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Factors differentiating successful versus unsuccessful malingerers
1Department of Psychology, Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, TX 77341-2447, USA. psy_jfe@shsu.edu
Journal of Personality Assessment
|November 6, 2001
Summary
Successful malingerers, those faking mental disorders without detection, endorsed fewer legitimate symptoms. They also avoided bizarre responses and based answers on personal experiences to evade detection.
Area of Science:
- Psychological assessment
- Forensic psychology
- Behavioral science
Background:
- Malingering, the intentional simulation of symptoms for external gain, poses a significant challenge in clinical and forensic settings.
- Understanding the strategies employed by individuals who successfully feign mental disorders is crucial for improving detection methods.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify and summarize the response strategies used by individuals who successfully feigned a mental disorder while evading detection.
- To differentiate the characteristics of successful malingerers from those who were detected.
Main Methods:
- A study involving 540 participants instructed to feign a specific mental disorder.
- Participants completed various self-report instruments designed to detect malingering.
- Post-experiment questionnaires analyzed the strategies of those who successfully feigned symptoms without detection (n = 60).
Main Results:
- Successful malingerers were more likely to endorse a lower rate of legitimate symptoms.
- Individuals who avoided detection tended to steer clear of overly unusual or bizarre response options.
- Successful feigning was associated with basing responses on personal experiences rather than fabricated symptoms.
Conclusions:
- The findings provide insight into the behavioral tactics employed by sophisticated malingerers.
- These strategies, including symptom minimization and response anchoring, can inform the development of more robust malingering detection tools.
- Further research is needed to explore the nuances of malingering across different populations and disorders.
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