The Detection of Malingered Mental Retardation in High- and Low- Cognitive Ability Individuals

......................................................................................................v Introduction..................................................................................................1 Literature Review............................................................................................4 Criminal Forensic Malingering.....................................................................4 Forensic Evaluation Perspectives.........................................................6 Expert Testimony Guidelines............................................................10 Malingering in Special Populations..............................................................11 Mental Retardation and Malingering....................................................12 Bender Gestalt Test..................................................................................14 Statement of Purpose.......................................................................................18 Research Questions and Hypotheses Question 1..................................................................................19 Question 2..................................................................................19 Method........................................................................................................21 Participants..........................................................................................21 Highand Low-Cognitive Ability Malingerers and Controls........................21 Individuals with Mental Retardation....................................................22 Measures.............................................................................................23 Structured Interview.......................................................................23 Bender Gestalt Test.........................................................................23 Test of Memory Malingering.............................................................24 Rey Dot Counting Test....................................................................25 Memory for Fifteen Items Test...........................................................26 Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test—3 rd Edition........................................27 Subject Rating Scale.......................................................................29 Design & Procedure.................................................................................29 Highand Low-Cognitive Ability Malingerers........................................29 Highand Low-Cognitive Ability Controls............................................31 Individuals with Mental Retardation...................................................31 Results.........................................................................................................32 Demographic Analysis..............................................................................32 Hypothesis 1............................................................................................33 Hypothesis 2.............................................................................................34 Hypothesis 2a.................................................................................35 Hypothesis 2b.................................................................................35 Unproposed Analyses...............................................................................36 iii Discussion.....................................................................................................39 References.....................................................................................................45 Appendix A: Informed Consent Form, non-MR participants...........................................52 Appendix B: Informed Consent Form, MR Participants.................................................53 Appendix C: Structured Interview.........................................................................55 Appendix D: Memory for Fifteen Items. Test............................................................56 Appendix E: Dot Counting Test............................................................................57 Appendix F: Subject Rating Scale.........................................................................58 Vita.............................................................................................................59