Malingering Using Classification Test

A category classification test was used to differentiate between normal student eontrol participant.~. students instructed to malinger a memory deficit, and amnesic" patients. Controls (N = 44) and amnesic patients (N = 10) were instructed to do their best, while simulators of malingering (N = 43) were instructed to fake a memory deficit for credit and possible financial compensation. Partieipants studied a list of high distortions of a prototype dot pattern and were then asked to choose whether or not a new set of dot patterns (random patterns, high distortions, low distortions, and the pratoo'pe ) belonged to the same category ~¢'dot patterns as studied. Malingerers perJbrmed significant(v wor~'e than normal controls and amnesic patients. A discriminant function analysis showed that the classification test can be used to correctly classi~ "' participants as simulated malingerers, controls, or amnesic" patients significantly higher than chance. These results indicate that a category ehzss(tication test can be used in the detection of simulated malingering and that some tests (~[' implicit memo D" provide a potential supplement to standard forced choice tests in the detet'tion of malingering. © 1997 National Academy of Neuropsychology