Factorial Validation of the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory III (MCMI-III) in Bolivian University Students

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.22544/rcps.v44i02.11

Keywords:

Personality, Psychopathology, Adaptation, Psychometrics, Validation, MCMI-III

Abstract

The Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory (MCMI-III) is a widely used measurement scale for personality and psychopathology whose construct validity has been confirmed over time. The participants were 459 Bolivian university students between 17 and 30 years old, who voluntarily answered an ad hoc questionnaire of sociodemographic elements and the MCMI-III questionnaire. The analyses were oriented to confirm the psychometric properties of the scale based on both total scores and prototypical scores through confirmatory factorial analysis of two models: the original four-factor model and the one proposed by Alareqe et al. (2021), which consists of three factors: internalizing pathology, externalizing pathology, and general state of psychological disturbance. As results, the three-factor model is confirmed except for discriminant validity, which suggests a unifactorial structure. Both models are invariant for sex. The implications of the research and its limitations are presented.

Author Biographies

Alhena L. Alfaro Urquiola, Universidad de Oviedo, Oviedo, España

Master's degree in Research Methods in Psychology. Psychologist and research associate at the University of Oviedo, Oviedo, Spain. Her work focuses on psychometrics and mental health, with experience in projects on addictions, dating violence, and the validation of psychological instruments. She has worked as a psychotherapist and teacher in Bolivia.

Arena Denis Orozco Ramírez, Universidad Católica Boliviana, La Paz, Bolivia

Psychologist specializing in Systemic Family Therapy. She has volunteered with an international mission and the La Paz Departmental Prosecutor's Office in Bolivia, providing support to victims of sexual violence. She currently works in clinical practice.

Francisco Javier Herrero Diez, Universidad de Oviedo, Oviedo, España

PhD in Psychology and Full Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Oviedo, Oviedo, Spain. His research focuses on the Methodology of Behavioral Sciences, specializing in data analysis, computational simulation, observational methodology, and the development of expert systems applied to the Health Sciences.

Francisco Javier Rodríguez-Díaz, Universidad de Oviedo, Oviedo, España

Professor of Psychology at the University of Oviedo, Oviedo, Spain, and PhD from the University of Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain. His research interests include personality, psychological assessment and treatment, community psychology, and legal psychology. He has led established research groups and has a substantial body of internationally recognized scientific publications.

References

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Published

2025-12-31

How to Cite

Alfaro Urquiola, A. L., Orozco Ramírez, A. D., Herrero Diez, F. J., & Rodríguez-Díaz, F. J. (2025). Factorial Validation of the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory III (MCMI-III) in Bolivian University Students. Costa Rican Journal of Psychology, 44(2), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.22544/rcps.v44i02.11

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Vol. 44 No. 2 (2025): Costa Rican Journal of Psychology (July-December 2025, continuos publication)

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