only in relation to what they believe in, what they are subjectively convinced of. Psychological correction often leads to a situation in which either “the tail will be pulled out, but the head will get stuck,” or vice versa. In this regard, the hysterical variant of maladjustment lends itself best to various options of art therapy, that is, direct influence on emotions through art therapy (psychodrama, music therapy, drawing, modeling). In clinically complex cases, hypnosis is most effective, which can only be performed by a doctor. This is due to the fact that hypnosis, influencing the sphere of the subconscious, affects the functions of the rhomboid fossa of the medulla oblongata - the main “conductor” of the most important physiological processes: heart rate, blood pressure level, etc.
Low scores on the 3rd scale (below 50 T) indicate greater emotional stability, reduced sensitivity to environmental influences with a relatively low responsiveness to problems of the social microclimate. This is manifested in an individual’s behavior by a less flexible style of interpersonal interaction, a lack of the necessary “diplomacy” and consonance with the sentiments of the reference group. It would be advisable to return to combinations of this scale with other SMIL scales as you become more familiar with the characteristics of the remaining scales.
The fate-fulfilling characteristics of a person with the leading 3rd scale in the profile are multidirectional, but each of them is strong. These people burn themselves out with their conflicting emotions, seeking to succeed mainly through the help of others, but attributing credit only to themselves. They fill their family life and personal relationships with drama, problems with children become more complicated as they grow and mature, and at work, excess emotions can manifest themselves negatively. Thanks to their pronounced flexibility and sensitivity to the moods of their environment, as well as due to their noticeable vanity, they move up the social ladder in leaps and bounds, reacting painfully to failures and boastfully celebrating the slightest successes. Both the character itself and the fate of such people are diverse, contradictory for an unambiguous assessment, motley with events, contacts and hobbies. Their social role is to stir things up, disturb the peace, energetically call somewhere, but not really lead to any specific goal. In the social arena, more often they are “those who follow the leader,” companions and heralds of the “hero.” Traits of the 3rd scale can accompany the portrait of a public leader as an addition to other characteristics. In politics, these are eloquent populists who easily change their line of behavior out of vanity and their own instability. Cardiovascular problems and general health concerns take up a lot of their attention and time. The problem of “to be or to seem” is solved primarily in favor of the latter by a person of this type.

4th scale
4th scale - “impulsivity”. As a leader in a profile located within the normative range, it reveals an active personal position, high search activity, in the structure of motivational orientation - the predominance of achievement motivation, confidence and speed in decision making. The motive for achieving success here is closely related to the will to realize strong desires, which are not always subject to the control of reason. The less mature the personality before us, the less the norms of behavior instilled in upbringing dominate a person, the greater the risk of spontaneous activity aimed at realizing momentary impulses, contrary to common sense and the interests of the surrounding society. With objective indicators indicating the presence of a sufficiently high intelligence, this emotional pattern reveals an intuitive, heuristic style of thinking. However, with undeveloped or low intelligence, a high 4th scale is typical for people who are emotionally immature, hastily make decisions and act spontaneously, without relying on accumulated experience; thinking can acquire a speculative (not reasoned, not supported by facts) character. Therefore, final conclusions on this factor can be made only based on a combination of different characteristics and taking into account the level of intelligence. People in this circle are characterized by impatience, a penchant for risk, an unstable, often inflated level of aspirations, the level of which has a pronounced dependence on momentary motives and external influences, on success and failure. Behavior is relaxed, spontaneity in the manifestation of feelings, in speech production and in manners. Statements and actions often precede planned and consistent thoughtfulness of actions. The tendency to resist external pressure, the tendency to rely mainly on one’s own opinion, and even more on momentary impulses. A noticeably expressed desire to follow one’s own primitive desires, self-indulgence. Lack of conformity, desire for independence. In a state of emotional capture - the predominance of emotions of anger or admiration, pride or contempt, i.e. pronounced, polar emotions, while control of the intellect does not always play a leading role. In personally significant situations, quickly fading outbreaks of conflict may appear. Interest in activities with pronounced activity (from a young age - physical, over the years - social or antisocial), love for high speeds, and in connection with this - for moving equipment, the desire to choose a job that allows one to avoid subordination, as well as to find use for dominant traits character. Dominance in this context does not necessarily mean leadership ability. Here we are talking mainly about low subordination and emphasized independence, in contrast to leadership, which involves a penchant for organizational functions, the ability to infect others with your ideas and lead them, integrating their actions in accordance with your plans (see interpretation of the 6th scale in combination with 4th). Under stress, individuals with a prevailing 4th scale display an effective, sthenic type of behavior, determination, and masculinity. Persons of this type do not tolerate monotony well, monotony makes them drowsy, and the stereotypical type of activity makes them bored. Imperative methods of influence in relation to these people and an authoritarian tone can encounter noticeable opposition, especially if the leader trying to manipulate the individual does not enjoy the proper authority and does not evoke emotions of respect, admiration or fear in this individual. Defense mechanism - displacement from consciousness of information that is unpleasant or lowers a person’s self-esteem; in contrast to the 3rd scale, repression is more often and more vividly accompanied by a reaction at the behavioral level with critical statements, protest reactions and aggressiveness, which significantly reduces the likelihood of the occurrence of a psychosomatic variant of maladjustment. The mechanism of restraining negative emotions under the strong influence of “rationality,” that is, under the control of consciousness, the role of which is enhanced in socially significant situations, leads in people of this circle to psychosomatic disorders, mainly associated with the cardiovascular activity of the body. This type of response is usually reflected in the profile by a rise on the 2nd scale with a high 4th.
A profile in which the 4th and 6th scales are moderately elevated is characteristic of a personality of a rational realistic type, which is hampered in the implementation of intentions by increased impulsiveness and nonconformism. If a peak on the 4th scale is combined with an elevated 3rd, then this is more likely an irrational realistic person whose pragmatism is higher than with an isolated peak on the 3rd scale, but low learning experience reduces the effectiveness of the efforts expended. High scores on the 4th scale (above 70T) reveal a hyperthymic (excitable) variant of accentuation, characterized by increased impulsivity. The properties listed above, revealed by an elevated 4th scale in a normal profile, are grotesquely sharpened here and are manifested by difficult self-control. Against the background of good intelligence, such individuals have the ability to take an unconventional approach to solving problems, to moments of creative insight, especially when a person is not dominated by normative dogmas and various kinds restrictions. Insufficient reliance on experience is compensated by pronounced intuitiveness and speed of reactions. A pronounced tendency towards a creative approach as emotional and personal conditions that are realized with sufficiently high intelligence occurs especially often with a profile of the type “489 - /0 or 48”2 - /17. However, non-conformity manifests itself not only in the peculiarities of thinking, but also in the style of experience, in the tendency to impulsive behavioral reactions, therefore the interpretation of such a profile should be carried out with particular caution. The degree of compliance of the views and behavior of the subject with generally accepted norms, his hierarchy of values, and moral level depend to a large extent on the social environment and the success of the educational measures taken in relation to this individual. Therefore, based only on the data of the SMIL methodology, we cannot categorically state which way the non-conformity of a given individual is realized. It can manifest itself as radicalism and innovation if we have a person who is knowledgeable, erudite, but at the same time striving to overcome generally accepted routine views on a particular phenomenon. Psychophysiologist K.K. Monakhov once expressed the following thought: “In science, at the first moment, any innovation is perceived as hooliganism. Therefore, any pioneer, about to express any new idea for the first time, feels as if he is going to be a bully.” This is very correctly noted. The profile of such individuals is most often distinguished by a fairly high (up to 80 T) 4th scale in combination with an elevated 8th. At the same time, a primitive, needy, immature personality with unjustifiably high ambitions, an individual who has nothing interesting in his soul, a lazy person, unable (or unwilling) to comprehend at least the basics of a general education course, trying to attract the attention of others through negative manifestations, violates the generally accepted style of behavior and neglects the moral principles of his environment. And then his behavior is no longer in quotation marks, but actually looks like hooliganism. The profile of persons in this circle contains high indicators not only of the 4th, but also of the 9th scale, with low values ​​of the 2nd and 7th.
A high peak on the 4th scale (above 75 T) reveals psychopathic traits of the excitable type, pronounced impulsiveness, and conflict. High indicators of the 4th scale enhance the characteristics of concomitant increases in other scales of the sthenic register - 6th, 9th and impart features of a behavioral pattern (emphasized independence, conflict) indicators 3rd and 8th scales. When a high 4th scale is combined with an elevated (or high) 2nd scale, the 2nd scale indicators weaken the aggressiveness, non-conformity and impulsiveness of the 4th scale, since a higher level of consciousness control over behavior is noted here.
Two equally high peaks 2 and 4 reveal an internal conflict rooted in an initially contradictory type of response, which combines multidirectional tendencies - high search activity and the dynamism of excitation processes (4th) and pronounced inertia and instability (2nd). Psychologically, this is manifested by the presence of a contradictory combination of a high level of aspirations with self-doubt, high activity with rapid exhaustion, which is characteristic of the neurasthenic pattern of maladjustment. Under unfavorable social conditions, such a predisposition can serve as a basis for alcoholism or drug addiction, as well as for the development of certain psychosomatic disorders. This profile pattern to a certain extent reflects the traits of “type A” described by Jenkinson, who believes that this emotional-personal pattern represents the basis for the development of cardiovascular failure and a predisposition for early myocardial infarction.
The combination of the 4th scale with the 6th at high rates reveals an explosive (hot-tempered) type of reaction. The height of the peaks in the range of 70-75 T reflects the accentuation of the character according to the explosive type. Higher rates are characteristic of the psychopathic personality profile of the excitable circle with a tendency to impulsive aggressive reactions. If the personal characteristics inherent in a given profile and manifested by a pronounced sense of competition, leadership traits, aggressiveness and stubbornness, are channeled (directed) into the mainstream of socially acceptable activities (for example, sports), then the bearer of these properties can remain sufficiently adapted mainly due to what is optimal for him social niche. In a situation of authoritarian-imperative pressure and other forms of opposition that hurt the self-esteem and prestige of the individual, as well as in aggressive reactions from others, persons with this type of profile easily go beyond the adapted state and give an explosive (explosive) reaction, the degree of controllability of which is determined by indicators scales reflecting inhibited traits (2nd, 7th and 0th scales).
Low scores on the 4th scale indicate a decrease in achievement motivation, a lack of spontaneity, spontaneity of behavior, good self-control, unexpressed ambition, a lack of leadership traits and a desire for independence, adherence to generally accepted norms of behavior, and conformism. In everyday life they often say about such people: “No zest.” If such a decline in the profile on the 4th scale reflects a temporary decrease in the individual’s opposition to the environment, then this may be due to the fact that this individual finds himself in a situation where his “self” is blocked. For example, a person who has just received a new assignment experiences some self-doubt (an incompetence complex) and temporarily changes the strategy of behavior aimed at achieving a goal to a “trench”, wait-and-see policy.
In the clinic of mental illnesses, a high (above 90 T) 4th scale is present in an unreliable, high-lying floating profile along with a high 9th in manic, hebephrenic and heboid syndrome, as well as in a psychopathic picture of the disease. A significant increase in the 4th scale (above 75 T) may be a sign of increasing social maladjustment at the onset of schizophrenia. Often, clinicians mistake confusion and anxiety associated with loss of self-identity and criticality for neurotic anxiety. Timely psychodiagnostic research could well have saved psychiatrists from such a mistake, showing in time the inadequacy of the personality changed by the onset of the disease and the inappropriateness of assessing the condition as a neurotic breakdown. A sharp discrepancy between the indicators of the SMIL profile, reflecting the internal picture of the patient’s condition, and the impressions lying on the surface in such cases is pathognomonic, that is, characteristic of gross mental pathology. That is why it is not recommended to use this technique in acute mental disorders, in cases of non-criticality and reduced intelligence in patients who are unable to adequately describe their experiences and characteristics of the condition. This once again confirms the fact that the SMIL test is more a personal method than a clinical one.
In addition, psychodiagnostic studies using the SMIL test confirm the correctness of the holistic personality concept, in which the leading individual typological tendencies act as a prognostically significant factor that pre-determines the path of maladjustment (locus minoris rezistencia) and the formation of the leading clinical syndrome. This was clearly evident in the study of severe forms of psychogenic disorders. Traditionally, reactive states that develop in situations that are objectively difficult for the individual have been considered by psychiatrists within the framework of reactive depression. The author of this manual discovered reactive states that arose in response to the threat of capital punishment (execution) being applied to them after a crime they had committed. However, the reactive state manifested itself as exaltation, bravado, self-confidence in one’s rightness with active opposition to environmental influence, without a shadow of repentance or regret. According to psychodiagnostic research this state manifested itself as a continuation of the basic leading tendencies of the hyperthymic, impulsive, aggressive, extroverted personality. This state was designated as a hyperthymic, exalted type of reactive state. Later, psychiatrists independently came to this conclusion (B.V. Shostakovich, Ya.E. Svirinovsky, Z.S. Gusakova, N.K. Kharitonova), who gave this nosological group the name “pseudomanic reactive states. Further joint research allowed us to come to the following conclusion: within the framework of reactive states provoked by powerful and objectively severe psychotrauma, in addition to the majority of patients exhibiting typical depressive symptoms, from 7 to 11% of people with other, “pseudomanic” symptoms are identified. The premorbid hyperthymic features inherent in these individuals, like grass through asphalt, make their way to the surface and form the basis of clinical manifestations despite the extremely difficult situation and the absence of any prospects to justify an optimistic attitude.
We will return to the role of the 4th scale in the profile in the process of getting acquainted with the interpretation of other scales. It should be borne in mind that its increase always significantly enhances the sthenic and non-conforming tendencies inherent in other scales.
In general, individuals for whom the 4th scale determines the leading tendency are capable of not only actively realizing their own destiny, but also influencing the destinies of other people. However, this property is strongly dependent on how mature and independent of the individual’s momentary mood is the individual’s goal-setting. The passionate desire for self-realization in emotionally immature and intellectually undeveloped people of this type is so dissociated with real possibilities that sometimes it leaves these individuals no other path to self-affirmation other than the antisocial one, starting with a “struggle” with their own parents and school, ending with serious illegal acts. With sufficiently high intelligence, such people are able to achieve more than any other typological options. These are those independent-minded individuals who are able to dare, encroaching on established dogmas and old traditions - whether in the field of knowledge or in social foundations. A “rebellious spirit” can only be destructive (if the foreground is the desire to deny at all costs the usefulness of the existing order and the protrusion of one’s “I”), but it can also be creative if it is a mature personality, a qualified specialist, an intelligent politician. Type “4” is a hostage to its difficult-to-control spontaneity of feelings - be it love, art, scientific or political activity. This tendency inevitably draws a person, like an uncontrollable horse - a rider, either to the heights of triumph, or to the abyss of fall. (I can’t help but remember Vladimir Vysotsky: “A little slower, horses! A little slower!”). At times, the passion of nature, beyond the control of reason, leads a person to the edge of the abyss, and he is unable to do anything to oppose this passion. It often happens that it is precisely such passionate individuals who turn out to be the creators of history, carrying the crowd along with them with the light of their own burning heart. This heroism is not always romantic; it can also be a manifestation of a person’s self-centered intoxication with his special role. In their personal lives, they can appear both as noble romantic knights and as addicted flighty people. They are characterized by an eternal search for novelty, they are unlikely to sin with altruism, but they also take credit for this as a manifestation of sincerity and the absence of hypocrisy. Most often they have remarriages, change jobs several times, like to drink, scold the authorities, conflict with their superiors, remain childish until old age, are not always practical, often inconsistent, but at the same time they are sometimes charming. On this “soil” a personality pattern of a genius, hero, innovator, revolutionary, or a hooligan, anti-hero, extremist can be formed with equal success, but in any case - something far from the average, philistine type of personality.
The need to be proud of oneself and to gain the admiration of others is an urgent need for individuals of this type, otherwise emotions are transformed into anger, contempt and protest. If the life credo of the individual-personal type “2” is based on the philosophical basis of Hegel (self-denial, fatalism, dominance of the ideal over reality), then the philosophical basis of type “4” is Nietzschean (resistance to fate, dominance of the human will).

