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Dimensions of self-serving misrepresentation in forensic assessment.
1Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe 85287-1104, USA.
Journal of Personality Assessment
|February 24, 2001
Summary
This study identified three key self-serving biases in forensic clients: exaggerating symptoms versus adjustment, exaggerating virtue, and exaggerating health problems. These findings suggest a generalizable categorization of self-serving misrepresentation in forensic contexts.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Forensic Psychology
- Psychometrics
Background:
- Self-serving biases can influence client assessments in forensic settings.
- Understanding these biases is crucial for accurate evaluation.
- Previous research has explored self-serving misrepresentation in specific forensic contexts.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the factor structure of self-serving biases using principal components analysis.
- To identify distinct categories of self-serving misrepresentation in general forensic clients.
- To assess the generalizability of identified bias factors.
Main Methods:
- Exploratory principal components analysis of 15 scales measuring self-serving biases.
- Data collected from 101 general forensic clients.
- Confirmatory factor analysis to validate the emergent factor structure.
Main Results:
- Three distinct factors of self-serving bias emerged: symptom exaggeration vs. adjustment, virtue exaggeration, and physical health exaggeration.
- Confirmatory factor analysis supported this three-factor structure.
- No specific factor for positive mental health adjustment affirmation was found.
Conclusions:
- The study identified a robust three-factor model for self-serving misrepresentation in forensic clients.
- This three-factor structure demonstrates a degree of generality, applicable beyond personal injury evaluations.
- The findings have implications for assessment and evaluation within forensic psychology.