Dyadic agreement on the MMPI-2

Research in behavior genetics has documented assortative mating with respect to physical, demographic, sociocultural, and personality variables. The present study examined patterns of dyadic similarity on personality characteristics reflected on MMPI-2 items and scales in a sample of 982 couples. MMPI-2 scales with high dyadic correlations appear to entail the following broad domains: attitudes about substance use (MMPI-2 scales AAS, APS, and MAC-R), domestic satisfaction (MSD, FAM, and Pd), and mistrust (ASP, CYN, and Re). Principal components analysis of a matrix of 60 items possessing strong dyadic correlations revealed nine underlying dimensions: Cynical Mistrust, Substance Abuse, Domestic Dissatisfaction, Sensation-Seeking, Financial Worry, Stereotypic Masculinity, Self-Confidence, Piety, and Deviant Ideation. Years of acquaintance did not moderate dyadic similarity. Couples receiving counseling demonstrated less dyadic similarity than couples not in counseling.