5th scale
The 5th scale - the “masculinity-femininity” scale - is interpreted differently depending on the gender of the subject. Elevated scores on the 5th scale in any profile mean a deviation from typical role behavior for a given gender and a complication of interpersonal adaptation. Otherwise, the interpretation is polar, depending on whether the profile is female or male to be deciphered. The attention of students working with the methodology should be focused on the fact that the raw indicators of the 5th scale in the male version of the profile sheet are distributed in the same way as on other scales - from bottom to top (from 0 to 50 T), while in the female version of the profile sheet on the sheet they start at the top, going down to maximum values. Here, beginners often make the mistake of marking above 30 raw points, if the indicator on the 5th scale, when calculating using the key of significant answers of a female test subject, is equal to, for example, 34 s.b., while this value is located in the column of raw points of the 5th scale of the female profile sheet below the mark 30 s.b. In the profile of men, an increase on the 5th scale reveals a passive personal position (if other scales do not contradict this), a humanistic orientation of interests, sentimentality, sophistication of taste, artistic and aesthetic orientation, the need for friendly harmonious relationships, sensitivity, vulnerability. This is an irrational, unrealistic personality, characterized by emotional warmth and infantilism (the same for women with a recessed 5th scale). In interpersonal relationships, a tendency to smooth out conflicts and restrain aggressive or antisocial tendencies is revealed even in those profiles where an elevated 5th scale is combined with equally elevated scales of the sthenic register (4th, 6th or 9th). The developers of the MMPI test, when creating the 5th scale, conceived it as an indicator of same-sex relationships. However, in reality, this scale does not always allow one to draw such conclusions. On the contrary, at its core it is an indicator of femininity in character, habits, and interests. Same-sex tendencies represent an irresistible attraction to people of the same sex. But this attraction is not always realized, and, being conscious, it is often suppressed and manifests itself in a sublimated form as an attraction transformed into another type of activity, that is, into socialized activity. One should not confuse true same-sex relationships, which arise on the basis of physiological disharmony, and unnatural attraction, which manifests itself and is consolidated in conditions when the first erotic experiences arise in adolescents due to close contacts in same-sex boarding schools, while living in various kinds of camps, in barracks and also in prison. Even among normally oriented adults (especially among men), long-term intergender deprivation sometimes leads to a perverted satisfaction of libidinal needs with male prisoners, more often with weaker ones, since they cannot resist. Great importance for the normal orientation inherent childhood undifferentiated orientation has a home upbringing. Adults, parents who sleep in the same bed with their children. There is a high risk of developing an unhealthy attraction in the child. In the future, this can serve as the basis for serious problems that not every psychoanalyst can cope with.
High scores on the 5th scale, for example, in the combination 8546"13-/270, may be a sign of a perverted intersexual orientation, but such conclusions are made only with additional clinical and biographical data available. The well-known feminization of the male population of modern society and the pronounced masculinization of the female half of humanity is reflected in the profiles of the methodology by raising the SMIL profile on the 5th scale, however, this tendency sharply intensifies only where there is a certain biological basis for this phenomenon or a specific social environment. The elevated 5th scale in the normative profile of adolescents and young men is found quite often, reflecting only the undifferentiation of gender-role behavior and softness, unformed character, which makes them malleable material in the hands of an authoritarian-type leader and misleading during professional selection, when the choice is purely masculine. The young man’s profession is mainly of a hypercompensatory nature.
With maturity, indicators of the 5th scale tend to decrease. During the aging period, disruption of intersexual adaptation is again reflected in an increase in the profile on the 5th scale; the same is observed in some chronic diseases accompanied by a decrease in libido, which was, in particular, noted in the study of patients with chronic tuberculosis. In a profile reflecting a sthenic type of response, relatively low scores on the 5th scale (50 and below) reveal a typically male style of gender-role behavior, rigidity of character, lack of sentimentality, and a tendency toward polygamy (profile type 49"-/54 or 94"6-/ 75). The narcissistic personality type with a penchant for demagoguery, narcissism, aesthetic reasoning, and mannerisms characteristic of cold individualists is revealed by the profile 58"4-/. These are persons who have a weakness only for those people who adore them, while they are extremely sensitive to dissonance of their "I" with the environment, which causes them to want to distance themselves from such an environment. In women, high scores on the 5th scale reflect the traits of masculinity, independence, the desire for emancipation, for independence in decision making. In the profile of the sthenic type ("4569 -/270) an increase in the 5th scale enhances the traits of cruelty, and in the hypersthenic profile (4569"-/270) - antisocial tendencies. With a simultaneous increase in the 5th and a low 3rd scale, the absence of the coquettishness and gentleness in communication usually inherent in women is revealed , diplomacy in interpersonal contacts, behavioral features characteristic of men are noted.
A high 5th scale (above 70 T) is especially common among athletes involved in sports activities that are physically exhausting and affect the normal development of the body according to the female type. There is a delay in the formation of the hormonal cycle and the development of secondary sexual characteristics, dysplasticity of the figure, etc. is noted. Peculiarities of gender-role behavior of women with a high (70 T and above) 5th scale, together with an even higher 4th, acquire the features of a masculine style - with pronounced libido concerns , a pragmatic attitude towards contacts based on purely physiological attraction, with a tendency to frequently change sexual partners, with a lack of inclination towards deep, emotional attachment, towards constancy: profile type 945"-/027.
A single peak on the 5th scale in both men and women with a linear, that is, normal profile, without noticeable increases on other scales, is often found in very peculiar people, incomprehensible to those around them. In such individuals, before the examination, the psychologist sometimes expects that the 8th scale will be elevated in the profile. This profile reveals difficulties in interpersonal communication that extend beyond those of the opposite sex. There is reason to believe that this personality pattern is most likely associated with unclear gender self-identification. Perhaps this is a same-sex relationship
On the contrary, low scores on the 5th scale (below 50T) in the female profile reflect an orthodox feminine style of gender-role behavior: the desire to be taken care of and find support in a husband, gentleness, sentimentality, love for children, commitment to family interests, inexperience and modesty in matters of intergender relations .
In a profile reflecting a high level of neuroticism (high 1st, 2nd and 3rd scales), preoccupation with poor health and astheno-depressive background mood (high 1st, 2nd and 3rd scales), low scores on the 5th scale (40 T and below) in women may indicate frigidity. Relatively high scores on the 5th scale with even higher peaks on the 8th and 1st scales in the clinic are found in people with a morbid focus on the intergender sphere with a pronounced originality of hypochondriacal experiences, often accompanied by senestopathies, that is, disturbances in perception in the sphere tactile and other sensory somatic sensations.
The combination of low 5th with elevated 3rd and 8th is characteristic of women with a pronounced aesthetic orientation, with a rich imagination, with excessive emotionality and impressionability, a tendency to quickly get used to different life roles and artistic images, with rich body plasticity, with expressiveness facial expressions and intonations, which, apparently, is the leading factor for individuals of this type when choosing the profession of an actress (or actor, which corresponds to the same profile, but with a high 5th scale for men).
Experience shows that film and theater actors who are prone to pronounced transformation usually have a profile of the type 35"842-/0 (M) and 31"894-/5 (F). Those of them whose pronounced individuality is “exploited” without any special variations, more often have a profile type 4""9385-/0 (M) and 431""968-/25 (F).
The presence of a slightly elevated 5th in any male profile (as well as a lowered one in a female profile) indicates greater humanism, gentleness and less aggressiveness. The sensitivity of these individuals places increased demands on the environment, narrows the zone of comfort in life; a gentle social niche and a protective approach are especially important for them.
Strange as it may seem, personnel service in military organizations is often chosen by young men of this type not only due to compensatory tendencies, but perhaps also because the clarity and well-functioning institutions of military service create in them a feeling of greater protection from the vicissitudes of fate (of course , in peacetime), greater stability of social status and material base. At the same time, a significant role seems to be played by their humanistic orientation and congruence, which appeals to those involved in professional selection in such organizations.
The 5th scale, which is leading in the profile, influences a person’s fate mainly due to difficult intergender adaptation, which leads to the sublimation of primitive sensory needs into socialized activity, unless we are talking about pathology. If the attraction gets out of control and is recognized by a person as inevitable and inevitable, then it is realized in an inadequate direction, and the person’s fate is subject to serious upheavals, since this method of self-realization is condemned by society or meets with misunderstanding. In social and cultural life, the most active personalities of type “5” are the organizers of the social movement for minorities, “hippies,” suffragettes, creators of model houses, special shows and theatrical performances in which women’s roles are played by men.

