Detecting Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and its feigning using the Personality Assessment Inventory

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is a relatively common and often disabling disorder in adults. However, feigning ADHD symptomatology is both easy and potentially common. We explored the most effective strategies for A) identifying individuals who had been diagnosed with ADHD based on existing PAI symptom indicators, and B), discriminating between feigned and genuine ADHD symptoms using PAI negative distortion indicators. Our sample consisted of 463 college aged participants who had been diagnosed with ADHD (n = 60), were asked to feign ADHD (n = 71), and a control group (n = 333). Self-reported diagnosis and successful feigning were corroborated by the CAARS-S: E scale. We first compared two PAI-derived ADHD indicators to determine which best differentiated between our ADHD and Control groups. Next, we compared seven negative distortion indicators to determine which could best distinguish between real and feigned ADHD symptoms. Our results revealed that the PAI-ADHD scale was the most effective symptom indicator. Further, the Negative Distortion Scale (NDS) and the Item-FAA scale were the most effective for identifying feigners. When assessing ADHD based on the PAI, the PAI-ADHD scale appears promising as an indicator of symptomatology, while the NDS and Item-FAA appear useful to rule-out feigning.