The MacAndrew Alcoholism Scale (MAC) of the Minnesota Mulltiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) identifies individuals who are likely to abuse alcohol with an accuracy percentage ranging from 60 to 82 percent. The percentage of false negatives when using this scale range from 3 to 17 percent. In order to investigate the characteristics of false negative scorers on the MAC, 41 admissions to an inpatient alcohol treatment program were administered the MMPI and subsequently divided into true positive (N=31) and false negative (N=10) groups according to a MAC cutoff score of 24. Scores of both groups on MMPI subscales and indexes were contrasted. An analysis of the results showed that members of the false negative group were consistently characterized by a general pattern of denial and refusal to acknowledge the presence of any psychopathology. In analyzing the data by sex, 50 percent of the women in the study fell within the false negative category, which may suggest that caution be used in administering the MAC to women. A pattern of scores on the MMPI suggesting denial could alert the alcoholism counselor to the necessity of dealing directly with the rationalization. (BL)