6th scale
The 6th scale (the “rigidity” scale), being the only peak in the profile that does not go beyond the normal range, reveals stability of interests, perseverance in defending one’s own opinion, sthenic attitudes, activity of the position, which increases when counteracted by external forces, practicality, sobriety of views for life, the desire to rely on one’s own experience, a synthetic mindset with a pronounced tropism for systemic constructions, for areas of specific knowledge, for the exact sciences. Persons with a leading 6th scale in their profile show a love of accuracy, loyalty to their principles, straightforwardness and perseverance in upholding them. The ingenuity and rationality of the mind is combined with its insufficient flexibility and difficulties in switching in a suddenly changing situation. People in this circle are impressed by accuracy and specificity; they are irritated by amorphousness, uncertainty of goals, carelessness and carelessness of the people around them. This is a realistic, rational personality type, characterized by stenishness and inflexibility of attitudes. To a certain extent, they give the impression of being resistant to stress, which is largely due to their homonomy (not subject to environmental influences) and the stiffness of nervous processes with the difficulty of switching from a normal state to another, new one (from rest to action). However, in this case there is a gradual accumulation of potential activity, which later manifests itself in an explosion of affect and an aggressive coloration of activity. People in this circle are characterized by two types of defense mechanisms, that is, mechanisms that relieve internal tension when it is impossible to realize an urgent need: 1) rationalization with devaluation of the object of frustrated need (the “Fox and Grapes” option, that is, if what is desired is unattainable, then its value in the eyes of the individual decreases sharply) or 2) an external reaction of an externally blaming type, when a person gives vent to his anger, showing it in one form or another. This type of response is associated with a defense mechanism of the “projection” type: the individual attributes to others the distrust and hostility that is inherent in himself, and punishes for this. Stress that affects the subjectively significant values ​​of an individual with a high 6th scale within the normative range or accentuated traits of the explosive type, identified in the SMIL profile with a high (above 70 T) 6th scale, are those factors that lie in based on a strong aggressive response. In interpersonal contacts, individuals with a high level of the 6th scale exhibit a pronounced sense of rivalry, competitiveness, and a desire to defend a prestigious role in the reference group. High emotional involvement with the dominant idea, the ability to “infect” others with one’s passion and a pronounced tendency to plan actions are the foundation for the formation of leadership traits, especially with good intelligence and high professionalism. Personalities of this type are often found among mathematicians, economists, technical engineers, accountants, business executives and in other types of professional activities where accuracy, calculation, and a systematic approach are especially required. A pronounced sense of competition and endurance to stress contributes to the success of such people in the sports field. Subjective structuring of the phenomena of the surrounding world, reflected in the individual style of painting or sculpture, is characteristic of artists, and this is confirmed by the fact that their profiles usually show a high peak on the 6th scale. And when among them you meet people with a high profile, in which the 6th and 8th scales are above 90T, and the 2nd scale is “recessed” (i.e. below 50T), then, looking at their peculiar and uncontrollable any correction in the style of one’s entire life, one involuntarily comes to the assumption that art for people of this type is the protective niche that saves them from madness. They are willful, unpredictable and persistent in their creative self-affirmation; periodically coming into conflict with their close circle and with official circles, they are doomed to a difficult fate. This is illustrated by the biographies of Rodin, Cézanne, Vangogh, Michel Angelo Buonarotti. A profile with a peak on the 6th scale (70 T and above) is characteristic of accentuated personalities (epileptoid accentuation, “stuck” according to Leonhard). A more pronounced increase (profile type 64""8-/1320) is typical for explosive psychopathic personalities, excitable ones (49""6-/270), paranoid psychopaths with litigious-queerulant tendencies (68""94"-/), i.e. e. tireless complainers, anonymous people and plaintiffs, conflicting in the field of truth-seeking.Personal disharmony and maladaptive states, manifested by the presence of high indicators on the 6th scale in the profile, are characterized by a pronounced affective capture by the dominant idea, usually relating to a conflict interpersonal situation. This can be experiences associated with an overvalued attitude towards the object that caused the conflict situation, with a feeling of jealousy or rivalry, with a tendency to build a rigid and subjective logical scheme that cannot be corrected from the outside. Antisocial explosive-aggressive reactions are possible, which are interpreted by the individual as defensive, forced actions in a response to the hostility and ill will of those who caused these reactions. The most striking embodiment of this kind of experience is the delusional concept of a mentally ill person. However, such profiles also occur within the framework of situationally determined personality development when there is a leading tendency in the emotional-dynamic predisposition pattern in the form of a rigidity factor that contributes to the consolidation (cumulation) of negative experience. It is difficult to differentiate the paranoid type of personality development that takes a long time to form in a really existing unfavorable situation from delusions of persecution within the framework of schizophrenia. The differential diagnostic criterion in such complex cases is the study of the individual’s mental functions, in particular, the assessment of the level of generalization and its uniformity. In general, the intellect in both cases can remain intact for a long time, and the argumentation can remain clear and convincing.
Paranoid forms of behavior manifest themselves as an externally blaming type of response due to the specific nature of the protective mechanism of projection and rationalization inherent in individuals in this circle, which, even with a disease such as schizophrenia, initially protect the inner “I” from destruction, reducing the painful intensity of affect. In the clinic of schizophrenia, one often has to observe what happens to patients in the first days of the painful onset. If the schizophrenic process invades the personality structure, which was premorbidly distinguished by rigid attitudes, externally blaming tendencies and a tendency towards rational systematization, accompanied by disturbances of perception, naturally this introduces a feeling of chaos into the previously quite harmonious picture of his own “I” and the surrounding world. In this regard, a state of confusion and confusion develops, tension of affective experiences arises, forming restless behavior with increased unfocused activity. However, as soon as the compensatory mechanisms characteristic of this type of personality come into play, the patient develops a dominant idea - painful, absurd, since it is based on false premises, but helping the patient to find relative peace; behavior becomes more orderly and, in its own way, more purposeful (“I understand everything! It’s just a medical experiment, they are influencing me through the walls with special rays,” says the patient, demonstrating much more calmness than it was before he “understood everything” ). Consequently, the tendency towards projection and systematization inherent in the psyche of this patient is triggered and random facts and false information are “strung” (brought into a certain order) onto the “skewer” of rigid thinking, which is associated with disturbances of perception. In this way, a delusional concept is formed, in which the patient’s condition is characterized by less pronounced emotional tension than it was before the structuring of the delirium. Mania with delusions of grandeur with simultaneously manifesting tendencies towards hostility and persecution of others in the profile is reflected by peaks on the 6th and 9th scales. The line between the arrogance of a youth who has no life experience or the euphoria of a drunk, on the one hand, and mental illness, manifested by inadequately inflated self-esteem and disordered speech and motor activity, on the other, can be drawn based on the height of the profile and with the help of additional experimental psychological research. In the clinical form of mania, peaks on the 9th scale reach 100-110 T, the accompanying peak on the 6th is less pronounced (80-90 T) and is accompanied by fairly high (65-75) indicators of the remaining scales, including 8- th scale), that is, the profile turns out to be floating and unreliable on the F scale.
In the profiles of patients with neurotic and psychosomatic disorders, an increase in the 6th scale reflects the presence of increased irritability, feelings of resentment and is indirectly associated with a tendency to allergic reactions and arterial hypertension, if the profile as a whole reveals suppressed hostility. This kind of empirical findings once again emphasizes the close connection between the method and somatic and psychological factors. In this case, both at the biological and psychological levels, there is a general tendency to sthenic opposition to the invasion of something foreign, alien both to the spiritual world of one’s “I” and to the physiological world of one’s body. Pathological jealousy is most often identified by a profile in which the indicators of the 6th scale are above 80 T. This type of experience is manifested by uncorrectable attitudes and emotionally charged reactions that are difficult to differentiate from delusion: a serious, investigator-like study of the situation is required to understand how ridiculous the statements are jealous, or, on the contrary, how grounded they are in everyday life. In this regard, special importance is attached to repeated (dynamic) studies. Mental functions remain formally intact. A temporary rise on the 6th scale often appears in the profile of individuals in a pre-divorce situation.
In profiles of contingent norms, persons with a leading peak on the 6th scale often give a low profile, without revealing the depth of the existing problems. This is due to an increased sense of wariness and mistrust of these individuals. Profiles with a recessed 6th scale should be especially wary. It should be emphasized that indicators on the 6th scale below 50 T are implausible. If a high 6th is evidence of hostility, a moderately elevated level is evidence of resentment, and being at the average normative level is a sign of peacefulness, then low scores reflect an excessive tendency to emphasize one’s peacemaking tendencies, which is most often found with a hypercompensatory attitude in individuals of an aggressive nature.
In a criminal environment, high scores on the 6th scale are characteristic of persons capable of mercenary crimes, and in combination with a high score on the 8th scale, they reflect hostile-aggressive tendencies. Profile 65’-/7 is the most typical for individuals accentuated by the epileptoid type, in whom sentimentality and sweetness are combined with a tendency to outbursts of hostility.
Correcting the behavior of individuals with a high 6th scale in their profile is a very difficult task. The strategy of interaction with a person of this type should be aimed at ensuring that the opinion of the corrective person (psychologist, teacher, manager, doctor) not explicitly, but indirectly, becomes the conviction of the individual himself; at the same time, he must remain with the illusion that this conviction has always been there or that it comes from the individual himself, and the psychologist only identified and confirmed its correctness. In addition, the form of “advice” should be quite specific and appealing to the individual’s experience. Key words: “As you already said...”. “You yourself think so...”, “As follows from your experience...”, “According to your principles...”, “In the same way as you always act...”, etc. The most effective technique for correcting the behavior or state of individuals typologically classified as “rigid” is the so-called rational psychotherapy, which uses the capabilities of the protective mechanism characteristic of individuals in this circle, such as rationalization. The most convincing are the arguments proving that angry reactions and actions dictated by a hostile attitude are harmful to the individual and worsen his health; techniques that devalue the significance of a frustrated need are effective.
The fate of individuals with a decisive role of the 6th scale in their profile is always difficult. These are people who, as it were, “cause fire upon themselves.” Biased and not indifferent to the phenomena of life around them, they stubbornly defend their opinion as the only correct one. Obsessed with this or that idea, they are able to overcome many obstacles to its implementation. They contrast the turmoil and confusion of the world around them with their subjective idea of ​​organization and order. This is exactly the type of personality when the systematic implementation of plans proves that, despite the opposition of the environment, a person can be the creator of his own destiny. If the circumstances turn out to be stronger, then individuals of this type do not compromise and show opposition or hostility in various ways. Among them there are often militant fighters for the truth - as they imagine it, and, no matter how far it may be from the truth, they are capable of taking harmful actions (both for others and for themselves), when the losses may be disproportionate greater than the idea being defended is worth. Deprived of flexibility and agility, type “6” individuals easily make enemies for themselves, but if there are no enemies, then they are able to invent them and fight them, non-existent ones, since they do not trust anyone and are easily inflamed with hostility. Jealous in love, they are also jealous of others' success, which serves as the basis for the formation of a strong spirit of competition. Without forgiving offenses, people of this type can realize their revenge a long time later and in a very cruel way.
Their aggressive reaction is always excessive in relation to the cause of the conflict. Let's say you insulted a person by calling him a fool. An individual of type “2” will say: “It’s sad, but this is probably true.”; type “3” will take you to a corner and whisper: “Quiet down, please: there’s absolutely no point in letting others know about this”; type “4” will reflect the blow with an instant reaction: “You are a fool!”; type “5” will babble sadly: “Well, why is it so rude, you could affectionately say - a fool,” and type “6” will become furious and come at you with his fists: “Oh, I’m a fool?!! So I’ll kill you!” Personalities of this type, with good professional experience, prove themselves to be the most effective organizers, for the time being they give the impression of being stress-resistant, and only in a situation that touches their power-hungry traits can they become maladapted in the most brutal way, while showing externally blaming reactions, hot temper and aggressiveness. In marriage they have conflicts, but at the same time they show thriftiness and devotion to the family. At work they show reformist zeal, accuracy and practicality, strive to command others and conflict with their superiors. In the sphere of public activity - whistleblowers of corruption, truth-seekers, organizers of opposition movements. Personalities of this type have left their mark in history as adherents of church dogmas (religious fans, representatives of the Jesuit Order), as reformer politicians or famous military leaders (for example, Napoleon).

