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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 9, 2026

Traditional Trail Making Test Modified into Brand-new Assessment Tools: Digital and Walking Trail Making Test

Published on: November 23, 2019

Memory malingering: evaluating WMT criteria.

Mauricio Martins¹, Isabel P Martins

¹Language Research Laboratory, Neurological Clinical Research Unit, Institute of Molecular Medicine, Lisbon Faculty of Medicine, Lisbon, Portugal. labling@fm.ul.pt

Applied Neuropsychology

|August 28, 2010

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

The Word Memory Test (WMT) can identify memory malingering. Alternative criteria improve its accuracy in detecting poor effort, especially in mild cognitive impairment (MCI) patients.

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Area of Science:

Neuropsychology
Cognitive Assessment

Background:

The Word Memory Test (WMT) is a key tool for detecting memory malingering.
Previous studies noted potential false-positive results with existing criteria.

Purpose of the Study:

To evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of Green's 2003 criteria for memory malingering.
To assess a Portuguese adaptation of the WMT for detecting simulated memory impairment.

Main Methods:

The WMT was administered to three groups: healthy individuals simulating impairment, healthy individuals performing optimally, and patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI).
Green's 2003 criteria and an alternative set comparing easy and hard subtest scores were applied.

Main Results:

Green's 2003 criteria misclassified 67% of MCI patients as "poor effort."
An alternative criteria set, comparing easy and hard subtest scores, achieved 95% sensitivity and specificity.
The WMT demonstrated effectiveness in identifying malingering when using the alternative criteria.

Conclusions:

Green's original WMT criteria exhibit low specificity for detecting memory malingering.
The WMT is a valuable tool for identifying simulation when employing revised criteria based on subtest score comparisons.