Performance on the test of memory malingering in a mixed pediatric sample

Area of Science:

• Neuropsychology
• Child Psychology

Background:

• Assessing cognitive performance in children requires valid measures of effort.
• The Test of Memory Malingering (TOMM) is a widely used tool for detecting insufficient effort.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the Test of Memory Malingering's (TOMM) utility in assessing effort among school-aged children.
• To determine if TOMM performance varies with demographic or clinical factors in pediatric populations.

Main Methods:

• One hundred children (6-16 years) with diverse clinical diagnoses were administered the TOMM.
• Effort on the TOMM was assessed using actuarially defined criteria.

Main Results:

• 97% of the children met criteria for sufficient effort on the TOMM.
• Only two children were identified as providing suboptimal effort, with one possible false positive.
• TOMM performance was not significantly influenced by gender, ethnicity, parental occupation, prior memory test results, or coma duration.

Conclusions:

• The Test of Memory Malingering (TOMM) demonstrates potential as a reliable measure of effort in pediatric neuropsychological assessments.
• The TOMM's established criteria appear applicable to school-aged children, including those as young as 6-8 years.