7th scale
The 7th scale is the “anxiety” scale, refers to the indicators of the hyposthenic, inhibited circle. An increase in the profile on the 7th scale with a normative spread reveals the predominance of a passive-passive position, lack of self-confidence and the stability of the situation, high sensitivity and susceptibility to environmental influences, increased sensitivity to danger. The prevailing motivation is to avoid failure, sensitivity, an orientation toward congruent relationships with others, and dependence on the opinion of the majority. The leading needs are getting rid of fears and uncertainty, avoiding confrontation. They need spiritual consonance (consonance) with others. Characteristically, people of this type are distinguished by a developed sense of responsibility, conscientiousness, commitment, modesty, increased anxiety regarding minor everyday problems, and concern for the fate of loved ones. They are characterized by empathy, i.e. a feeling of compassion and empathy, increased nuance of feelings, pronounced dependence on the object of affection and any strong personality. Perseverative thinking (with a tendency to repeat, to get stuck). Unstable, autochthonously fluctuating attention is compensated by a tendency to double-check what has been done and an increased sense of duty. Lack of clarity in the style of perception is corrected by the habit of repeated (clarifying) actions. There is marked sensitivity, a tendency to doubt, reflexivity, excessive self-criticism, low self-esteem, contrasting with an inflated ideal “I”. Reduced stress tolerance threshold. In a situation of stress - blocking or driven activity following the majority or leading personality. The defense mechanism is restrictive behavior and ritual (obsessive) actions, which transform in everyday life into superstition, devout religiosity, and commitment to the interests of the clan (family, reference group). When choosing a profession, focus on the sphere of humanistic interests: literature, medicine, biology, history, as well as on the performing style of work outside of extensive contacts and with a fairly stable stereotype of activity, where the need to avoid stress is satisfied. Monotony is easily tolerated. Encouragement and measures aimed at increasing an individual's self-esteem are the best way to intensify their activities on the part of management and educators, as well as when developing a psychotherapeutic approach in case of maladjustment.
The 7th scale reveals increased anxiety, and with indicators above 70 T, it is no longer a character trait that is determined, but a state, i.e. that degree of severity of anxiety that has not yet been transformed under the influence of defense mechanisms into a more specific state, and has remained primary, free-floating. With high scores on the 7th scale, anxiety is usually associated with long-term previous neuroticism. The exception is cases of congenital, constitutional psychasthenia or organically caused psychasthenic symptoms in the form of various phobias (fear of heights, enclosed spaces, fire, water, sharp objects, riding in public modes of transport, etc.). A relative increase in the 7th scale during stress (not exceeding 70 T, leveled out in repeated examinations) is closely related to increased anxiety as a stable trait in the structure of an individual’s personal characteristics.
The most common personality variant, in which there is a significant increase in the profile of the 7th scale, is psychasthenic, in the terminology of other authors - anxious and suspicious. Persons in this circle are characterized by self-doubt, indecision, and a tendency to carefully recheck their actions and work done; very obligatory and responsible, they are distinguished by a dependent position, orientation towards the opinion of the group, a highly developed sense of duty and adherence to generally accepted norms, a tendency towards altruistic manifestations, conformity, a tendency to react with an increased sense of guilt and self-flagellation to the slightest failures and mistakes. Trying at all costs to avoid conflict, which they experience extremely painfully, psychasthenics act at the maximum level of their capabilities in order to earn the approval of others, and most importantly - what is even more difficult - their own approval. With an excessively self-critical attitude towards themselves, such persons are characterized by a large gap between the real and ideal “I”, i.e. there is a striving for an unattainable ideal. In this regard, they are constantly in a state of tension and dissatisfaction, manifested in obsessions, excessive actions of a restrictive nature, rituals necessary for self-soothing (profile 72"80/). This group of personalities is often found among healthy people. Due to the pronounced hypersociality of attitudes and conformity of behavior they pose few difficulties for others, except perhaps for their indecision. They are much more difficult for themselves than for others. The accentuation, which manifests itself on the profile by increasing the 7th scale to 70 T and above, reveals a sharpening of anxious-suspicious, anankast and sensitive personality traits.
A double peak of 78 above 75 T is characteristic of a state of chronic social maladjustment and is a sign of a pronounced inferiority complex or a feeling of “otherness” in the environment.
The profile of the psychasthenic type is characterized by a combination of elevated 2nd and 7th scales with a concomitant increase in the 8th and 0th with a relatively low 9th: a profile type 27"80-/ or 278"-/9. The state of maladjustment, reflected in the profile by an increase in the 7th scale, is characterized by sleep disturbances, obsessive fears, feelings of confusion, anxiety, and a feeling of impending disaster. The combination of high scores on the 7th and 3rd scales is typical for fixed fears (fear of driving in transport, fear of moving away from home, fear of getting an incurable disease, fear public speaking etc.) Profile 2178""-/ is characteristic of the clinical picture of an anxious-depressive state with hypochondriacal inclusions. The combination of a high 7th with a 6th may indicate dysmorphic experiences, that is, a painful fixation on one’s ugliness, any external defects - real or imaginary. Profiles of the 86*7” type are often found among patients (rather, female patients) of cosmetic clinics, which cause a lot of trouble for cosmetic surgeons, since they are not able to be satisfied with any results of the operations performed and react extremely painfully to changes in their face, although they persistently insist on this before the operation sought.
In the structure of neurotic symptoms, a high peak on the 7th scale (80 T and above) reveals free-floating anxiety. Due to the fact that the 7th scale reveals anxiety both as a constant personality trait and as a situationally determined state of anxiety, concomitant increases in other profile scales indicate defense mechanisms, i.e. those tendencies that protect the personality from this state, the most uncertain and therefore painful, and contribute to the transformation of anxiety into another, qualitatively more defined emotion.
Each basic SMIL scale identifies one or another mechanism for transforming anxiety, one or another version of a defense mechanism.
An increase in the profile on the 1st scale reveals an increase in neurotic self-control and somatization of anxiety, i.e. biological method of protection;
The 2nd scale reflects the degree of awareness of psychological problems and refusal to realize one’s intentions, which is accompanied by a decrease in mood.
Low 2nd with elevated 1st and 3rd scales reflects the problem of repressed anxiety and a biological method of defense with the conversion (translation) of a psychological conflict into physiological disorders conditionally associated with a traumatic situation.
The 4th scale reveals a tendency to increase behavioral activity in situations of stress, and the mechanism of repressing anxiety here does not bear the imprint of a clear connection between psychosomatic disorders and a psychogenic factor. Instead of conversion symptoms in individuals of this circle, the response to frustration is an outward reaction or a clash of motives, manifested by spasmodic phenomena (coronary spasm, ischemic myocardial disease), i.e. cardiovascular disorders.
The 5th scale reflects the tendency towards the sublimation of intersexual needs into the type of activity that is substitute, replacing in relation to the direct implementation of this need. This unconscious defense mechanism is realized when libido activity is frustrated, that is, it cannot be realized due to the existing social prohibition, internalized in the form of an intrapersonal “Taboo”.
An increase in the 6th scale indicates a tendency to rationalize the psychological conflict that caused anxiety, and the presence of an externally blaming reaction that relieves the individual of responsibility for the current conflict situation (projection mechanism). The fact that these mechanisms for protecting the individual from excessive anxiety are quite effective is evidenced by the tendency of profiles with the leading 6th scale to relatively low anxiety scores.
The combination 78” reveals the mechanism of intellectual processing and restrictive behavior aimed at avoiding failure and manifested by the phenomena of obsession (obsessive actions, thoughts, rituals, fears). This reveals the problem of low self-esteem, a sense of one’s own imperfection, an increased sense of guilt, self-abasement, and an inferiority complex.
An elevated 8th scale reveals an irrational type of reaction with withdrawal into the surreal world of fantasies and dreams.
The 9th scale corresponds to the defense mechanism of denying problems. This manifests itself as “blindness” to the really existing negative aspects of one’s behavior and the current situation, stubborn defense of one’s own high self-esteem and optimistic attitude.
An increase in the 0th scale is typical for passive avoidance of conflict, so-called escapism, i.e. escape from problems, withdrawal from social activity.
When discussing the anxiety scale, it is appropriate to try to answer the age-old question: is the state of anxiety or constitutional anxiety measured in this technique by the 7th scale? The first essential principle of differentiation is quantitative indicators that separate the spread of the normal corridor (45 - 70 T) from indicators reflecting the state of maladjustment (> 70 T). Another aspect is the nature of anxiety. If we are talking about a person who is constitutionally anxious, then even ordinary everyday difficulties can cause one or another degree of neurotic maladjustment, and then we have the right to talk about a neurotic predisposition, about a constantly present internal conflict that serves as the basis for neuroticization under the influence of minimal environmental influences. Thus, psychogeny only strengthens and sharpens a stable individual-personal tendency, the personal property of anxiety, which, under the influence of environmental conditions, is easily transformed into a state of anxiety. Under the influence of objectively severe psychotrauma, a state of anxiety with accompanying defensive reactions can result in neurotic symptoms of the clinical register. Reversible neurotic disorders, manifested by a rise in only the 2nd scale, are characteristic of fairly harmonious individuals who are prone to compensation by controlling self-awareness.
Long-term neuroses and neurotic developments, according to our observations, are the lot of individuals with a high degree of readiness to develop neurotic disorders, i.e. individuals with a neurotic predisposition, one of the main components of which is increased anxiety. The combination of a high 7th with a 4th reflects the problem of an internally contradictory, mixed type of response, in which multidirectional tendencies collide: motivation for achievement with motivation to avoid failure; tendency to be active and take decisive action with a tendency to block activity in stressful situations; increased sense of dignity and desire for dominance - with self-doubt and excessive self-criticism; the sthenic register of emotions of anger, admiration, pride and contempt - with the emotions of the asthenic register: fear, guilt, anxiety. All this, on the one hand, contributes to the mutual compensation of some traits by others, on the other hand, increases tension, since both the neurotic and behavioral path of response are blocked. Outwardly, the behavior of a person of this type may look balanced, but the internal conflict is channeled along a psychosomatic route or manifests itself as neurasthenic symptoms, rich in somatic complaints.
A profile with high (>90) peaks on the 2nd and 7th scales (most often with a concomitant increase in the 8th scale) with low 1st, 3rd, 9th and elevated 0th is characteristic of endogenous ( psychotic) anxious depression. Reactive (situationally provoked) depression in the SMIL profile is manifested by more moderate (70-85 T) peaks on the 2nd and 7th scales with concomitant increases in the 1st, 3rd and 4th scales, when the 9th scale does not below 40 T, and 0th - no higher than 65 T (if there is no setting for aggravation, i.e. emphasizing existing problems or simulation).
Low indicators of the 7th scale (below 45 T in a linear profile, and in a profile type 48"9-/ - with indicators of the 7th scale as one of the lowest points of the profile) indicate a lack of caution in actions and scrupulousness in matters of morality, to a rather naked egocentrism, a reduced ability to empathize, non-conformity of attitudes, a rude and harsh manner of behavior, a cynical view of life phenomena.
The fate-determining tendency in the structure of the type “7” personality is fear of the power of Evil, helplessness in the face of brutal cruelty. If type “2” can be attributed to people with “distressed thoughts,” then type “7” is “a person of a shocked conscience” (like G. Uspensky about the writer Garshin). Not relying on their own strength and human kindness, they, more than others - not so much with their minds as with their hearts - gravitate towards religion, finding support and consolation in it. At the same time, they are not at all so weak: due to their soft character and high sensitivity not only to their own, but also to the pain of others, persons of this type have great mental strength and the ability to endure (passion-bearers)... This is expressed in their responsibility, in caring for others, the ability to understand and feel sorry for those who are in trouble. Sondi says about this personal variant that these are people with a “sick conscience.” Due to their own defenselessness in the face of the pragmatic assertiveness of hyperthymic personalities (types “4”, “6”, “9”), they show compliance and do not pretend to a leading position. Remembering that a person can be harmonious only if there is positive self-esteem, it is easy to explain the constantly increased anxiety of persons of this type with unstable and low self-esteem. However, any person has a reason to evaluate himself as a person in positive characteristics. Self-affirmation of type “7” persons is realized through adherence to moral traditions and conformity of attitudes. The individuality of such individuals manifests itself more clearly in a situation of acceptance and support from the environment. Despite the apparent sacrifice and humility, people who are excessively fixated on their torment thus manifest their egocentrism, which can irritate those around them who are more shy and balanced. This leaves an imprint on relationships both at work and in the family (restless and insecure employee, anxious wife, overprotective mother). The social role of type “7” mainly comes down to conformism, the positive aspects of which are the protection of cultural and moral values ​​accumulated by society and generally accepted forms of behavior, law-abidingness and passive resistance to aggressive tendencies of the environment.

