Serial malingering on verbal and nonverbal fluency and memory measures: Ananalog investigation

Analysis of response consistency on neuropsychological test performance, bo th within and across testing sessions, can be an important method of detect ing malingering. Little systematic research, however, has examined how susp ected malingerers perform across repent evaluations, a common forensic occu rrence. To address this issue, we examined performance across a 3-week inte rval in an analogue malingering design on the California Verbal Learning Te st (CVLT), the Rey Complex Figure, the Controlled Oral Word Association Tes t, and the Ruff Figural Fluency Test. Malingering simulators (n = 21) perfo rmed more poorly on all measures than the controls (n = 21) and demonstrate d practice effects on the nonverbal, but not the verbal, tests. Controls de monstrated practice effects on all measures across time. Contrary to hypoth eses, malingering simulators demonstrated high and similar levels of betwee n and within time consistency as controls when assessed via a series of cor relations. Despite this consistency, when qualitative performance patterns were assessed on the CVLT, simulators were less likely to consistently reca ll the same word across successive learning trials. The following issues ar e discussed: (a) the differential pattern of practice effects on verbal and nonverbal tasks, (b) qualitative and quantitative differences in assessmen t of consistency, and (c) how future research should study consistency/inco nsistency. (C) 1999 National Academy of Neuropsychology. Published by Elsev ier Science Ltd.