| Malingering in traumatic brain injury (TBI) cases is a widespread and commonplace problem with base rates ranging from 7.5% to 38.5% in forensic settings. Malingering in neuropsychological evaluations is typically manifested through symptom exaggeration and suboptimal performance, specifically poor effort. The purpose of this research was to determine whether there was a relationship between the Word Memory Test (WMT) and the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2) Fake Bad Scale (FBS). The WMT, a credible instrument in the assessment of effort, was designated as the predictor variable with respect to symptom exaggeration as measured by the FBS during forensic evaluations of TBI. The study was conducted based on information collected over a four year period from an archival data bank. The sample consisted of 123 participants from a Midwest clinic (age: M=42.1, SD=13.9; Education: M=12.0, SD=2.6; Gender: 67 men, 56 women). Individuals were referred by physicians, attorneys, or insurance companies for independent medical examinations (IME), and underwent a comprehensive neuropsychological evaluation after sustaining a TBI. Based on various factors such as available medical records, neuroimaging results, Glasgow Coma Scale ratings, loss of consciousness, and retrograde and post-traumatic amnesia, TBI was classified as mild, moderate, or severe. It was hypothesized that a negative correlation existed between elevated scores on the FBS and effort subtests of WMT with higher scores indicative of valid performance. The results of the regression analysis found that the WMT was not a significant predictor of symptom exaggeration on the FBS. These findings may be attributed to differences in the size and composition of the sample as well as inconsistencies of inclusion criteria in various studies. |
