Date Available
12-14-2011
Year of Publication
2008
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Document Type
Dissertation
College
Arts and Sciences
Department
Psychology
First Advisor
Dr. David T. R. Berry
Abstract
This study evaluated the efficacy of various attention-related, neuropsychological, and symptom validity measures in the detection of feigned ADHD in an undergraduate sample. Performance was compared between a group of presumed normal students (HON), a group of diagnostically "clean" ADHD students asked to respond to the best of their ability (ADHD), and a group of motivated, coached feigners (FGN). Feigners were educated about symptoms and characteristics of ADHD, provided with a scenario to help them relate to the plight of a student who might seek diagnosis, admonition to feign believably, and a significant monetary incentive for "successful feigning" ($45). They were not forewarned about the specific types of tests they would take nor alerted to the presence of malingering detection instruments. Results illustrated that the ADHD symptom-report measures, though sensitive to ADHD, were quite susceptible to faking. The ARS and CAARS—S:L (using a stringent cut score of four or more scale elevations) were successfully faked by 80% and 67% of students, respectively. The Conners CPT, in contrast to those measures, had both limited sensitivity to ADHD and specificity for FGN in this sample. Very high specificity and moderate sensitivity were noted for symptom validity measures across the board, translating into high positive predictive values. Binary logistic regression results indicate that the TOMM Trial 1 coupled with the DMT, LMT, or NV-MSVT may be used to identify feigners with high predictive accuracy.
Recommended Citation
Sollman, Myriam Jessica, "THE UTILITY OF ADHD-DIAGNOSTIC AND SYMPTOM VALIDITY MEASURES IN THE ASSESSMENT OF UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT RESPONSE DISTORTION: A CLINICALLY-ENHANCED SIMULATION STUDY" (2008). University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations. 634.
https://uknowledge.uky.edu/gradschool_diss/634
