Portland Digit Recognition Test the Test of Memory Malingering and standard neuropsychological measures: Comparing efficacy the effects of coaching and face validity
Year: 2002
Type: dissertation
Abstract: This research examined the performance of control participants and individuals feigning brain damage on the Test of Memory Malingering (TOMM), the Portland Digit Recognition Test (PDRT), and standard neuropsychological tests (Trail Making Test Parts A and B, and the Digit Symbol Coding subtest and Incidental Learning task of the WAIS-III).Three primary goals were: (a) compare the ability of the TOMM and the PDRT to correctly classify control participants and simulated malingerers, (b) examine the effect of different levels of information about brain damage (i.e., coaching) provided to simulators, and (c) assess the face validity of the measures.Participants were 96 college students randomly assigned to the following groups: controls, simulate brain damage without any additional information (i.e., no coaching), simulate brain damage with minimal coaching, or simulate brain damage with detailed coaching.After completing the tests, participants' beliefs regarding the purpose of each test were obtained before and after they were informed that some tests were designed to detect feigned brain damage.Results indicated that the PDRT classified significantly more malingerers than the TOMM when using chance level responding; however, neither test identified malingerers at a satisfactory level.The TOMM classified significantly more malingerers than the PDRT when using published cutoff scores.The classification rate for the TOMM using cutoff scores was satisfactory (71% malingerers, 100% controls).In general, the control group performed better than the three malingering groups; the malingering groups did not differ from one another based on the levels of coaching.Both the PDRT and the TOMM have good face validity as memory tests.Once given a clue that some tests were designed to detect feigned brain damage, well over half of the participants identified all the tests as malingering measures.Potential explanations for the findings and directions for future research are discussed.
Source: The Mathematics Enthusiast
Author: Melody L. Huskey
Language: English
Subfield: Social Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2465661159