Adjective Check List self and ideal self correlates of MMPI profiles classified according to the Meehl-Dahlstrom rules.

Classified MMPI profiles of 61 male and 119 female Italian psychiatric outpatients as neurotic (N = 100), psychotic (N = 45), or indeterminate (N = 35) by means of the Meehl-Dahlstrom rules. These classifications were uninfluenced by age or sex. Real and ideal self descriptions on the Adjective Check List (ACL) also were obtained. Thirteen of the 24 ACL scales scored on the real protocols differentiated significantly (P < .05) among the three subgroups. Adequacy of personal adjustment, as inferred from these differences, was poorest for patients with "psychotic" MMPI profiles, next poorest for the indeterminates, and best for those in the neurotic category. Personal Adjustment was the lowest ACL scale for all three subgroups. Only one ideal self scale differentiated significantly among the three subgroups. Also, the ideal self profile for the total sample of 180 patients was almost perfectly correlated with that for a sample of 229 nonpatients. Descriptions of the real self appear to be related systematically and meaningfully to psychiatric status as indicated by the Meehl-Dahlstrom, rules, whereas descriptions of the ideal self are not associated with diagnosis.