Validation of psychometric scales for malingering in a student sample
Date
2001
Authors
Theron F.H.
Spangenberg J.J.
Hugo F.J.
Emsley R.A.
Hemp F.
Maritz J.S.
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Abstract
Objective. To determine South African cut scores for established tests of malingering. Design. A prospective study with an experimental group of subjects that was instructed to feign illness and a control group instructed to perform optimally on a set of psychometric tests. Setting. The study was conducted at the Medical School and main campus of the University of Stellenbosch. Subjects. Seventy-six under- and postgraduate university students. Outcome measures. Each subject completed the Dot-Counting Test (DCT), the Rey 15-item Test (Rey 15-item), the 21-item verbal memory Forced Choice Test (FCT), and the Structured Inventory of Malingered Symptomatology (SIMS). Results. The DCT correctly identified 94% of the feigners by the combined (grouped and ungrouped dots) time score, using a cut-off time of ≤ 63.5 seconds. The Rey 15-item was less specific than the other tests and only the number-of-rows-correct score produced significant results with a correct classification of 88%. A cut score of ≤ 15 for the FCT correctly classified 94% of the malingerers and 100% of the subjects who were asked to perform optimally. The SIMS correctly classified 97% of subjects when a cut score of ≤ 20 was used. Conclusions. The most effective discriminators were the total time to complete the DCT, recognition memory on the 21-item FCT, and the SIMS total score. The results of this study should assist clinicians in South Africa in improving the diagnosis of malingering.
Description
Keywords
article, college student, controlled study, diagnostic accuracy, female, human, human experiment, intermethod comparison, male, malingering, memory, prospective study, psychiatric diagnosis, psychologic test, psychometry, rating scale, recognition, scoring system, South Africa, validation process
Citation
South African Journal of Psychiatry
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