XML 12 R3.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT v3.2.0.727
Label Element Value
MFS® Blended Research® Small Cap Equity Portfolio  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Supplement [Text Block] ck0001065698_SupplementTextBlock
SUPPLEMENT TO PROSPECTUS
The date of this supplement is August 20, 2015.

MFS® Blended Research® Small Cap Equity Portfolio
Initial Class & Service Class Shares
Risk/Return [Heading] rr_RiskReturnHeading MFS® Blended Research® Small Cap Equity Portfolio
Strategy Narrative [Text Block] rr_StrategyNarrativeTextBlock
Effective August 11, 2015, the fifth paragraph in sub-section entitled "Principal Investment Strategies" under the main heading "Summary of Key Information" is restated in its entirety as follows:

MFS uses a bottom-up approach to buying and selling investments for the fund. Investments are selected primarily based on blending fundamental and quantitative research. MFS uses fundamental analysis of individual issuers to create a fundamental rating for an issuer.  MFS uses quantitative models to create a quantitative rating for an issuer. MFS then constructs the portfolio considering the blended rating from combining the fundamental rating and the quantitative rating, as well as issuer, industry, and sector weightings, market capitalization, measures of expected volatility of the fund's return (e.g., predicted beta and predicted tracking error), and other factors, with a goal of constructing a portfolio that over time has a consistent level of active risk compared to the Russell 2000. Active risk is the risk resulting from investment selection rather than market risk.
Risk Narrative [Text Block] rr_RiskNarrativeTextBlock
Effective August 11, 2015, the fourth paragraph in the sub-section entitled "Principal Risks" under the main heading "Summary of Key Information" is restated in its entirety as follows:

Investment Strategy Risk: The fund's strategy to blend fundamental and quantitative research and to have a consistent level of active risk over time may not produce the intended results. In addition, MFS fundamental research is not available for all issuers.