Date Available

12-14-2011

Year of Publication

2007

Document Type

Dissertation

College

Arts and Sciences

Department

Psychology

First Advisor

David T. R. Berry

Second Advisor

Yang Jiang

Abstract

This study examined the ability of reaction time (RT) and Event-Related Potentials (ERP) to detect malingered neurocognitive deficit (MNCD)in two new tasks compared to the TOMM (N = 47). Honest (HON), malingering (MAL), and traumatic brain injury (TBI) groups were compared on accuracy, RT and ERP measures. Overall, the Test of Memory Malingering (TOMM) accuracy was the most effective at classifying groups (hit rate = 100%). Several non-TOMM accuracy variables and RT variables reached hit rates in the range of 71%-88%. The TOMM RT variable had an unlimited time for participants to respond and was the most successful RT variable compared to the Old/New and Repetition Priming tasks that had a short time limit for participants to respond (approximately 1.5 seconds). The classic old/new effect RT pattern was evident for both the HON and TBI groups with significantly faster RTs for old items compared to new items. A logistic regression was employed to see if a RT and/or ERP variable added any unique prediction power in detecting malingering. The frontal-posterior ERP difference score had unique prediction power to detect malingering when classifying MAL vs. TBI (hit rate = 86%). In the Old/New task, ERP responses of HON produced greater activity in the frontal region compared to the posterior region. The opposite trend was found in TBI (posterior activity andgt; frontal) and MAL showed no significant difference.

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