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Objective: Performance validity testing is a necessary practice when conducting research with undergraduate students, especially when participants are minimally incentivized to provide adequate effort. However, the failure rate on...
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Objective: Performance validity testing is a necessary practice when conducting research with undergraduate students, especially when participants are minimally incentivized to provide adequate effort. However, the failure rate on performance validity measures in undergraduate samples has been debated with studies of different measures and cutoffs reporting results ranging from 2.3 to 55.6%. Method: The current study examined multiple studies to investigate failures on performance validity measures in undergraduate students, and how these rates are influenced by liberal and conservative cutoffs. Failure rates were calculated using standalone performance validity tests (PVTs) and embedded validity indices (EVIs) from eight studies conducted at two universities with over one thousand participants. Results: Results indicated that failure rates in standalone PVTs were up to four times greater when using liberal versus conservative cutoffs. EVI rates varied for conservative versus liberal cutoffs with some measures showing almost no difference and others showing 10 times greater failure rates. Conclusions: Findings provide further descriptive data on the base rate of validity test failure in undergraduate student samples and suggest that EVIs might be more sensitive to alterations made in cutoff scores than standalone PVTs. Overall, these results highlight the variability in failure rates across different measures and cutoffs that researchers might employ in any individual study.
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Background: Performance Validity Testing (PVT) decision-making rules may be indeterminate in patients with neurological disease in which PVT characteristics have not been adequately studied. We report a patient with multiple scler...
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Background: Performance Validity Testing (PVT) decision-making rules may be indeterminate in patients with neurological disease in which PVT characteristics have not been adequately studied. We report a patient with multiple sclerosis (MS) who failed computerized PVT testing but had normal memory scores with a neuropsychological profile consistent with expected MS disease-related weaknesses. Method: Neuropsychological testing was conducted on two occasions in a middle-aged woman with an established MS diagnosis to address concerns of possible memory decline. Testing was discontinued after PVT scores below recommended cut-points were obtained during the first evaluation. During the second assessment, subthreshold PVT scores on a different computerized PVT were obtained, but unlike the first assessment, the entire neuropsychological protocol was administered. Results: Despite subthreshold computerized PVT scores, normal learning and memory performance was obtained providing objective data to answer the referral question. Other neuropsychological findings included decreased processing speed, poor working memory, and poor executive function consistent with her MS diagnosis. Embedded PVT scores were normal. Conclusions: We speculate that poor computerized PVT scores resulted from the disease-related features of MS, although we also discuss approaches to reconcile apparently contradictory PVT versus neuropsychological results if the contributions of disease-related variables on PVTs scores are discounted. This case demonstrates the value of completing the assessment protocol despite obtaining PVT scores below publisher recommended cutoffs in clinical evaluations. If subthreshold PVT scores are considered evidence of performance invalidity, it is still necessary to have an approach for interpreting seemingly credible neuropsychological test results rather than simply dismissing them as invalid.
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Objective: Performance validity tests (PVTs) and symptom validity tests (SVTs) are often administered during neuropsychological evaluations. Examinees may be coached to avoid detection by measures of response validity. Relatively ...
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Objective: Performance validity tests (PVTs) and symptom validity tests (SVTs) are often administered during neuropsychological evaluations. Examinees may be coached to avoid detection by measures of response validity. Relatively little research has evaluated whether graduated levels of coaching has differential effects upon PVT and SVT performance. Accordingly, the present experiment evaluated the effect of graduated levels of coaching upon the classification accuracy of commonly used PVTs and SVTs and the currently accepted criterion of failing two or more PVTs or SVTs. Method: Participants simulated symptoms associated with mild traumatic brain injury (TBI). One group was provided superficial information concerning cognitive, emotional, and physical symptoms. Another group was provided detailed information about such symptoms. A third group was provided detailed information about symptoms and guidance how to evade detection by PVTs. These groups were compared to an honest-responding group. Extending prior experiments, stand-alone and embedded PVT measures were administered in addition to SVTs. Results: The three simulator groups were readily identified by PVTs and SVTs, but a meaningful minority of those provided test-taking strategies eluded detection. The Word Memory Test emerged as the most sensitive indicator of simulated mild TBI symptoms. PVTs achieved more sensitive detection of simulated head injury status than SVTs. Conclusions: Individuals coached to modify test-taking performance were marginally more successful in eluding detection by PVTs and SVTs than those coached with respect to TBI symptoms only. When the criterion of failing two or more PVTs or SVTs was applied, only 5% eluded detection.
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The assessment of response validity is now considered an important and necessary component of neuropsychological evaluations. One way for assessing response validity is with performance validity tests (PVTs), which measure the deg...
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The assessment of response validity is now considered an important and necessary component of neuropsychological evaluations. One way for assessing response validity is with performance validity tests (PVTs), which measure the degree of effort applied to testing to achieve optimal performance. Numerous studies have shown that normal and neurologically impaired children are capable of passing certain free-standing PVTs using adult cutoffs. Despite this, PVT use appears to be more common in adults compared to children. The overall purpose of this systematic review is to provide the reader with a general overview of the existing literature on PVTs in children. As part of this review, goals are to inform the reader why PVT use is not as prevalent in children compared to adults, to discuss why PVTs and related methods are important in pediatric cognitive evaluations, and to discuss practical limitations and future directions.
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Objective: The study was designed to replicate and extend pervious findings demonstrating the high rates of invalid neuropsychological testing in military service members (SMs) with a history of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) ...
