Effects of incentive and preparation time on performance and classification accuracy of standard and malingering-specific memory tests

Arch Clin Neuropsychol. 2004 Sep;19(6):817-23. doi: 10.1016/j.acn.2003.10.002.

Abstract

The effects of incentive and preparation on performance and classification accuracy of standard and malingering-specific tests were investigated in a simulation study using a 2 (no incentive vs. a $20 incentive) x 2 (immediate vs. delayed preparation) factorial design. Eighty undergraduate students and 15 individuals with traumatic brain injury were administered standard (viz., Digit Span and Visual Memory Span from the WMS-R) and malingering-specific (viz., the Rey 15-Item Memory Test and the Multi-Digit Memory Test) memory tests. Preparation time was found to have a significant effect on performance and classification accuracy on a number of these tests, but incentive was found to have a significant effect on the performance but not the classification accuracy of one test (viz., the Multi-Digit Memory Test). These findings suggest that extra-test variables such as incentive and preparation time should be taken into consideration in evaluating the utility of standard and malingering-specific memory tests in detecting malingering.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial
  • Comparative Study
  • Randomized Controlled Trial

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Brain Injury, Chronic / diagnosis*
  • Brain Injury, Chronic / psychology
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Malingering / diagnosis*
  • Malingering / psychology
  • Memory Disorders / diagnosis*
  • Memory Disorders / psychology
  • Middle Aged
  • Motivation*
  • Neuropsychological Tests / statistics & numerical data*
  • Psychometrics / statistics & numerical data
  • Reference Values
  • Sensitivity and Specificity
  • Time Factors