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This study compared the MMPI-A profiles of a study sample of 16 high-performance Mexican adolescents (seven males and nine females, 16 to 18 years old) and the Mexican adolescent normative sample. IQ scores were obtained using the Wechsler and Raven scales. The sampling criterion was senior high school students whose grade average equaled or was above the 95th percentile as established by the American National Research Council for the Gifted and Talented, the Spanish Society for the Study of Giftedness, and others (Benito & Moro, 1997; Calleja, 1999; Piirto, 1999; Renzulli, 1999; Silva y Ortiz, 1995). The sample represents the 3.76% of the school population, not surpassing the 5% typically observed in other studies of giftedness assessment. The sample exhibited superior and above average scores in both intelligence tests. By using the z test (p=.05) the female MMPI-A profile exhibited more statistical differences than the male profile in comparison to their corresponding normative sample profiles. For the girls these differences are found in all scale groups, being the highest F2, F, Pt, Sc, Si, A-dep, A-aln, A-biz, A-cyn, A-lse, A-sod, A-trt, ACK and A-A. For the boys statistical differences were only found in the Validity (F2) and Content scales (A-lse). Findings show that these students are well adjusted, extrovert, self confident, with high self esteem, competitive and heterogeneous in their academic, artistic and sports preferences and interests. Moreover, all of the students from the sample showed willingness to participate in enrichment or acceleration programs if they were available.

In order to determine the discriminative sensibility of the Koss-Butcher and Lachar-Wrobel critical item sets as alcoholism indicators, the MMPI-2 Spanish version was administered to 244 male subjects (122 alcoholics and 122 non alcoholics) from 24 to 69 years old. The age mean for the alcoholic sample was 39.5 (SD=10.15) and of 40.6 (SD=8.9) among the non alcoholics. The subjects from the alcoholic sample were all under treatment for substance abuse. Statistically significant differences were found in all the 17 groups between both samples with the Student t test (p=.001). The highest obtained t values were found in Depressed Suicidal Ideation (16.5), Situational Stress Due to Alcoholism (28.4), Mental Confusion (16.02), Antisocial Attitude (16.21), Family Conflict (12.06), Depression and Worry(15.17) and Substance abuse (19.85). High scores within the alcoholic sample are in the Depressed Suicidal Ideation (X=8.75, SD=4.33), Acute Anxiety State (X=7.34, SD=3.97), Somatic Symptoms (X=6.34, SD=3.80), and Depression and Concern (X=6.00, SD=3.31) groups whereas in the non alcoholic group the highest scores were found in the Anxiety (X=2.04, SD=1.81), Depressed Suicidal Ideation (X=1.70, SD=1.87), Antisocial attitude (X=1.40, SD=1.23), and Somatic Symptoms (X=1.81, SD=11.87) groups. The critical items of each of the inventory 17 groups were found to discriminate alcoholics from non alcoholics except for nine. It is suggested that these item sets should be used as guidelines in the interview for those invalid MMPI-2 profiles.