Professional Psychology: Research and Practice - Practical Guidance on the Use of the MMPI Instruments in Remote Psychological Testing

Sep 17, 2026

Remote administration of psychological testing became widespread during the COVID-19 pandemic, driven by the need for synchronous live videoconferencing when in-person assessment was disrupted. The article addresses how to administer Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory instruments remotely while preserving ethical standards, maintaining reliability and interpretability, and protecting test security. Guidance is designed to support adaptation of remote procedures to other self-report assessment measures used in clinical practice.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages6

Reading Time15 min

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Practical Guidance on the Use of the MMPI Instruments in Remote Psychological Testing

Public Significance Statement

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This document is copyrighted by the American Psychological Association or one of its allied publishers . This article is intended solely for the personal use of the individual user and is not to be disseminated broadly . Professional Psychology: Research and Practice © 2020 American Psychological Association 2020, Vol. 51, No. 3, 199–204 ISSN: 0735-7028 [http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/pro0000329](http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/pro0000329) Practical Guidance on the Use of the MMPI Instruments in Remote Psychological Testing David M. Corey Corey & Stewart, Portland, Oregon Yossef S. Ben-Porath Kent State University The coronavirus-2019 pandemic was declared a national emergency in the United States on March 13, 2020. The disruptions resulting from subsequent unprecedented mitigation efforts have limited and, in some cases, eliminated the ability of psychologists to meet in person with their patients, clients, and examinees. This has led to a broad and sudden reliance on synchronous (live) videoconferencing (also commonly referred to astelehealth, telepsychological practice, and telepractice) to deliver clinical services. A vital component of psychological practice involves the administration of psychological testing, particularly in clinical settings and specialties that rely heavily on the use of assessment instruments. Remote administration of psychological testing presents challenges that cannot be ignored, even in a crisis, without risking the violation of ethical standards and without compromising the reliability and interpretability of test results and the security of test instruments. With these considerations in mind, we provide practical guidance for remote test administration, using the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory instruments. Public Significance Statement Social distancing requirements resulting from the coronavirus-2019 pandemic have led to a broad and sudden reliance on synchronous (live) videoconferencing (also commonly referred to as telehealth, telepsychological practice, and telepractice) to deliver clinical services. A vital component of psychological practice involves the administration of psychological testing, particularly in clinical settings and specialties that rely heavily on the use of assessment instruments. This article provides psychologists guidance for remote administration of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory instruments that can be adapted and applied to the administration of other self-report measures. Keywords: MMPI, telehealth, telepractice, telepsychology, remote testing The coronavirus-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) was declared a national emergency in the United States on March 13, 2020. In response to public health warnings about the high virulence and transmissibility of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and the potential for catastrophic loss of life, more than nine in 10 American residents are under government instructions to stay home as of this writing. The sweeping disruption in human travel, economic activity, and health care resulting from these mitigation efforts and from the surging infection rates that threaten to overwhelm [the U.S. health care](the U.S. health care) system has been staggering. This disruption extends also to psychologists’ and other health service providers’ ability to meet in person with their patients, clients, and examinees and has resulted in a broad and sudden reliance on synchronous (live) videoconferencing (also commonly referred to as telehealth, telepsychological practice, and telepractice) to deliver clinical services. For practitioners who have little or no previous experience with delivering psychological services via telehealth, this could mean running afoul of federal and state laws for protecting the security of electronically transmitted personal health information. DAVID M. COREY received his PhD in clinical psychology from Fielding Graduate University. He is the founde

FAQs

Why did remote psychological testing become necessary during 2020?

COVID-19 disruptions reduced psychologists’ ability to meet in person with patients, clients, and examinees, leading to reliance on synchronous live videoconferencing for clinical services.

What risks does remote administration of psychological tests pose?

Remote testing can challenge ethical standards and may compromise the reliability, interpretability, and security of test instruments if not handled properly.

How do Corey and Ben-Porath propose approaching remote MMPI administration?

They provide practical guidance for remote test administration using Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory instruments, with considerations for ethics and security and with ideas that can be adapted to other self-report measures.

Sep 17, 2026

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