Two validation studies of a performance validity test for autistic adults.

Area of Science:

• Neuropsychology
• Developmental Psychology
• Clinical Psychology

Background:

• Performance validity tests (PVTs) are crucial for interpreting psychological assessments.
• Currently, no validated PVTs exist for adult autism-related cognitive difficulties.
• Emotion recognition deficits are common in autism spectrum disorder.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the Morel Emotional Numbing Test (MENT) as a PVT for autism-related cognitive difficulties.
• To determine if MENT performance can differentiate between genuine and simulated autistic cognitive profiles.
• To establish the validity and reliability of MENT in an adult autistic population.

Main Methods:

• Study 1: Non-autistic students simulated autism (n=26) versus a control group (n=26) on the MENT.
• Study 2: Clinically diagnosed autistic adults (n=25) and non-autistic adults (n=25) completed the MENT.
• Statistical analysis of MENT errors to assess performance validity.

Main Results:

• Simulators in Study 1 made significantly more MENT errors than controls.
• Autistic adults and non-autistic adults performed equally well on the MENT in Study 2.
• MENT demonstrated high specificity (≥98%) and sensitivity (96%) in distinguishing simulators.

Conclusions:

• The MENT shows significant potential as a valid performance validity test for autism-related cognitive difficulties.
• This research provides the first empirical evidence for MENT's utility in this context.
• MENT can aid in the accurate interpretation of psychological assessments for adults with autism.