8th scale
The 8th scale is the “individualism” scale. Increased in profile with normative indicators on other scales, it reveals a separate-contemplative personal position, an analytical mindset; the tendency to think prevails over feelings and effective activity. The abstract-analytical style of perception predominates, manifested in the ability to recreate a holistic image based on minimal information, paying special attention to subjectively significant aspects that are more related to the world of one’s own fantasies than to reality. With good intelligence, individuals of this type are distinguished by creative orientation, originality of statements and judgments, originality of interests and hobbies. There is a certain selectivity in contacts, a certain subjectivity in assessing people and phenomena in the surrounding life, independence of views, a tendency towards abstraction, i.e. to generalizations and information abstracted from specifics and everyday life. A pronounced need to actualize one’s individuality is revealed. It is more difficult for individuals in this circle to adapt to everyday forms of life and the prosaic aspects of everyday life. Their individuality is so pronounced that it is virtually useless to predict their statements and actions by comparing them with familiar stereotypes. They have an insufficiently formed realistic platform based on everyday experience; they are more focused on their subjectivity and intuition. Due to the fact that they are more rational than emotional, since they rely more on their judgments than on feelings, and, at the same time, are divorced from the reality of the world around them, they should be classified as rational, unrealistic individuals. What for the majority is a critical situation is often regarded differently by persons with a high 8th scale due to the uniqueness of their hierarchy of values. The situation, which they subjectively perceive as stress, causes a state of confusion. The protective mechanism that manifests itself during the transformation of anxiety is intellectual processing and withdrawal into the world of dreams and fantasies. They are characterized by a professional tropism for types of activities of a free, creative style; they strive to avoid any formal framework or restricted types of work. Persons who gravitate towards the search for novelty, who show interest in the field of psychology, psychiatry, theosophy, and scientific research are distinguished by the presence in the SMIL profile of an increased 8th scale with accompanying increases of the 7th, 2nd or 5th, if they are theorists and humanists. People who choose various kinds of romantic professions - sailors, geologists, archaeologists, travelers and other adventure lovers - are characterized by profiles in which a high 8th scale is combined with a high 4th or 9th. Persons of this type are characterized by an imperative need for freedom of subjective choice in decision-making, in the absence of time restrictions, which can complicate their work adaptation given the lack of tolerance among others and the absence of a differentiated individual-personal approach among managers. Unlike other types of personalities, their individualism is only aggravated by opposition from the environment, which is manifested by increased signs of maladaptation and, consequently, an increase in the peak on the 8th scale. The 84"9-/ profile is characteristic of accentuation of the expansive-schizoid type, characterized by emphasized nonconformism and the opposition of one's subjective attitudes, views and judgments to the environment, rigidity and egocentrism of attitudes. High peaks of a similar profile (48""9"-/27) reflect emotionally -personal pattern of a psychopathic personality of the expansive-schizoid circle, where the above characteristics reach an even higher level, which is evidence of pronounced social maladjustment with an antisocial orientation of interests and behavior, and uncritical assessment of one’s actions. With a simultaneous rise in the 6th scale (profile type 468""9-/21), the risk of aggressive behavior increases, and the success of any corrective measures decreases, since individuals of this type usually have an established belief about the injustice and hostility of those around them towards them , which is the foundation for justifying their aggressive actions in their own eyes, while the opinions of others are insignificant to them. Psychopathic personalities of this type are characterized by particularly brutal (uncontrollable) explosiveness, i.e. explosive nature of reactions. With accentuation (profile type 468"-/ or 864"-/ or "846-/), the features described above sound softer, and the violation of social adaptation is more dependent on environmental influences.
The emphasis on the “sensitive schizoid” type manifests itself in two ways: rigid, over-touchy, painfully proud, “stuck” on negative experiences, the type of reaction is characteristic of sthenic schizoid personalities (profile 86"47-/), and for soft, impressionable, vulnerable personalities, but In this case, with pronounced individualism in the choice of friends and areas of interest, profiles such as 85"70-/ or 83"52-/ are characteristic, reflecting, among other things, aesthetic orientation. (For women, the indicators of the 5th scale in the corresponding profiles are low: 8"70- /5 or 83"2-/5). Indicators of the 8th scale, located above 80 T, identify psychopathic variants of the schizoid type of reaction. The hyposthenic variant of schizoid accentuation, usually attributed to the circle of inhibited individuals, is revealed by a profile of type 872"0-/ or 2870"-/9. Such psychopathic traits as isolation, passivity, introversion, lack of communication, significant originality of judgments and actions, stiffness of gestures, postures, awkwardness in interpersonal contacts, detachment and emotional coldness, incomprehensibility of the motives of behavior for others, impracticality and isolation from reality life problems, a tendency towards mysticism - are reflected in higher rates of profiles similar or similar in pattern: 8""027"-/39 or 287""0"-/8.
It is difficult to judge a diagnosis based on the MMPI (SMIL) profile alone, since the profile mainly reflects the characteristics of the emotional state and personal characteristics (or personal deformation) of a person. However, high scores on the 8th scale as one of the 3 leading profile peaks in 60% of cases reveal schizophrenic or schizophrenia-like disorders: a tendency to emasculated reasoning (reasoning), masking intellectual incompetence, a decrease in the level of social adaptation and general productivity, confusion , separation from reality, sleep disturbances, derealization-depersonalization phenomena, disturbances of perception. These data, however, should be confirmed in the results of experimental psychological research in the form of uneven level of generalization, vagueness, vagueness of thinking based on unimportant, latent signs when generalizing and comparing concepts; in this case, a characteristic feature is a “departure” from the specific content of the stimulus material with a tendency towards the abstractness of associations, towards the symbolism of mediating images, a violation of the sequence of logical constructions up to their obvious absurdity.
The basis for determining nosology (i.e., the outlined framework of a psychiatric diagnosis) is a clinical analysis of the patient’s condition, taking into account both the etiopathogenetic factor and the patterns of development of the condition; Moreover, clinical-psychological research is the optimal and most objective approach to assessing the depth and structure of pathological manifestations, since these methods - clinical and psychological - in comparison with other methods of studying the human psyche, are phenomenologically the closest and most complementary.
A profile with leading 8th and 7th scales (above 70 T) reveals internal tension, anxiety, nervousness, a tendency to endless, often fruitless, thinking about any problems (“mental chewing gum”), isolation, a chronically existing feeling of mental discomfort , uncertainty, decreased overall productivity, guilt and inferiority complex; occurs in persons asthenicized by prolonged emotional overstrain or a chronic serious illness, as well as in persons of a premorbid (initially) asthenic and psychasthenic type, more often in combination with elevated 2nd and 0th, as well as low 9th. A high double peak of 78 (90 T and above) is characteristic of psychotic anxiety, and a peak of 87 reflects paranoid manifestations. Profile 81""-/ is alarming in that it reveals a focus on peculiar somatic complaints without emotional preoccupation, which is characteristic of the hypochondriacal form of schizophrenia. The combination 8""51"-/ is characteristic of persons with a painful attitude towards the problems of difficult intersexual adaptation, but with a tendency to think and reason about this without expressed anxiety.
Many profiles of patients with schizophrenia do not have a distinct peak of the 8th scale in their structure. Schizoaffective disorders can manifest themselves in peaks on scales 2 or 9, depending on whether the depressive or manic phase of the disease characterizes the patient’s condition at the moment. The psychopathic-like pattern of experiences, especially at the onset of the disease, looks like a floating profile with a high peak on the 4th scale. Hysteroform disorders are reflected in the SMIL profile as a “conversion five” with the highest scales in the profile being the 4th, 3rd, 6th and 8th scales (as well as with nuclear hysterical psychopathy). Simple, slightly progressive schizophrenia manifests itself in a profile very similar to a neurotic profile or to the profile of a psychasthenic personality (leading peaks 2780 at a low 9th). Thus, the accumulated experience confirms the fact that the structure of the clinical syndrome is to a greater extent determined by the basic characteristics of the personality, leading individual personal tendencies, than by other factors that caused the disease. By the way, the cause of schizophrenia has not yet been established and most scientists are inclined to consider it an endogenous mental disorder with genetic roots. And in this case, the role of the structure of leading trends in the formation of the clinical picture seems even more significant.
Low scores on the 8th scale (below 50 T) are found in people with little imagination, stereotyped thinking, sober and practical. The absence of an increase on the 8th scale indicates a predominance of common sense in this individual, a sober assessment of everyday situations, and a rational approach to solving problems.
For persons with an elevated 8th scale and good intelligence, the method of correcting insufficiently adaptive forms of behavior is not simple. Gifted, creatively oriented, but difficult in character, non-conforming individuals need to create a social niche in which the implementation of a differentiated approach would be possible and there would be no “formalization”. For others, with delinquent tendencies, e.g. prone to illegal acts, a timely reorientation of interests is necessary while maintaining a positive personal status, which represents a very complex social task: individuals of this type “settle” only in an environment where their individuality is taken into account. This is important for every person, but for this type of personality this factor takes on special significance.
The fate of the type “8” personality is most likely simply unpredictable and least of all depends on how the person himself plans to plan it. The individuality of a person of this type is especially unique. If other individual personality patterns have common features within the framework of their type of reaction, suggesting somewhat similar destinies, then this type of personality is each time unique in its own way, and therefore they are all not only different from others, but also have little in common with each other . Is it just that they are the most difficult to adapt to life, they are distinguished by the originality of their motivation and sphere of interests, which is largely away from everyday problems. They are sometimes mistakenly assessed as stress-resistant, and this is a serious misconception. It’s just that what worries most other people occupies an insignificant place in their hierarchy of values. If their true values ​​are affected, then extremely low stress resistance is revealed and maladjustment proceeds in the most irrational way. Therefore, type “8” individuals, deprived of the opportunity to fit into the social niche offered to them by circumstances, may turn out to be misunderstood, outcasts, eccentrics, who, without being taken seriously, are feared and avoided. Those of them who have extraordinary abilities evoke respect and admiration, bordering on mystical worship, since for an ordinary person they still remain a mystery. But their loyalty to their individuality and special life purpose serves as the basis for the formation of messianic attitudes. In their personal lives, they can be patiently adored, despite the fact that they are completely unsuited to family life: women like the “wives of the Decembrists,” believing in the higher purpose of their life partner, sacrifice both themselves and the well-being of the entire family for the sake of the one they worship . If the pedestal of greatness of such a “special person” collapses for some reason, he remains in splendid isolation. Most often, people of this type are lonely all their lives, sacrificing personal well-being for the sake of their special purpose. Due to their extremely high intuition and ability to think transcendentally (i.e., in global categories), among them there are often fortune tellers, psychics, healers who use alternative methods of treatment, specialists who deal with the mental state of a person: psychiatrists and psychologists, as well as theologians, philosophers, astrologers, populist psychotherapists, leaders of religious sects and informal social trends.

9th scale
The leading peak on the 9th scale - the optimism scale - in a profile in which the other scales are within the normal range (from 45 to 55 T), reflects the activity of the position, a high level of love of life, the subject’s self-confidence, positive self-esteem, and a penchant for jokes. and leprosy, high achievement motivation, but focused more on motor mobility and speech hyperactivity rather than on specific goals. The mood is high, but in response to opposition, an angry reaction easily flares up and just as easily fades away. Success causes a certain exaltation, an emotion of pride. Everyday difficulties are perceived as easily surmountable, otherwise the significance of the unattainable is easily devalued. There is no inclination to seriously delve into complex problems, carelessness prevails, a joyful perception of the whole world around us and one’s existence, brightness of hopes, confidence in the future, conviction of one’s happiness. An elevated 9th scale defines accentuation as a hyperthymic or exalted type and reveals inflated self-esteem, ease of decision-making, lack of particular discernment in contacts, unceremonious behavior, a condescending attitude towards one’s mistakes and shortcomings, easily occurring emotional outbursts with quick reactivity, inconstancy in affections , excessive laughter, falling in love - in a word, characteristics that are completely natural for adolescence, but sound like a well-known infantilism for an adult. Therefore, the 9"4-/2 type profile is a variant of the adolescent and youth norm, and in the profile of an adult it reflects the problem of emotional immaturity. Sometimes such a profile reveals a hypercompensatory reaction of the pseudomanic type with a tendency to deny problems in an objectively complex situation that threatens with serious consequences. We observed this type of reaction in hyperthymic individuals in the situation of a forensic examination after they had committed a serious crime, when, despite the very pessimistic prospect of their future fate, their state was characterized by bravado, exaltation, and conviction that they were right.As mentioned above, for the first time this the clinical group was identified as a pseudomanic syndrome within the reactive state in 1984, and psychologists and psychiatrists came to this conclusion independently.
Various authors have repeatedly noted a change in the usual pattern of the SMIL profile with a rise in the 5th and 9th scales under the influence of alcoholic euphoria, on the 10-14th day of therapeutic fasting (when an increase in mood is observed), as well as in persons in a state of love. In a situation of stress, persons with a leading 9th scale in their profile show excessive, but not always purposeful activity, and can imitate an authoritative leading personality. They exhibit a tropism for activities where they can realize physical and social activity, a craving for communication, and a desire to be visible.
At the same time, satiety with monotony occurs quite quickly, a tendency to change the place or type of activity appears, which is usually driven by a feeling of failure, the desire to search for a better option or simply novelty. With maladaptation, hypersthenic characteristics intensify, behavior acquires antisocial features (profile type 946 "8). Behavior correction is possible through an authoritative leader or the opinion of a reference group, taking into account such personality traits as increased vanity and instability of interests. Since low self-esteem is a technique that contradicts the basic attitude psychotherapy, then the work should be aimed at increasing the level of self-control and self-awareness, as well as along the path of channeling spontaneous activity into a socially useful channel. Imperative methods of influence are ineffective, joint cooperation based on the skillful imitation of trust and respect for the individual within the framework of pedagogical techniques brings greater success Makarenko. An increase in the 9th scale in profiles reflecting psychopathological variants of maladaptation gives a hint of agitation (for example, agitated anxiety 27""9"-/), or reflects a decrease in criticality 861""49"-/).
Profile type 94""3"-/70 reveals a hyperthymic psychopathic pattern with features of adventurism and a tendency towards pseudology.
In alcoholism, indicators of an elevated 9th scale reduce the prospects for successful treatment due to uncriticality and a relaxed attitude towards problems, and a tendency to deny the presence of alcoholism itself. In the structure of the general condition of patients who have suffered a myocardial infarction or contracted tuberculosis, a profile of the 49"-/ type reveals anosognosia and indicates the presence of a protective mechanism such as denial of problems, as well as hypercompensatory activation.
The most pronounced, grotesquely pointed model of the hypersthenic type of response is the profile of the hypomanic state - 9*4"6"-/278, characteristic of patients with manic-depressive psychosis in the manic phase. A simultaneous increase in the 9th and 2nd scales in a moderately elevated profile may mean a cyclothymic variant of personality accentuation, i.e. a tendency to autochthonous (not situationally conditioned) mood swings that occur with a certain frequency.
In the floating (highly raised) profile 27""13869"-/ or 13""24768"90-/5, reflecting a state of severe stress, the contradictory combination of a high 9th with a 2nd or 0th reveals the hypercompensatory involvement of various protective mechanisms and increased activity of the individual in search of a way out of a difficult situation, despite confusion, reduced mood and narrowing of the contact zone.
The combination 98"-/0 or 894"-/7 is characteristic of persons who are very unique in their views, interests and behavior, whose actions are unpredictable and uncontrollable, and whose egocentrism and independence are extremely sharpened.
Low scores on the 9th scale indicate a decrease in the level of optimism, love of life and activity. If there is a peak on the 2nd scale, then this profile reflects a particularly deep depressive mood (as a rule, the 0th scale is quite high), but if the peak on the 4th scale is also high, then due to increased impulsiveness Suicidal risk (S-risk) is especially pronounced here.
In neurotic and neurosis-like profiles, low scores on the 9th scale indicate increased fatigue and asthenia; apathy is usually detected by a combination of 82""0-/9 or 28""70"-/9. The depressive phase of MDP, involutional melancholia and endogenous depression within schizoaffective disorders are also manifested by a significant (below 40 T) decrease in the profile on the 9th scale. At the same time, compensatory or protective mechanisms are not expressed, i.e. the profile is an illustration of the most striking embodiment of the asthenic type of response with depressive experiences that occupy a central place in the structure of the clinical syndrome: 2*8""0-/9 or 82""70"- /:9. Hypochondriacal or paranoid inclusions are reflected by an increase in the corresponding scales (1st or 6th).
The properties revealed by the 9th scale can be life-altering only if maturity and a serious attitude towards life do not come to a person over the years: the play component in any areas of his activity remains dominant for the rest of his life, and the feeling never arises responsibility for yourself and loved ones. Typically, features characteristic of adolescence and early youth smooth out or disappear altogether in later years. An adult who belongs to type “9” is an incorrigible optimist, intoxicated by the joy of being: “the sea is knee-deep” and “jumping over one’s head” is a common thing for him. If something fails, then lies and boasting compensate for the damage caused to self-esteem, leaving it invariably high thanks to the powerful defense mechanism of “denial” of problems.. Literary images that reflect the general appearance of type “9” are Nozdryov from “Dead Souls” N V. Gogol and the well-known Baron Munchausen, who in difficult times can pull himself out of the water by his hair. Walking easily through life, personalities of this type are extremely sweet at a distance, but are incorrigibly irresponsible and unnecessary in family life and work. They can show sufficient (and even enviable) persistence and diligence only in activities that bring joy and completely coincide with their need for self-realization. Moreover, the desire to indulge immediate needs absolutely dominates any set aside goals and values ​​shifted to the future, which leads individuals of this type in their declining years to moral bankruptcy.

0 scale

An increased O-th scale (scale of “introversion”) aggravates hyposthenic manifestations and weakens (makes less obvious, noticeable) sthenic features. It reveals the passivity of the personal position and a greater focus of interests in the world of internal experiences (than outside) as a constant personality property (i.e. introversion) with increased and high indicators of the 0th scale in the norm profile. An increase in the 0th scale reflects a decrease in the level of involvement in the social environment and reveals a certain isolation and shyness. The 0th scale reacts with a slight increase (by 5-7 T) when a person experiences difficulties in establishing relationships in connection with the process of getting used to a new microgroup or in connection with a serious interpersonal conflict. With pronounced accentuation according to the type of introverted personality, a high (65-70 T) 0 scale reflects inertia in decision making, secrecy, selectivity in contacts, the desire to avoid conflicts at the cost of a significant narrowing of the scope of interpersonal contacts. In a situation of stress - inhibition, avoidance of contacts, escape from problems into loneliness (escape). High indicators reflect not only isolation and taciturnity, but are often a sign of internal disharmony and a way of hiding the originality of one’s character and awkwardness in communication from others. Sometimes, at first glance, these people can give the impression of being quite sociable, but this comes at the cost of significant stress, which only they themselves know about.
If the 0th scale is the only peak in the profile, then in women this indicates modesty, commitment to family interests, social compliance, and in men it reveals a typical Jungian version of introversion, the attributes of which are inertia of mental functions, rigidity of attitudes, subjectivism, irritability, isolation .
In combination with the 2nd, 7th and 8th, an increase in the 0th (65 T and above) reveals a weakening of social contacts, isolation and alienation. A high 0 (70 T and above), especially in a profile like 80"-/9, reflects the problem of autism. People around them usually know little about people with a high 0, and their sthenic features and originality are smoothed out and made less noticeable. Thus , the qualities of this scale are directly opposite to the properties of the 9th, which enhances the characteristics of the sthenic register.
Low scores on the 0th scale, on the contrary, demonstrate not only sociability and lack of shyness, but also ease in flaunting their characterological characteristics.
Data on the 0th scale below 40 T reveal illegibility in contacts, excessive sociability, bordering on importunity with a high 9th scale in the profile. Correcting the behavior of people with a high 0 scale is difficult due to their isolation and lack of frankness, and is possible only in a situation where the patient’s trust has been gained. Although they agree with many things and do not argue, in fact they are little susceptible to external influence. They rarely act as a leader. The choice of professional activity is revealed by other profile indicators, but their tendency to limit contacts must be taken into account.

