Psychometric assessment: A case study of Greek merchant marine officers using the MMPI-2

Abstract

Psychometric assessment and personality assessment in particular entered the realm of the maritime industry relatively recently. This is odd considering the high-risk responsibilities of the merchant mariners. In this case study we present the personality profile of Greek merchant marine officers from a major Greek shipping company, using the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2), an instrument which has been widely used in many high-risk industries. The results present a group of officers who are generally free from psychological problems and quite well adjusted, conventional, sociable, with behavioural and emotional control and also characterized by cynicism and alienation. The potential impact of these results to various occupational and organizational factors is noted.