Do MMPI-3 Validity Scale Findings Generalize to Concurrently Administered Measures? Validation with a Forensic Disability Sample.

Objective: Research has demonstrated that over-reporting and under-reporting, when detected by the MMPI-2/-RF Validity Scales, generalize to responses to other self-report measures. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the same is true for the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-3 (MMPI-3) Validity Scales. We examined the generalizability of over-reporting and under-reporting detected by MMPI-3 Validity Scales to extra-test self-report, performance-based, and performance validity measures.

Base rates of failure on various performance validity tests as a function of age in adults referred for neuropsychological assessment.

This study aimed to investigate the relationship between age and base rates of failure (BR) on various performance validity tests (PVTs) administered in medical-legal settings. Archival data were analyzed from 3,297 adults (M = 42.3 years; M = 11.

Assessing posttraumatic stress disorder symptom clusters with the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-3 in a forensic disability sample.

Objective: Previous evidence indicates that scales from the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) family of instruments can measure self-reported posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptomology and differentiate symptom clusters, including in forensic disability assessments. However, limited research has examined assessment of PTSD symptoms with the MMPI-3, the most recent MMPI instrument. The goal of the current study was to identify the strongest MMPI-3 scale predictors of individual PTSD symptom clusters, measured via self-report.

Virtuous victims: Disability claimants who over- and under-report.

The present study was the first to investigate the test performance and symptom reports of individuals who engage in both over-reporting (i.e., exaggerating or fabricating symptoms) and under-reporting (i.

Examination of the MMPI-3 over-reporting scales in a forensic disability sample.

The aim of this investigation was to provide information about the utility of the newly revised and renormed Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-3 (MMPI-3) over-reporting scales in a forensic disability sample. Participants consisted of 550 non-head injury disability-related referrals (i.e.

A comparison of the MMPI-2-RF and PAI overreporting indicators in a civil forensic sample with emphasis on the Response Bias Scale (RBS) and the Cognitive Bias Scale (CBS).

The Cognitive Bias Scale (CBS; Gaasedelen, Whiteside, Altmaier, Welch, & Basso, 2019) was developed as a Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI) indicator of poor performance on Performance Validity Tests (PVTs) in a neuropsychological context. The current study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of the CBS in a forensic disability sample through a series of analyses by comparing it to other PAI validity scales and the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI)-2-RF overreporting scales with an emphasis on the Response Bias Scale (RBS), which guided the development of the CBS. The participants in this study were drawn from an archival dataset containing 588 consecutive civil disability claimants.

Inconsistent responding on the MMPI-2-RF and uncooperative attitude: Evidence from cognitive performance validity measures.

It is generally well understood that possible reasons for inconsistent responding on the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF), as measured by the Variable Response Inconsistency (VRIN-r) and True Response Inconsistency (TRIN-r) scales, include reading or language limitations, cognitive impairment, and intentional random responding; however, the interpretive recommendations for the test suggest that higher scores on these scales can also result from an uncooperative test-taking approach. This study utilized a sample of 3,457 predominately non-head injury disability claimants to examine the association between inconsistent responding on the MMPI-2-RF and performance on cognitive tests as well performance validity tests (PVTs), an independent indicator of uncooperative test-taking attitude. Analysis of variance found that both VRIN-r and TRIN-r were associated with statistically lower cognitive test scores.

Trial 1 versus Trial 2 of the Test of Memory Malingering: Evaluating accuracy without a "gold standard".

This study examines the accuracy of the Test of Memory Malingering (TOMM), a frequently administered measure for evaluating effort during neurocognitive testing. In the last few years, several authors have suggested that the initial recognition trial of the TOMM (Trial 1) might be a more useful index for detecting feigned or exaggerated impairment than Trial 2, which is the source for inference recommended by the original instruction manual (Tombaugh, 1996). We used latent class modeling (LCM) implemented in a Bayesian framework to evaluate archival Trial 1 and Trial 2 data collected from 1,198 adults who had undergone outpatient forensic evaluations.

The Generalizability of Overreporting Across Self-Report Measures: An Investigation With the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2-Restructured Form and the Personality Assessment Inventory in a Civil Disability Sample.