Of all the trends identified by the SMIL profile, the 0th scale hides from prying eyes rather than reveals a person’s individuality. The fate of a person of type “0” is strongly dependent on any other leading tendency, since the signs inherent in the 0th scale in their pure form are characteristic only of a person who has completely moved away from the “worldly vanity”, a hermit who has refused any contact with the surrounding world. If this happens after everyday tragedies and a dramatic break with society, then escape is somehow associated with painful experiences, which are an echo of emotional storms and are manifested by different indicators of the SMIL profile, in addition to the 0th scale. If the departure from active social life is primary, due to the initial rejection of the world as it is, if the world of one’s own soul is in fact not at all connected by community with the environment, then this is type “0”, a lonely traveler who does not need to someone wanted to share his loneliness with him. There is no point in describing the social role here, since this is a position outside of society. These are people who have refused to realize their own destiny within the framework of the world as it really exists.
This is the interpretation of the basic (main) scales of the SMIL methodology.

Profile analysis.

Knowing the personal characteristics and characteristics of states that are determined by individual scales, as well as taking into account their influence on each other, you can move on to a holistic assessment of the profile. First of all, the profile should be considered through the prism of the subject’s attitude towards the testing procedure, which is revealed by the ratio of the reliability scales and the height of their indicators.
One should be wary of smoothed profiles in which scales contrasting in their content are almost at the same level, and the indicators of the K or L scale are quite high. When F is high, the height of the profile may be due to various reasons given earlier, but in any case the profile will be sharpened and inflated, which must be taken into account when interpreting.

If there is an increase within the normative range of the 1st and 3rd scales with a relatively low 2nd and without a significant increase in the profile on other scales, you should pay attention to the L and K indicators. If they are elevated (above 60 T, or more than 7 T is higher than the F scale), then most likely we are talking about the subject’s tendency to “show himself in the best light”, about the desire to deny any difficulties and problems, about an attitude towards improving results, about an attempt to give “supernormal” answers and emphasize his friendliness , conformity, altruism, while in fact this can only be a facade behind which various problems and a different character are hidden. In such subjects, sometimes on the “?” may be quite high. The interpretation of such a profile comes down to stating the presence of an attitude towards compliance with normativity; the profile itself (especially if it is submerged on four to five scales) is regarded as “hypernormal”. The examination is worth repeating. In a reliable profile, interpretation is carried out according to general rules, while the characteristic of the 3rd scale absorbs the properties of the 1st, since the emotional brightness of its signs neutralizes the restraint reflected by the 1st scale. Only the predominance of the 1st over the 3rd by 5 T or more gives grounds to focus on the interpretation of the 1st scale.

The combination of 1st with elevated (or high) 2nd, 6th, 7th, 8th and 0th with low 9th reflects the problem of suppressed hostility and is characteristic of the so-called “ulcerative personality type”, characterized by pedantry, dogmatic style of thinking, increased irritability, distance, demandingness both to oneself and to others in matters of morality, duty, responsibility. With high efficiency, integrity and honesty in work, they show petty despotism in contacts of a narrow circle, are secretive, awkward and constrained in communication, the tone of statements is edifying, external rigidity is combined with internally felt tension and vulnerability in relation to environmental influences. Successful social adaptation is a well-balanced relationship between a person’s egocentric needs and the requirements of the social environment. An absolutely balanced, harmonious personality is distinguished by a complete balance of a moderately expressed tendency towards self-realization with good self-control, ensuring full compliance with the regulatory requirements of the environment. The more pronounced a person’s character and individuality are, the greater the load falls on the function of control systems that maintain balance. This is the main difference between a concordant and a discordant personality: in the latter, the external attributes of normative behavior hide internal tension. The price that an individual “pays” for meeting the requirements of society can be quite high.

If the “I” of an individual is destroyed by the pressure of society and self-realization of the individual does not occur (needs are not satisfied, abilities are not realized), then neuroticization occurs, reflected in the profile by the predominance of hypothymic, inhibited traits. If the balance is disturbed due to weakened self-control towards spontaneous self-realization, then the clash of interests of a self-affirming individual with the demands of society is reflected in behavioral reactions, manifested in the profile by the predominance of hyperthymic signs. The price of this imbalance is mainly paid for by the difficulties of society. If both mechanisms for maintaining balance are involved simultaneously, then we observe the implementation of a psychosomatic mechanism, manifested by physical disorders of various kinds.

For the convenience of a holistic interpretation of the scale profile, the methods should be grouped in such a way that, based on the leading peaks, it is possible to first determine in general the main type of response, and then, based on the values ​​of the scales, identify the individual personality characteristics and level of adaptation of the subject. The 2nd, 7th and 0th scales reflect the properties of the hyposthenic type of response and indicate the predominance of inhibited character traits. If in the profile these scales significantly prevail over others, then conformity, social pliability, normativity of the individual, and refusal of self-realization are revealed. In any profile reflecting a personality’s reaction to a traumatic situation, the configuration with the leading scales of the hyposthenic register reveals a neurotic variant of maladjustment or decompensation of the personality in the direction of strengthening inhibited reactions. The 4th, 6th and 9th scales form the sthenic type of response and allow one to describe the personality in terms of activity, strength, and the predominance of excitable traits.

A moderate increase in these scales in the profile indicates a pronounced tendency towards self-realization and resistance to environmental influence. If the height of the profile indicates a violation of adaptation, then the variant of maladaptation corresponding to this type of response is manifested by behavioral reactions of an asocial or antisocial orientation. This may be conflict behavior, non-conformity, authoritarianism and the desire for dominance, an increased sense of independence and repulsion from imposed authorities (including problems of the puberty period). High rates of the hypersthenic profile may also reflect the problem of alcoholism, drug addiction, and delinquent behavior.

A combination of multidirectional trends, i.e. indicators of both hypo- and hypersthenic properties, reveals a mixed type of response, in which a high need for self-realization is combined with equally high self-control and a tendency to inhibit and restrain behavioral reactions. In this case, the channels of both neurotic and behavioral responses are blocked, which affects the general overstrain and is manifested by the somatization of the internal conflict, i.e. psychosomatic variant of maladjustment, the target of which will be the weakest link of one or another functional system human body.

Indicators of the 1st and 3rd scales already bear the characteristics of a mixed type of response, regardless of the rest of the profile structure, since they reflect the problem of suppressed hostility. Their presence in the profile, as a rule, reveals a mixed type of response, and other profile indicators only Additional Information. Having determined the reliability of the data obtained and the perspective that allows us to examine the profile itself through the prism of the attitudes identified in the subject, after the general type of response has been identified, attention should be paid to the degree of adaptation of the individual. A recessed profile may be the result of insincerity in answers (the reliability scale will indicate this), but it may also indicate a certain hypoemotionality of the subject, the lethargy of his reactions, a reduced level of achievement motivation, and a narrowed range of interests.

A normal, harmonious personality can be manifested by indicators of a linear profile, in which all properties are balanced and none of them is more pronounced than the others. But balance can also be manifested by the balance of multidirectional tendencies with increased indicators, which creates the ground for a certain tension in an internally contradictory personality pattern; however, externally, the efforts at the cost of which a person achieves self-compensation may be invisible or appear extremely rarely. Therefore, in a profile that is at the upper limit of the norm or slightly exceeds it, a state borderline between normal and pathological is revealed - be it the everyday difficulties of an accentuated personality or the sharpening of personal characteristics in an objectively difficult situation.

Understanding the problems behind these indicators should be based on the relationship between scales that reveal a hyposthenic, sthenic or mixed type of response, on the characteristics of different scales and their mutual influence on each other, strengthening or weakening the tendencies behind them. In a high-lying profile, when interpreting, we are primarily interested in peaks that take the profile contour beyond the normal limits. They determine the state of the subject and show the level of personal disintegration, revealing the structure of the leading syndrome, the degree of expression of emotional stress, and the affective intensity of the subject’s experiences.

When interpreting a profile, a psychologist should not be confused by contradictory data associated with equally high scores on scales of opposite meaning. If normally balance is achieved by the fact that each individual personal tendency is balanced by an equally moderately expressed anti-tendency, then with difficult adaptation, compensation is achieved by the fact that a strongly expressed, accentuated leading tendency is opposed by an anti-tendency as a protective, compensatory reaction. Real maladaptation occurs when the leading, sharply strengthened tendency is not balanced or compensated by an anti-tendency. The more pronounced the peaks and the smaller the accompanying rises in the scales, reflecting trends opposite to a given peak, the more reason there is to talk about the established structure of the subject’s attitude to the current situation, about chronic mental maladaptation, as well as about a deficiency of compensatory resources of the individual. On the contrary, a floating profile, in which most scales are located above the upper limit of the norm, indicates a state of general stress, in which various protective mechanisms are involved and multiple compensatory functions of mental activity are strained, aimed at leveling maladaptation. And although mental tension increases, prognostically this profile is more promising in terms of normalizing the condition, especially when it comes to psychogenic borderline disorders. In any case, the diagnostic aspects of assessing the condition should be based on longitudinal data, that is, on a comparative analysis of repeated studies using the SMIL test. Gives us even greater objectivity for resolving diagnostic issues comparative analysis data from a comprehensive study using other methods, including traditional experimental psychological ones, which give us an idea of ​​the state of an individual’s mental functions.

At the same time, moderately elevated profiles (65-75T), combining a variety of scales reflecting the severity of multidirectional tendencies, may be the result of neurotic (if hyposthenic register scales predominate) or pathocharacterological (if sthenic signs predominate) development. At the same time, the increases accompanying the leading peaks are a reflection of the compensatory tension of secondary defense mechanisms. All these nuances become interesting for those specialists who already have experience working with this technique.

Profile graphic.

The interpretation of the data obtained is, to a certain extent, subject to discussion with the subject or those persons on whom the fate of the examined depends. It must be remembered that any at first glance flattering description, as well as other overly harsh epithets, represent a rather one-sided interpretation of a particular phenomenon. Each personal property is dialectical and reflects both the “front” and “back side of the coin” of the personal portrait. The characteristics revealed by one or another scale carry different meanings and can be viewed differently both in the context of interpersonal relationships and in the sphere of professional activity. Stubbornness and pedantry simultaneously carry such positive qualities as stability of interests and competitiveness; increased anxiety, along with timidity in decision-making, is manifested by conscientiousness and empathy in relationships with others, etc.
In this regard, when interpreting, special attention should be paid to ensure that the profile description is not clearly evaluative in nature, i.e., does not look like a review of the bad and good qualities of an individual and does not harm the person in the eyes of others.

A person is never bad or good depending only on what type of nervous activity he has - strong or weak, or on what style of cognitive or behavioral activity he has - holistic, communicative, or formal-logical, introverted. People are simply different, and whether a person is bad or good is a category of situational assessment of his actions by others and depends entirely on the moral attitudes of society, the established cultural and historical values ​​of a particular group of the population. Outside of these conditions, a person is what he is, and he (with the exception of gross pathology) has no intentions of doing evil to other people. If he does this, then, most often, he defends his interests, which justifies his “bad” actions and statements, painfully and negatively perceiving criticism addressed to him. The more selfish a person acts, the more often and more strongly he risks infringing on the interests of other people.
One cannot help but recall lines from the diary of young Anne Frank. As a victim of fascist genocide, she died in one of the concentration camps during World War II. The tragedy of her life is difficult to exaggerate. And yet she wrote: “Despite everything, I still believe that people, deep down, are truly good.” Often, sthenicity, which develops into aggression and manifests itself in harsh actions or statements, is a manifestation of hypercompensatory reactions of a person who is unhappy in his own way. At the same time, people rarely think about the fact that their harshness can often manifest itself in relation to innocent people as an unreacted defensive reaction to an insult coming from a completely different source. It should always be borne in mind that every “bad” person has a positive internal picture of his own “I”, and he always finds justification for his bad actions. If the picture of “I” is reduced to the image of a “bad” or worthless person, then such experiences can lead to auto-aggression, that is, to suicidal tendencies. For fruitful cooperation with the subjects (and this is what a psychologist needs in order for his work to bring positive results and professional satisfaction), in the process of discussing the results obtained, the following immutable rule must be observed: it is necessary to maintain a sufficiently high self-esteem of a person, since this is an indispensable condition for his normal existence. This is what psychotherapist Carl Rogers, famous throughout the world for the humaneness of his approach, argued. This is confirmed by the experience accumulated in domestic psychology. It should be remembered that the inflated but unstable self-esteem of impulsive, excitable accentuators or psychopathic individuals also obeys the general rule, since this often hides self-doubt and an inept attempt to hide one’s own complexes, and aggressiveness is hypercompensatory in nature. Even in a person whose personality portrait, according to SMIL data, is characterized by leading anxiety-depressive and introverted characteristics and looks like a melancholy complaint and a call for help, crushed by circumstances, an unfortunate loser who does not believe in himself, prone to self-deprecation, declaring readiness for suicide, there is always a hidden hope. He hopes for the restoration of his “I”, for an increase in social status and the return of positive self-esteem, which actually exists and, like a float, pushes the sinking personality construct upward. Otherwise, why would he complain, to whom would he appeal for help, if he were completely confident in his worthlessness and did not hope for anything?

