Discriminant Function Analysis of Malingerers’ and Neurological Headache Patients ’ Self- Reports of Neuropsychological Symptoms

Interpretation of a patient’s neuropsychological examination involves the determination of the role motivational and psychiatric factors may have played. The ability to detect malingering becomes crucial, particularly when the examination occurs as a result of litigation. Moreover, falsely identi-fying a performance as distorted has serious consequences for the patient. The present study was conducted to replicate previous research that discriminated between malingered and nonmalingered responses to a neuropsychological self-report inventory. An overall hit rate of 84 % for malingerers and neurologic headache patients demonstrated replication of the inventory’s ability to identify ma-lingerers. Of those predicted to be malingerers, 27 % were false positives indicating the need to use this inventory in conjuction with other neuropsychological measures. 1998 National Academy of Neuropsychology. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd Each year approximately two million head injuries occur in the United States (Ruff, Wylie, & Tennant, 1993). An award of financial damages when neuropsychological dysfunction can be shown is not uncommon. The possibility of financial compensation increases the probabil-ity of response distortion (Franzen, Iverson, & McCracken, 1990, Gilandas & Touyz, 1982, Lezak, 1983). Keiser (1968) argued that the potential of financial gain rarely does not pla