Hand preference may be crucial in the forensic domain, notably in cases where the assailant is known to be left-handed and the defendant claims to be right-handed (or vice versa). In such cases, forensic psychologists or physicians may be asked to test the hand preference of the defendant. However, hand preference may be faked. The case described here illustrates this problem and addresses potential solutions. We also present preliminary data showing that a standard instrument for measuring handedness is sensitive to feigning. We conclude that when hand preference is determined, multiple sources of information should be assessed in order to identify possible feigning.
Keywords: feigning; forensic science; hand preference; neuropsychology; self-report bias; symptom validity testing.
© 2018 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.