The ethics of psychological research stipulate that the data obtained should serve the interests of the person being examined and not cause harm to him. Otherwise, the trust shown by the examined person in relation to the psychologist will not be justified or will be completely undermined, and psychology itself will be discredited in the eyes of people.

Psychodiagnostics is a subtle and double-edged weapon; it can do a lot - that’s why it’s necessary, but that’s also why it’s dangerous. Only those who are responsible for the continuous improvement of their professional skills, strict and demanding of themselves and others when choosing not only a testing tool, but also the means of realizing its effect, are able to truly help people and be honored to bear the name of “engineer of human souls” from science.

With the most skillful interpretation, it should be remembered that, in addition to the 10% of unreliable profiles that accompany any study, in which motivational distortions are determined by reliability scales, as a rule, there are at least 5% of formally reliable, but, thanks to the cunning of those surveyed, insufficiently sincere or far-fetched profiles that sound in a certain sense, dissonance in relation to the data of other psychological methods and observed objective reality. Such profiles can be encountered when examining individuals with sufficiently high intelligence in a situation where the test results may be of particular significance for their future fate.

Particular attention should be paid to the combination of objectively existing problems with simulative tendencies. Such profiles occur during sursimulation. This is a tendency towards simulation in a person with an existing mental pathology, which he does not recognize or which he treats without sufficient criticism. However, due to protective tendencies, he has a certain degree of preservation to pretend to be sick within the framework of his idea of ​​a particular disease. At the same time, in the contours of the profile one can see violations of the patterns of the declared pathology. Thus, the actually experienced state of psychogenic stress, reflected in the profile in the form of signs corresponding in severity to the characteristics of an emotionally intact personality, when trying to simulate schizophrenia, can be intertwined with artificially interspersed indicators of emotional coldness, autism, and impaired perception. And vice versa: signs of personality changes characteristic of schizophrenia can be combined with declared excessive anxiety, depressive symptoms, and hypochondriacal focus on imaginary physical disorders.
Considering the nature of the requirement of verbal techniques, one should always remember that they can provoke in the subject a rather sophisticated defensive reaction to the examination procedure. Therefore, relying only on data from the SMIL technique (or another version of MMPI), one should not count on a reliability higher than 75%. The reliability of psychological testing increases if a battery of test techniques is used. The use of verbal techniques in combination with nonverbal ones is especially effective. Not all of them are sufficiently formalized and standardized methods, but psychological research has always been and will remain to a certain extent an art, and the methodology is just a tool that only in skillful hands helps to reveal the image of a person. At the same time, strict standardization, while increasing the reliability of the method, simultaneously reduces the area of ​​research search, leaving outside the scope of the experiment a significant number of variations in personality patterns that are not included in the structure of the mathematical model of the method. An excellent addition to the SMIL test, which mainly reveals the internal picture of the individual “I,” are: the method of portrait selections MPV, based on a modification of the Szondi test of eight drives, the method color choices MCV (adapted Luscher eight-color test), as well as the drawn apperception thematic test PAT (modification of the Murray Thematic Apperception Test).

The least stable are the individual personal characteristics of children and adolescents. Due to excessive emotiveness, some features reflecting ambition and self-confidence in 16-20-year-old youth are not sufficiently controlled. Therefore, these SMIL techniques, which outline a fairly objective picture of a person’s conscious “I,” must be compared with what nonverbal tests aimed at identifying unconscious tendencies will reveal. However, having received such a multifaceted portrait of individual personal properties, do we have the right to consider the complex structure of what we generally call personality to be fully studied? At this moment, that aspect of mental individuality that is directly related to the learned socio-historical experience of one’s ethnic group, one’s social environment and those moral criteria that are the basis of any particular community becomes more relevant than ever. With an individually determined tropism towards certain types of activities, certain values ​​and social circles, a person can really turn only to those of them that are available to him, about which he knows something, that surround him. Taking into account the internalized social attitudes and cultural and historical experience gleaned by the individual in his environment, the psychologist forms complete picture personality.

Many modern scientists deny the possibility of including adaptive reactions in the personality structure. However, it is adaptation to real environmental conditions that shapes personality, revealing its individual style. At first, these are only primitive reactions of a defensive nature, manifesting themselves as properties of innate temperament. Then a set of habitual forms of response in interaction with the immediate environment forms character. Already at this level of personality development, individual properties are involved - the individual style of cognitive activity, motivation, emotions and interpersonal behavior, that is, those basic personality properties that determine a person’s individuality, which we call leading tendencies. More high levels A person’s personality and social orientation are also formed and hardened in the struggle for their own self-realization with a resistant environment, regardless of what social formation structures the society in which a particular person lives. At the same time, adaptive mechanisms, manifesting themselves as a dynamic, individually outlined personality pattern, constitute a form of personality manifestation in different situations. The substantive essence of personality - the hierarchy of values, educational level, professional and social activities also largely depend on those stylistic individual-personal characteristics, which representatives of fundamental approaches in psychology somewhat disparagingly classify purely as emotional-dynamic properties.

The formalized data of a psychodiagnostic study using the SMIL method quite clearly outlines that basic pattern, that outline of a person’s psychological essence, along which fate embroiders its complex pattern. But no matter how much upbringing, social restrictions, the influence of the environment and the culture of an ethnic group are layered on the typological basis, the individual style of response permeates all types of human activity. Individual style is especially pronounced in a situation that is perceived by the individual as a threat to life or self-esteem.

SMIL 566 - MMPI test. Method Minnesota Multidimensional Personality Inventory. Standardized multifactorial method personality research, Sobchik L.N.

4.75 Rating 4.75 (2 Votes)

STANDARDIZED MULTIFACTOR METHOD FOR RESEARCHING PERSONALITY - SMILE

(ADAPTED MMPI TEST) L.N. SOBCHIK.

Standardized Multifactorial Personality Test SMI (modified mmpi test) Introductory remarks

The SMIL technique, in terms of its significance and effectiveness, can rightfully be called the “heavy artillery” of psychodiagnostics. And not because some specialists, who are little familiar with the technique, consider it cumbersome and time-consuming: in fact, it is about an hour of work by the person being examined (in this case, the psychologist may not even be present) and 10 minutes to calculate the data. The main thing is that after this, the psychologist receives a multifaceted portrait of a person, including, in addition to quantitative and qualitative characteristics of stable professionally important properties, a rich range of such structural components of the personality as motivational orientation, self-esteem, style of interpersonal behavior, gender-role status, character traits, type of response to stress, defense mechanisms , cognitive style, leading needs, mood background, sexual orientation, degree of adaptation of the individual and possible type of maladaptation, presence of mental disorders, severity of leadership traits, suicidal tendencies, predisposition to alcoholism, etc. At the same time, the great advantage of this technique is the presence in its structure reliability scales, which make it possible to determine not only the reliability of the results, but also the attitude of the subject towards the examination procedure itself. This makes it possible to interpret the data obtained through the prism of tendencies toward exaggerating existing problems or smoothing them out, identified using reliability scales.

The standardized multifactorial personality research method SMIL is a modification of the MMPI test, created in 1942-49. for the purpose of professional selection of pilots during the Second World War. The authors are American psychologists I. McKinley and S. Hathaway. This is a quantified (quantitative) method of personality assessment, which, thanks to the automated method of processing survey results, eliminates the dependence of the results obtained on the subjectivity and experience of the experimenter. The high reliability of the technique, the presence of reliability scales and the multifactorial nature of interpretation have created the basis for the wide popularity of this technique in different countries of the world.

The creation of the test questionnaire was based on a quantitative comparison of the answers received in a psychological interview with representatives of the normative group with the typical answers of patients in whom one or another syndrome clearly predominated in the picture of clinical disorders: hypochondria, depression, hysteria, psychopathy, psychasthenia, paranoia, schizophrenia, hypomania. These names were given to the corresponding scales measured by the methodology. This principle of constructing psychological methods was used by many psychologists who imagined the personal characteristics of the norm as a “diluted” pathology. The famous Russian psychologist B.V. Zeigarnik justified this approach, arguing that the pathological state is a sharpened model of the norm. Everything that is balanced and smoothed out in a mentally healthy person manifests itself in the form of a grotesque in a patient - sharply and nakedly. The MMPI test, developed by American psychologists, is still mainly used in America as a differential diagnostic method. An improved version of the MMPI, the SMIL test, is primarily aimed at studying personality, since many years of experience in using the technique have shown that it reveals to a greater extent the outline of psychologically understandable experiences and personality traits than diagnoses psychopathology.

Many years of experience in studying personality traits in different professional groups have shown that these SMIL techniques can provide significant assistance in identifying stable professionally important personal traits. In addition, the technique has already become widespread among sociologists, doctors and psychologists involved in family counseling, suicidology, psychotherapy, alcoholism, psychosomatics, the study of personnel reserves, management problems, as well as in sports psychology, forensics, law, the Army, in military and civil aviation, in the Ministry of Internal Affairs, in employment centers, in schools, gymnasiums, colleges and in the field of higher education.

In the work of a practical psychologist, SMIL data allows us to understand the reasons for some turns in the fate of a particular person, directly related to his individual personal characteristics, character, style of communication with others, and his ability to self-realization.

In connection with the readaptation of the methodology and the expansion of the scope of its application, the author of the modified version gave new names to most of the basic scales of the methodology, corresponding to their psychological essence, respectively: 1st scale - the scale of “neurotic overcontrol”, 2nd - “pessimism”, 3- I - “emotional lability”, 4th - “impulsivity”, 6th - “rigidity”, 7th - “anxiety”, 8th - “individualism”, 9th - “optimism and activity”. The names of two scales have not changed: 5th - “femininity-masculinity scale” and 0th - “social introversion scale”. As for almost two hundred additional scales that are not included in the construction of a personality profile, their names did not change after restandardization. These scales, compared to the profile of the basic scales, are much easier to interpret; basically, their essence is reflected by the very name of each scale. They have been developed by different authors in connection with different applied problems and can be used in addition to the main profile scales. As for the basic scales, they form a holistic personality profile, reflecting a portrait of the individual in all its complexity and diversity. Each additional scale only adds to this portrait a certain quality, which, refracted through a personal image, can acquire one or another sound.

The SMIL profile is the broken line that connects the quantitative indicators of 10 basic scales. Adjacent to it is a small profile of reliability scales: the "?" scale. shows how many of the questionnaire statements fell into the “don’t know” response category. The "L" scale - the "Lies" scale - shows how sincere the subject was during the testing process. The "F" scale - the "credibility" scale - shows the level of reliability of the data obtained, depending on his frankness and willingness to cooperate. Scale “K” - the “correction” scale reveals the degree of distortion of the profile under the influence of the subject’s closeness. Depending on the indicators of these scales, the profile is recognized as reliable or unreliable, and its features are considered through the prism of the subject’s attitudes in relation to the examination procedure.

The technique is presented to the subject in the form of a booklet containing 566 statements (the shortened version, which allows one to obtain a personality profile, but without additional scales, contains 360 statements). Why does the questionnaire contain statements rather than questions? Because a person answers questions of interest to a psychologist more sincerely if they are in the form of a statement. In such a situation, a person feels himself analyzing his “I”, as if alone with himself, and this contributes to greater frankness than the interrogative form, which sounds like an interrogation

Statements are of a different nature, depending on what area of ​​​​human problems they cover. Most of them are aimed at identifying character traits, the style of communication with others, and reflect the subjective preferences and tastes of the person being examined, his views on different life values , features of emotional reactions, assessment of one’s own well-being and a number of physiological functions, mood background, etc. It is not the sentiment of the statement itself that is important. This is just a standard set of experimentally simulated situations to which different people react differently. What is important is the selectivity of the answers, which ultimately outlines the individual and personal properties of a particular person. The analysis of the results is not based on studying the meaning of the subject’s answers, but on a statistical procedure for calculating data, during which the quantitative dispersion of different answer options is revealed in relation, on the one hand, to the average normative average, and on the other, to the pathological sharpness of the psychological factor containing in essence, one or another individual-personal tendency. Most of the statements sound so that the subject, when answering, does not always understand how this characterizes him, which greatly complicates the desire to “improve” or “worse” the results of the examination. At first glance, the technique allows us to outline the subjective internal picture of the “I” of the person being examined. In reality, thanks to the partly projective sound of many statements, the experiment also reveals those psychological aspects that are not realized by a person or are only partially amenable to the control of consciousness. Therefore, only with statistically unreliable data is the personality profile distorted so much that it makes no sense to interpret it. Within the framework of reliable data, even in the presence of trends that influence the strengthening or smoothing of the profile pattern, the interpretation reflects the true picture of the personality. At the same time, a very differentiated gradation of the degree of expression of different personal characteristics in their complex combination is possible, when not only high indicators are taken into account, but also their relationship with low indicators. At the same time, a deviation from the average normative indicators, more than twice the mean square error, reveals an excessive degree of expression of a particular personality trait, taking it beyond a fairly wide (from 30 to 70 standard T points) corridor of normative variation. Such data do not necessarily indicate pathology. A state of stress, an objectively difficult situation, physical illness - all this can cause a state of temporary maladjustment. Therefore, the interpretation of the data obtained must be carried out in accordance with all the information available about the subject, not to mention the fact that for an adequate idea of ​​the subject it does not hurt to look at him. “Blind” interpretation can only be used for research purposes, when the reliability of the methodology is checked, as well as in large-scale surveys, when not the personality of an individual is interpreted, but some generalized trends of large groups.