Elevated overreporting Validity Scale scores on the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2-Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF) are associated with higher scores on collateral measures; however, measures used in prior research lacked validity scales. We sought to extend these findings by examining associations between elevated MMPI-2-RF overreporting scale scores and Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI) scale scores among 654 non-head injury civil disability claimants. Individuals were classified as overreporting psychopathology (OR-P), overreporting somatic/cognitive complaints (OR-SC), inconclusive reporting psychopathology (IR-P), inconclusive reporting somatic/cognitive complaints (IR-SC), or valid reporting (VR).

An Examination of the Word Memory Test as a Measure of Memory.

This study examined the utility of the Word Memory Test (WMT) as a measure of verbal episodic memory by comparing select WMT subtests to the California Verbal Learning Test (CVLT) First and Second Editions (CVLT-II) across two samples. Correlations between the WMT and CVLT/CVLT-II subtests were statistically significant in the expected direction. Effect sizes were examined to assess the degree to which the WMT memory subtests and the CVLT First Edition subtests discriminated between groups of people who would be expected to differ from each other in verbal memory abilities.

A Bayesian approach to mixed group validation of performance validity tests.

Mental health professionals often use structured assessment tools to help detect individuals who are feigning or exaggerating symptoms. Yet estimating the accuracy of these tools is problematic because no "gold standard" establishes whether someone is malingering or not. Several investigators have recommended using mixed group validation (MGV) to estimate the accuracy of malingering measures, but simulation studies show that typical implementations of MGV may yield vague, biased, or logically impossible results.

Association between the MMPI-2 restructured form (MMPI-2-RF) and malingered neurocognitive dysfunction among non-head injury disability claimants.

The current study examined the over-reporting Validity Scales of the MMPI-2 Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF; Ben-Porath & Tellegen, 2008/2011) in relation to the Slick, Sherman, and Iverson (1999) criteria for the diagnosis of Malingered Neurocognitive Dysfunction in a sample of 916 consecutive non-head injury disability claimants. The classification of Malingered Neurocognitive Dysfunction was based on scores from several cognitive symptom validity tests and response bias indicators built into traditional neuropsychological tests. Higher scores on MMPI-2-RF Validity Scales, particularly the Response Bias Scale (Gervais, Ben-Porath, Wygant, & Green, 2007), were associated with probable and definite Malingered Neurocognitive Dysfunction.

Memory complaints inventory and symptom validity test performance in a clinical sample.

Previous work in a disability-seeking sample has demonstrated that as symptom validity test (SVT) scores decline, there is a corresponding increase in subjective reports of memory problems as measured by the Memory Complaints Inventory (MCI). The current archival study examined this relationship in a clinical sample of active and retired military service members and their adult family members without overt potential for secondary gain (n= 191). General support for the previously evidenced relationship between SVT performances and MCI responses was found.

Estimating the accuracy of neurocognitive effort measures in the absence of a "gold standard".

Psychologists frequently use symptom validity tests (SVTs) to help determine whether evaluees' test performance or reported symptoms accurately represent their true functioning and capability. Most studies evaluating the accuracy of SVTs have used either known-group comparisons or simulation designs, but these approaches have well-known limitations (potential misclassifications or lack of ecological validity). This study uses latent class modeling (LCM) implemented in a Bayesian framework to estimate SVT classification accuracy based on data obtained from real-life forensic evaluations.

Differentiating PTSD symptomatology with the MMPI-2-RF (Restructured Form) in a forensic disability sample.

The current study was designed to explore models of assessing various forms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptomatology that incorporate both broad and more narrowly focused affective markers. We used broader markers of demoralization, negative activation, positive activation, and aberrant experiences to predict global PTSD scores, whereas more narrowly focused markers of positive and negative affect were used to differentiate between PTSD symptom clusters. A disability sample consisting of 347 individuals undergoing medico-legal psychological evaluations was used for this study.

Examining the potential for gender bias in the prediction of symptom validity test failure by MMPI-2 symptom validity scale scores.

Using a sample of individuals undergoing medico-legal evaluations (690 men, 519 women), the present study extended past research on potential gender biases for scores of the Symptom Validity (FBS) scale of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 by examining score- and item-level differences between men and women and determining the extent to which FBS scores were able to correctly identify men and women who were divided into credible responders (n = 837) and noncredible responders (n = 372) on the basis of performance on symptom validity tests. Results indicated that women had slightly higher raw FBS scores than men (d = .29), and significant differences between men and women in item endorsement were demonstrated for 14 FBS items.

