In a group of 85 female chronic alcoholics and other addicts, scores on the Raven's Matrices and on a multiple-choice version of WAIS Vocabulary were found unrelated to the 13 standard and 4 MMPI research scales and 3 MMPI indices (average profile elevation, average elevations of the neurotic and the psychotic triad) except for the relationship of the raw scores (r = -.32) and the IQ equivalents (r = -.30) on the Vocabulary test to Masculinity-Femininity scores and of IQ equivalents on the Matrices to Barron's Ego Strength scale (r = .32): Women with more extensive vocabulary scored lower on the Masculinity-Femininity scale, and women with better visuo-spatial reasoning skills obtained higher Ego Strength scores.
According to the clinical lore, low T scores on the Masculinity-Femininity (MF) scale of the MMPI in women are found in passive, submissive, and yielding persons. High scorers are described as confident, spontaneous, uninhibited, and also could be seen as aggressive, domineering, competitive, and as having physical strength and experiencing more difficulties in adopting the traditional passive feminine role. In a sharp contrast to men, in whom high scorers (T scores between 70 and 79) are described as intelligent, no similar correlate is listed in interpretations of MF scores of women (Carson, 1969; Lachar, 1974). It is possible, however, that the clinical lore is outdated due to well-documented recent changes in sex roles and attitudes (Helmreich, Spence, & Gibson, 1982). The present study evaluated the relationships of the MF scale to measures of intellectual functioning in a sample of female alcoholics and drug addicts.
METHOD
Subjects
Eighty-five women admitted to a 4-week inpatient addiction treatment program at St. Thomas Psychiatric Hospital participated. Mean age was 35.7 (SD = ll.O), and mean number of years of formal schooling was 10.9 (SD = 2.1). The majority were addicted to alcohol; less than 20% were addicted exclusively to other drugs.