MMPI-2 configurations among victims of bullying at work

TLDR

Bullying at work, the systematic exposure to psychological violence and harassment in the workplace, places a serious strain on many employees. The study aimed to investigate psychological correlates of workplace bullying among former and current victims using the MMPI‑2, testing whether bullied victims exhibit elevated personality profiles and whether these profiles relate to the type and intensity of bullying behaviors. The study recruited 85 participants from two Norwegian bullying‑victim associations and used cluster analysis of MMPI‑2 scores, including new Content scales, to identify three distinct personality groups among victims. Both hypotheses were confirmed, revealing that the elevated 3‑2‑1 personality profile was most common, that the ‘common’ cluster reported the highest bullying exposure indicating a vulnerability factor, and that the ‘seriously affected’ group exhibited high generalized anxiety, specific fears, and health concerns.

Abstract

Bullying at work, the systematic exposure to psychological violence and harassment in the workplace, places a serious strain on many employees. The aim of this study was to investigate psychological correlates of bullying among former and current victims using the MMPI-2. A total of 85 individuals, recruited among members of two Norwegian associations of bullying victims, participated in the study. Two hypotheses were tested: (1) Bullied victims have an elevated personality profile on the MMPI-2, although different kinds of personality profiles may be distinguished; (2) the personality profiles of the victims are related to the type of behaviour and the intensity of the behaviours experienced by the victim. Both hypotheses were confirmed. The study demonstrated, using cluster analysis, that the sample of bullied victims can be divided into three personality groups ("The seriously affected", "The disappointed and depressed", and "The common". ) The elevated 3-2-1 personality profile was most typical. Surprisingly, the victims of the common cluster reported the highest level of exposure to bullying, suggesting a vulnerability factor among the other victims. The scores on the new MMPI-2 Content scales were also analysed. The seriously affected group reported a high level of generalized anxiety, fear of specific incidences, and many health concern worries.