In the modified version, 26 statements were identified from the questionnaire, which turned out to be ballast: they not only misled and shocked the respondents, but also provoked inadequate answers. Basically, these are statements that “work” on the “F” reliability scale and the 8th “F” scale. schizophrenia". Thus, the statement “I often see people, animals and other objects that other people around me do not see” provoked the answer “true” from those who, by occupation (for example, athletes) travel a lot to different countries, while the statement aimed at identifying perceptual disorders.

Questionnaires in a modified form are divided into male, female and adolescent versions, the difference of which is reflected only in the form of presentation of some statements. The keys with which raw scores are calculated on each scale, the correction of raw indicators to form a personality profile in standard T indicators, as well as the interpretation scheme are absolutely identical for all forms of the questionnaire, except for some differences in the processing of data on the 5th scale in men and women profile. There are also full (566) and shortened (360) questionnaires, the only difference between which, in addition to volume, is that the shortened version does not allow you to obtain indicators on additional test scales.

The profile sheets of the adult and adolescent versions differ only depending on the sex of the subject in the standards for a number of basic and most additional scales. Therefore, it is very important that the specialist is convinced of this before starting work. that the questionnaire itself, the keys, the profile sheets, and, finally, the interpretive approach belong to the same author. They differ both from the original (MMPI) and from SMIL developed at the All-Russian Research Institute of Neurology and Psychiatry. Ankylosing spondylitis Standardized clinical questionnaire SKLO and adapted by F.B. Berezin and M.P. Miroshnikov MMIL. Incomparable in all respects with the SMIL method is a questionnaire with 71 statements, a clinically oriented Mini-Multi, developed by the Swedish psychologist Kincannon and adapted in the Russian version by V.P. Zaitsev and V.N. Kozyulya.

As experience shows, the methodology is mainly designed for examining a contingent of adults (from 16 to 80 years old) with completed primary education (7-8 grades of secondary school) with intact intelligence. Due to the fact that the author of the book, together with teachers B.N. Kodess and T.V. Kodess, developed and adapted the teenage version of SMIL in 1984, the boundaries of application of the technique have expanded somewhat. If the usual adult version has been widely and effectively used for many years in the practice of career counseling when examining high school students aged 16-17 years, the teenage version has been successfully used in recent years when studying children of a slightly younger age, starting from 12 years of age (subject to good general development). It is noted that unreliable results are often directly dependent not so much on the subject’s distorted attitude towards examination, but on poor understanding of the content of statements, which may be associated, firstly, with insufficiently developed verbal intelligence, and secondly, with poor knowledge of the Russian language Therefore, in regions where people speak a different language, the methodology should be translated into their native language, but at the same time it is also necessary to restandardize the quantitative basis of the methodology, since regulatory standards may have their own regional differences

The examination procedure requires compliance with the following conditions: the subject should not be wary of the purposes of the study; he may claim certain information about the test results; An experimental psychologist or consultant is obliged, first of all, to respect the interests of the person being examined and never to interpret survey data to his detriment, since the role of a psychologist in society mainly comes down to protecting a person in every sense of the word. If this rule is violated, people will lose confidence in the psychologist and further psychological research will become impossible. The rest follows from this: the interpretation of the data obtained should be carried out from the standpoint of a psychotherapeutic, gentle approach. Each individual personal property usually carries both positive and negative information. Therefore, it is always possible to start an interview by highlighting positive characteristics, and then, against this background, highlight those characteristics and personality traits that create certain difficulties and negatively affect a person’s fate. But this should be done carefully and precisely in the style that is optimal for a given individual (see the correctional approach for each of the elevated scales in the profile).

An excellent program that includes two techniques at once - SMIL(Standardized Multivariate Personality Research Method) and eight-color M. Luscher test.

Having passed full version SMIL (Standardized Multifactorial Personality Research Method), based on MMPI questionnaire(Minnesota Multifactor Personality Questionnaire), you will have a complete picture of your personal characteristics, receive a detailed text description of the result and, of course, the personality profile itself in the form of a graph.

The Luscher color test is also aimed at studying a person’s personal characteristics and assessing his emotional state.

The program is very convenient, allows you to maintain a database of subjects (subjects) and can be useful not only for those interested in psychology, but also for professionals.

Standardized multifactorial method of personality research (SMIL) - adapted MMPI test

The SMIL technique is the most popular of all psychodiagnostic tests used in clinical practice.

As a result of the study, the doctor or psychologist receives multifaceted personality drawing(in the context of a state determined by the current situation) or the structure of painful changes woven into the fabric of personal characteristics. Interpretation of the data obtained during the examination allows us to assess the motivational sphere, level of self-esteem, style of interpersonal behavior, character traits, type of response to stress, defense mechanisms, cognitive style, driving needs, mood background, sexual problems, suicidal tendencies, etc.

The great advantage of this technique is the presence in its structure reliability scales(the “lie” scale L, the actual “reliability” scale F and the “correction” scale K), which make it possible to determine not only the reliability of the results, but also the attitude of the subject towards the examination procedure itself. This makes it possible to consider the test results through the prism of trends identified using reliability scales towards exaggerating existing problems or smoothing them out.

The standardized multifactorial personality research method is a modification of a popular test all over the world. MMPI, created by American psychologists I. McKinley And S. Hathaway. This is a quantified (quantitative) method of personality assessment, which, thanks to in an automated way processing the survey results allows you to maximally avoid the dependence of the obtained data on the subjectivity and experience of the experimenter (this refers to the calculation, and not the interpretation itself, the correctness of which is higher, the better trained and more experienced the psychologist).

The goal that the creators of the original test set for themselves was to develop a system discrete values allowing differentiate pathological manifestations from the norm. Relying on nosological approach of Kraepelin, the authors of the original test constructed, using statistical analysis of empirically collected data, ten diagnostically significant scales, on which the average normative level, conventionally designated as 50 standard divisions (T), was compared with answers quantitatively more than twice the standard deviation from the average normative level (50T ± 20T , that is, above 70T or below 30T).

Time has revealed the conventionality of nosological boundaries, and the interpretive approach of the MMPI authors turned out to be very primitive and incomplete. The rigid framework of the Crepellin nosological scheme, on which I. McKinley and S. Hathaway based their interpretation, as experience has shown, is too narrow for a real picture of the clinical diversity of mental disorders with their numerous atypical and transitional forms. The conceptual personal approach was completely absent.

The interpretation of the modified and restandardized MMPI test, which in the new version received the name SMIL, is a much more differentiated approach based on the theory of leading tendencies and the corresponding individual-personal typology.

The basis of interpretation instead of that used by American psychologists discrete approach laid continuum approach, subtly differentiating transitional states and personal characteristics between normal and pathological conditions.

To avoid psychopathological categoricalness, the names of the scales were changed in such a way that it became possible to gradedly assess the degree of manifestation of a particular tendency: moderate indicators reflect characterological properties, increased - accentuation of personality, high peaks reveal pronounced psychopathic traits or clinical register symptoms.

The methodology questionnaire is a set of statement questions. If answers are received to 566 of them (full version), then the result reveals not only the SMIL profile, which gives a personality portrait when interpreted, but also indicators of almost 200 additional scales that play a clarifying role. The shortened version contains 398 statements. It allows you to get a personal portrait on basic scales, but does not provide information on additional ones.

The items in the SMIL questionnaire look like statements, not questions. The person being examined, answering on behalf of his “I,” as if alone with himself, analyzes his character and the characteristics of his condition.

Most of the basic scales of the methodology, instead of purely clinical names, were given new ones that correspond to their psychological essence and do not provoke the hanging of psychiatric labels in cases where we are talking about accentuation of personality or character traits.

SMIL profile- this is the broken line that connects the quantitative indicators of ten basic scales. The highest indicators appear in the form of profile peaks. Usually they serve as the main object of interpretation. However, it is impossible not to take into account both the increases accompanying the peak and the low indicators of other scales.

As a result of the work carried out, domestic standards were obtained for both basic and additional scales.

In the profile sheet, reflecting the relationships between the indicators of the basic scales, 50T is the line of a statistically verified “norm”, from which indicators are counted both upward (increase) and downward (decrease).

The spread of indicators ranging from 30 to 70T determines a fairly wide range of the so-called normal corridor.

Increases on the SMIL scales in the range of 56 - 66T reveal those leading trends that determine characterological characteristics of the individual.

Higher indicators of different basic scales (67 - 75T) highlight those accentuated features, which at times complicate a person’s socio-psychological adaptation.

Indicators above 75T indicate impaired adaptation and about the deviation of the individual’s condition from normal. These can be psychopathic character traits, a state of stress caused by an extreme situation, neurotic disorders and, finally, psychopathology, the presence of which can only be judged by a pathopsychologist or psychiatrist - based on the totality of data from psychodiagnostic, experimental psychological and clinical studies.

Additional scales are usually used to clarify the results obtained using the basic scales of the technique.

Max Lüscher's eight-color test

This test is used to identify emotional and characterological basis of personality and subtle nuances of its current state.

To carry out the testing procedure you need: a set of colored cards (8 pcs.), a pen and a sheet for recording results.

Examination procedure: Shuffle the colored cards and place them with the colored surface facing up at approximately the same distance from each other.

After this, give the subject the following instructions: “From the suggested colors, choose the one you like best. At the same time, focus on the color as such, try not to associate it with any things - the color of the car, clothes that suit you, cosmetics, etc.”.

After the desired card is selected, it is removed to the side and placed with the colored side down. Next, you ask the subject to choose the most pleasant color from the remaining seven. The selected card must be placed with the colored side down to the right of the first one, and so on. Then rewrite the card numbers in laid out order.

After 2-3 minutes, mix the cards again and repeat the examination procedure. In this case, it is necessary to explain to the subject that the study is not aimed at studying memory, and he must choose colors as if he were seeing them for the first time.

Key notes:

1. The subject should adhere only to data that has been tested over many years color shades and has no right to imagine, for example, a lighter, more “beautiful” color.

2. Each color must be selected separately. Under no circumstances should you choose two or more colors at the same time as a beautiful color composition.

3. The subject must decide completely freely which of the proposed colors he likes or dislikes. At the same time, he should not be rushed into answering or helped with leading questions.

4. In no case should colors be chosen with the idea that they are suitable for clothing, curtains, etc.

Primary colors and their symbolic meaning:

№1. – Blue colour. Symbolizes calm, contentment, tenderness and affection.

No. 2. - green color. Symbolizes perseverance, self-confidence, stubbornness, self-respect.

No. 3. - Red color. Symbolizes willpower, activity, aggressiveness, offensiveness, authority, sexuality.

No. 4. – yellow color. Symbolizes activity, desire for communication, curiosity, originality, cheerfulness, ambition.

Additional colors and their symbolic meaning:

No. 5. – purple color, No. 6. – brown color, No. 7. – black color, No. 8. - grey colour.

These colors symbolize negative tendencies: anxiety, stress, fear, grief.

Data processing:

As a result of testing, we highlight the following positions: both of the most attractive colors receive a “+” sign, the second pair – pleasant colors – have an “x” sign, the third pair – indifferent colors – are indicated by an “=” sign and the fourth pair – unattractive colors – receive a “” sign. -".

It is believed that in the normal psychophysiological state of the subject, the primary colors should be in the first five places, and the additional ones in the last. If they are located differently, this indicates the presence of some kind of psychological conflict or state of physiological distress that is a source of anxiety.

Often the source of this anxiety is so repressed from consciousness that a person feels only vague anxiety, without knowing its causes. But regardless of the degree of its awareness, the presence of a constant source of stress causes compensatory type behavior. Since such activities are “replacement” in nature, they rarely lead to true satisfaction, depleting the body’s resources.

This leads to the following conclusions:

1. If at least one of the primary colors is in the last three places, then it and the subsequent colors indicate a state of anxiety. The method of alarm compensation is determined by the characteristics of the color in the first position.

2. If, in the presence of anxiety, one of the primary colors comes first, then compensation is considered more successful than in the case of an additional color, which indicates the inadequacy and failure of compensatory behavior.

3. The presence of gray, brown or black at the beginning of the color range means a negative attitude towards life. If one of these colors is in second or third place, then it itself and all the colors to the left of it are considered as compensation.

4. If grey, brown or black occupy one of the first three positions and at the same time there are no primary colors in any of the subsequent positions, then whichever color occupies the last position should be considered a source of alarm.

To assess the intensity of anxiety states and compensatory tendencies, the following notations are proposed:

! – if the main color is in 6th place (additional color is in 3rd place)

!! – if the main color is in 7th place (additional color is in 2nd place)

!!! – if the main color is in 8th place (additional in 1st place)

All existing exclamation marks (presence of compensations and alarms) are added together. The sum of conditional points (!) can range from 1 to 12. It is believed that the more “!”, the more unfavorable the prognosis.

Position meaning:

In the eight positions of the rank sequence, the following relation is distinguished:

1st place: the cutest color gets the aspiration sign. It shows the means that the subject needs and to which he resorts to achieve the goal.

2nd place: it also has the sign of "aspiration" and shows that it is a goal.

3rd, 4th place: both have the sign of “sympathy” as a symbol of their own state. This is a person’s well-being, his opinion about his health, his disposition.

5.6 place: it bears the sign of “indifference.” Indifference shows that this color and property are neither confirmed nor rejected, they are indifferent. For the subject, this color and property are temporarily lost, abolished, they seem to “float in the air.” Indifferent color is irrelevant, perceived at the moment as an indifferent, unrealizable property, which, however, can be actualized if necessary.

7.8 place: both colors have a sign of "rejection". Colors that the subject rejects as unattractive express a need that, due to expediency, is inhibited, because spontaneous satisfaction of this need has negative consequences.