A survey of neuropsychologists’ use of validity tests with children and adolescents

Abstract

A web-based survey of validity test use by North American neuropsychologists was conducted, with 282 participants meeting inclusion criteria. Respondents indicated that they use a median of one stand-alone performance validity test (PVT), one embedded PVT, and one symptom validity test (SVT) per pediatric assessment. The vast majority of respondents indicated they give at least one PVT (92%) and at least one SVT (88%) during each pediatric assessment. A meaningful difference in validity use (i.e., at least a medium effect size) was only found for those who engage in forensic work, with those clinicians giving more stand-alone PVTs than those who do not conduct forensic work. The most frequently used validity measures in pediatric assessments are presented, as are reasons participants reported for both using and not using validity tests. Limitations and qualitative comparisons to other surveys on validity test use with adults are discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• Performance validity test
• Symptom validity
• Effort test
• Children
• Adolescents
• Malingering

Thank you to the respondents who completed this survey and to the reviewers for their helpful comments on this manuscript.

Brian L. Brooks is a co-author and receives royalties for sales of a pediatric memory battery with an embedded performance validity marker [Sherman, E.M.S. and Brooks, B.L. (2015). Child and Adolescent Memory Profile^TM. Lutz, FL.; Psychological Assessment Resources Inc.] and a stand-alone pediatric performance validity test [Sherman, E.M.S. and Brooks, B.L. (in press). Memory Validity Profile^TM. Lutz, FL.; Psychological Assessment Resources Inc.]. He receives royalties from Oxford University Press from sales of a book (Pediatric Forensic Neuropsychology) that is referenced in this paper.

Danielle M. Ploetz has no conflicts of interest to disclose.

Michael W. Kirkwood receives royalties from Guilford Press from sales of a book (Validity Testing in Child and Adolescent Assessment: Evaluating Exaggeration, Feigning, and Noncredible Effort) referenced in this paper.