Use of perceptual memory as a performance validity indicator: initial validation with simulated mild traumatic brain...

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Psychology
• Cognitive Science

Background:

• Established performance validity tests (PVTs) are aging and susceptible to compromise.
• Implicit memory's resilience to brain damage suggests its potential for developing new PVTs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate novel perceptual memory tasks as potential performance validity tests (PVTs).
• To assess the effectiveness of the Gollin Incomplete Figures and Mooney Closure Test in detecting response bias.

Main Methods:

• A simulation design involved 60 healthy participants feigning mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) symptoms and 20 honest responders.
• Participants completed standard PVTs and novel visual perception tasks (Gollin, Mooney) assessing perceptual memory after brief delays.

Main Results:

• Simulators recalled fewer images than honest responders on the Gollin and Mooney tasks.
• While simulators differed on standard PVTs, their performance on the Gollin and Mooney figures was equivalent, indicating robustness to coaching.
• The Gollin and Mooney figures achieved high sensitivity (≥90%) at 90% specificity, comparable to established PVTs.

Conclusions:

• The Gollin and Mooney figures demonstrate potential as novel PVTs.
• These perceptual memory tests may be resilient to brain injury, but further validation with clinical populations is required.