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Dissertation
Trends in symptom validity, memory and psychological test performance as functions of time and malingering rating
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Drexel University
Sep 2003
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17918/etd-380
Abstract
Detection of malingered or exaggerated cognitive deficits has received considerable attention within the neuropsychological literature in the recent past. Methods to detect such phenomena have been developed, including specific tests of malingering as well as methods by which to analyze data from existing tests. Questions regarding the utility of these various methods continue to be debated within the field, and neuropsychologists have speculated that litigating patients are being made aware of specific malingering detection methods by attorneys as well as Internet websites devoted to such topics. It was hypothesized that scores on symptom validity measures would normalize over time, with fewer subjects classified as malingering based on their scores on these tests, ostensibly due to prior knowledge of their content and purpose. In addition, significant differences were expected to emerge on tests specific tests of memory using a recognition format as a function of clinical judgment of rating probability. Patients rated as malingerers were expected to exaggerate symptoms of emotional distress with significantly greater frequency than patients rated as not malingering, as evidenced by their responses to the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory - Second Edition (MMPI-II), the Beck Depression Inventory - Second Edition (BDI-II) and the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), and were expected to make significantly more subjective complaints of memory dysfunction than those patients rated as non-malingerers. Archival data collected on 1290 subjects between 1999 and 2003 were examined in this study, and were extracted from the Tulane University Neuropsychology Laboratory database. Non-parametric statistical procedures were used, due to the non-normal distribution of the data, and included Kruskal-Wallis analysis of variance procedures and follow-up Mann-Whitney U tests for all pairwise comparisons. The results failed to support the expected trends toward normal scores for the symptom validity measures. However, scores on tests of recognition memory for verbal and visual materials, as well as on the BAI and the Hs and Hy scales of the MMPI-2 were significantly lower for those subjects rated as absolute malingerers compared to those rated as not malingering The rate of subjective complaints of memory dysfunction was similar for all subjects.
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Details
- Title
- Trends in symptom validity, memory and psychological test performance as functions of time and malingering rating
- Creators
- Maryellen McClain - DU
- Contributors
- Douglas L. Chute (Advisor) - Drexel University (1970-)
- Awarding Institution
- Drexel University
- Degree Awarded
- Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
- Publisher
- Drexel University; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Resource Type
- Dissertation
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Psychological and Brain Sciences (Psychology); College of Arts and Sciences; Drexel University
- Other Identifier
- 380; 991014632834304721