Detecting incomplete effort on the MMPI-2: An examination of the Fake-Bad Scale in electrical injury
The purpose of this study was to examine the utility of the MMPI-2 Fake Bad Scale (FBS) in the detection of malingering in Electrical Injury (EI) patients. The sample consisted of 60 male and 17 female (N=77) EI participants who were 22 to 59 years of age and sustained an electrical injury via power sources or lightning strike. A mild head injured sample, used as a comparison group, consisted of 29 males and 28 females (N=57), ranging from ages 18-60 years of age. All subjects were administered the MMPI-2, and at least one symptom validity test as part of a neuropsychological evaluation. Various cut-off scores on the FBS were determined by separately calculating odds ratios (OR) for each group. The percentage of participants who failed their symptom validity testing was calculated for each injury group. The mean FBS scores of those participants who passed or failed their symptom validity were compared separately for each injury group by independent sample t-tests. Consistent with current research, results offered significant support for the use of the FBS to detect malingering in mild TBI. A cut off score of 20 or 21 was significantly predictive of somatic malingering, however, a cut off score of 24 or higher did not significantly increase the likelihood of TBI patients failing symptom validity testing. By contrast, results did not significantly predict somatic malingering when FBS scores were elevated in electrical injury; therefore, there was no significant difference in FBS scores among the electrically injured patients who failed or passed symptom validity testing. Based on these findings the FBS is not yet a reliable tool for detection of somatic malingering in electrical injury. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2007 APA, all rights reserved)
https://www.upress.umn.edu/test-division/bibliography/2000-2009/2006/burandt_detecting_2006
https://www.upress.umn.edu/logo.png
Court Burandt
(2006)
Detecting incomplete effort on the MMPI-2: An examination of the Fake-Bad Scale in electrical injury
PhD thesis.