SYMPTOM VALIDITY TESTING OF REMOTE MEMORY IN A CRIMINAL FORENSIC SETTING

Symptom Validity Testing (SVT) has been used effectively with sensory perception and short-term memory. The procedure was recently adapted t o assess remote memory for specific events. Memory for remote events i s particularly important to the criminal justice system and courts are beginning to draw on neuropsychology to assist in the assessment of c laimed remote memory loss. This report discusses the importance of thi s objective technique to neuropsychologists involved with criminal cou rts and presents its use in three cases from the criminal forensic are na Normative results for the three case study tests are presented and suggest the procedure is a robust version of SVT. Implications of thes e results are discussed. Copyright (C) 1996 National Academy of Neurop sychology