Memory Complaints Inventory results as a function of symptom validity test performance.

The extant literature has consistently outlined a limited relationship between peoples' subjective reports of defective memory and their corresponding performances on objective measures of memory functioning. Several variables have been proposed to explain this finding, but few studies have investigated test-taker effort as a variable of interest. The primary aim of the current study was to examine reported memory problems as a function of symptom validity test (SVT) performances in two independent samples comprising individuals involved in disability claims.

Sensitivity of the test of memory malingering and the Nonverbal Medical Symptom Validity Test: a replication study.

The current investigation sought to replicate and extend the findings of Green ( in press ), which demonstrated superior sensitivity of the Nonverbal Medical Symptom Validity Test (NV-MSVT) relative to the Test of Memory Malingering (TOMM) in the detection of suboptimal effort during neuropsychological assessment. Nearly twice as many examinees failed the NV-MSVT than the TOMM. Profile analyses of the NV-MSVT demonstrated patterns suggestive of inconsistent effort in those who failed the NV-MSVT but passed the TOMM.

Associations between Symptom Validity Test failure and scores on the MMPI-2-RF validity and substantive scales.

This study examined the association between Symptom Validity Test (SVT) failure and the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF; Ben-Porath & Tellegen, 2008), in the Forensic Disability Claimant samples described in the MMPI-2-RF Technical Manual (Tellegen & Ben-Porath, 2008 a, 2008b). SVTs used included the Word Memory Test (Green, 2003), the Computerized Assessment of Response Bias (Allen, Conder, Green, & Cox, 1997), the Medical Symptom Validity Test (Green, 2004), and the Test of Memory Malingering (Tombaugh, 1996). SVT failure was associated with significant elevations throughout the MMPI-2-RF overreporting validity scales and substantive scales.

Further validation of the MMPI-2 and MMPI-2-RF Response Bias Scale: findings from disability and criminal forensic settings.

The present study extends the validation of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2) and the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF) Response Bias Scale (RBS; R. O. Gervais, Y.

Incremental validity of the MMPI-2-RF over-reporting scales and RBS in assessing the veracity of memory complaints.

The Response Bias Scale (RBS) has been found to be a better predictor of over-reported memory complaints than Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2) F, Back Infrequency (Fb), Infrequency-Psychopathology (Fp), and FBS scales. The MMPI-2-Restructured Form (RF) validity scales were designed to meet or exceed the sensitivity of their MMPI-2 counterparts to symptom over-reporting. This study examined the incremental validity of MMPI-2-RF validity scales and RBS in assessing memory complaints.

Empirical correlates and interpretation of the MMPI-2-RF Cognitive Complaints (COG) scale.

The MMPI-2-RF Cognitive Complaints (COG) scale (Ben-Porath & Tellegen, 2008) was developed to assess self-reported memory and other cognitive difficulties. The present study explores cognitive and self-report correlates of the COG scale and provides recommendations for its interpretation. We examined archival demographic, cognitive test, and self-report symptom data from 1741 consecutive, non-head injury disability claimants seen in a private-practice setting.

The effect of failure on cognitive and psychological symptom validity tests in litigants with symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder.

This study examined the influence of performance on cognitive and psychological symptom validity tests on neuropsychological and psychological test performance in claimants evaluated in a medico-legal context (N = 301) with symptoms of PTSD. A second purpose of this study was to examine the influence of the severity of PTSD symptoms on cognitive test performance after excluding patients who failed to put forth adequate best effort and who exaggerated psychiatric symptoms. Patients were administered a battery of neuropsychological measures that were aggregated into a composite measure, the Cognitive-Test Battery Mean (C-TBM).

Differential sensitivity of the Response Bias Scale (RBS) and MMPI-2 validity scales to memory complaints.

The MMPI-2 Response Bias Scale (RBS) is designed to detect response bias in forensic neuropsychological and disability assessment settings. Validation studies have demonstrated that the scale is sensitive to cognitive response bias as determined by failure on the Word Memory Test (WMT) and other symptom validity tests. Exaggerated memory complaints are a common feature of cognitive response bias.