Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 16, 2026
The Deese-Roediger-McDermott (DRM) Task: A Simple Cognitive Paradigm to Investigate False Memories in the Laboratory
Published on: January 31, 2017
The Rey 15-item memory test for malingering: a meta-analysis
1University of Toronto-Sunnybrook and Women's Health Sciences Centre, 2075 Bayview Ave., Toronto, Ontario MN4 3M5, Canada. ashaki.adonis@sw.ca
Background:
The Rey 15-Item Memory Test (RMT) is frequently used to detect malingering. Many objections to the test have been raised. Nevertheless, the test is still widely used.
Objective:
To provide a meta-analysis of the available studies using the RMT and provide an overall assessment of the sensitivity and specificity of the test, based on the cumulative data.
Results:
The results show that, excluding patients with mental retardation, the RMT has a low sensitivity but an excellent specificity.
Conclusions:
These results provide the basis for the ongoing use of the test, given that it is acceptable to miss some cases of malingering with such a screening test, but one does not want to have many false positives.
