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Detecting feigned impairment with the digit span and vocabulary subtests of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence
Lauren R Schwarz1, Jeffrey D Gfeller, Michael V Oliveri
1Psychology Department, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, MO 63103, USA. schwarzl@slu.edu
Abstract:
The WAIS-III Digit Span and Vocabulary subtests were investigated as indicators of feigned cognitive impairment. Participants included 64 undergraduates randomly assigned to control, symptom-coached, or test-coached groups. Six previously researched validity indicators were examined. We hypothesized that symptom-coached participants would perform worse relative to test-coached simulators. Analyses determined both simulator groups performed lower than controls on all indicators except Vocabulary. Symptom-coached participants, however, did not differ from test-coached participants on any indicator. Classification accuracies for these six indicators ranged from 42 to 78%. While the WAIS-III validity indicators hold some promise, they should not be employed as independent measures.
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