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Objective: The study was designed to replicate and extend pervious findings demonstrating the high rates of invalid neuropsychological testing in military service members (SMs) with a history of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) assessed in the context of a medical evaluation board (MEB). Method: Two hundred thirty-one active duty SMs (61 of which were undergoing an MEB) underwent neuropsychological assessment. Performance validity (Word Memory Test) and symptom validity (MMPI-2-RF) test data were compared across those evaluated within disability (MEB) and clinical contexts. Results: As with previous studies, there were significantly more individuals in an MEB context that failed performance (MEB = 57%, non-MEB = 31%) and symptom validity testing (MEB = 57%, non-MEB = 22%) and performance validity testing had a notable affect on cognitive test scores. Performance and symptom validity test failure rates did not vary as a function of the reason for disability evaluation when divided into behavioral versus physical health conditions. Conclusions: These data are consistent with past studies, and extends those studies by including symptom validity testing and investigating the effect of reason for MEB. This and previous studies demonstrate that more than 50% of SMs seen in the context of an MEB will fail performance validity tests and over-report on symptom validity measures. These results emphasize the importance of using both performance and symptom validity testing when evaluating SMs with a history of mTBI, especially if they are being seen for disability evaluations, in order to ensure the accuracy of cognitive and psychological test data.
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Given the prevalence of compensation seeking patients who exaggerate or fabricate their symptoms, the assessment of performance and symptom validity throughout testing is vital in neuropsychological evaluations. Two of the most co...
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Given the prevalence of compensation seeking patients who exaggerate or fabricate their symptoms, the assessment of performance and symptom validity throughout testing is vital in neuropsychological evaluations. Two of the most commonly utilized performance validity tests (PVTs) are the Word Memory Test (WMT) and the Test of Memory Malingering (TOMM). While both have proven successful in detecting invalid performance, some studies suggest greater sensitivity in the WMT relative to the TOMM. To improve upon previous research, this study compared performance in individuals who completed both the WMT and TOMM during a neuropsychological evaluation. Participants included 268 cases from a clinical private practice consisting of primarily disability claimants. One-way multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) compared neuropsychological performance of participants who passed both PVTs (n = 198) versus those who failed the WMT but passed the TOMM (n = 70). Global suppression of neuropsychological scores was found for participants who failed the WMT but passed the TOMM, as well as more psychiatric symptoms reported on questionnaires, relative to those who passed both PVTs. These findings suggest that those passing the TOMM but failing the WMT demonstrated performance invalidity, which illustrates the WMT's enhanced sensitivity.
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Objective: This investigation was designed to examine the classification statistics of Memory Complaints Inventory (MCI) scores relative to the Medical Symptom Validity Test (MSVT) and the Non-Verbal Medical Symptom Validity Test ...
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Objective: This investigation was designed to examine the classification statistics of Memory Complaints Inventory (MCI) scores relative to the Medical Symptom Validity Test (MSVT) and the Non-Verbal Medical Symptom Validity Test (NV-MSVT), as well as various validity scales on the Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI) and Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 Restructured Form(MMPI-2-RF). Method: The sample consisted of 339 active duty service members with a history of concussion who completed performance validity tests (PVTs), symptom validity tests (SVTs), and the MCI. Results: Those who failed the MSVT and NV-MSVT had significantly higher scores across all MCI scales. In addition, those who scored above specified cut scores on the evaluated PAI and MMPI-2-RF validity scales also had significantly higher MCI scale scores. Receiver operator characteristics analysis demonstrated acceptable area under the curve (AUC) across the evaluated SVTs for the mean of all MCI subtests with values ranging from (.77 to .86), with comparable findings for PVTs (MSVT AUC=.75; NV-MSVT AUC=.72). Conclusions: In general the MCI scales demonstrated better classification statistics relative to SVTs vs. PVTs, which is consistent with the nature of the MCI as a self-report instrument.
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The Word Memory Test (WMT) and Medical Symptom Validity Test (MSVT) are two commonly used free-standing measures of test-taking effort. The use of any test as a measure of effort is enhanced when evidence shows that it can be easi...
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The Word Memory Test (WMT) and Medical Symptom Validity Test (MSVT) are two commonly used free-standing measures of test-taking effort. The use of any test as a measure of effort is enhanced when evidence shows that it can be easily passed by patients with severe neurological conditions. The opportunity arose to administer the WMT and MSVT to a 9-year-old girl (referred to as CJ) with severe congenital bilateral brain tissue loss (shown via a compelling brain MRI image), chronic epilepsy, an extremely low Full Scale IQ, extremely low adaptive functioning, developmental delays, numerous severe cognitive impairments, and treatment with multiple high-dose benzodiazepines. She received extensive early intervention services and numerous academic accommodations. Despite this set of problems, CJ passed the WMT and MSVT at perfect to near perfect levels. Implications for failure on these tests among patients with known or alleged mild traumatic brain injury are discussed.
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Validation research for educational achievement tests is often limited to an examination of intended test score interpretations. This article calls for an expansion of validation research in three dimensions. First, validation mus...
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Validation research for educational achievement tests is often limited to an examination of intended test score interpretations. This article calls for an expansion of validation research in three dimensions. First, validation must attend to actual test use and its consequences, not just score meaning. Second, validation must attend to unintended as well as intended testing consequences. Third, validation must attend to indirect as well as direct testing effects. Indirect effects include the effects of score-based incentives in prompting actions intended to raise test scores (directing student effort or focusing the system) as well as messaging effects associated with a testing program per se but not dependent on specific scores (shaping perceptions). This expanded program of test validation can best be accomplished by measurement professionals working in collaboration with scholars from other social science disciplines.
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