Specificity rates for non-clinical, bilingual, Mexican Americans on three popular performance validity measures^*

* This study formed the basis of a thesis submitted by the third author in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a Master of Arts degree in experimental psychology at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.

Abstract

Objective: To measure specificity as failure rates for non-clinical, bilingual, Mexican Americans on three popular performance validity measures: (a) the language format Reliable Digit Span; (b) visual-perceptual format Test of Memory Malingering; and (c) visual-perceptual format Dot Counting, using optimal/suboptimal effort cut scores developed for monolingual, English-speakers. Methods: Participants were 61 consecutive referrals, aged between 18 and 65 years, with <16 years of education who were subjectively bilingual (confirmed via formal assessment) and chose the language of assessment, Spanish or English, for the performance validity tests. Results: Failure rates were 38% for Reliable Digit Span, 3% for the Test of Memory Malingering, and 7% for Dot Counting. For Reliable Digit Span, the failure rates for Spanish (46%) and English (31%) languages of administration did not differ significantly. Conclusions: Optimal/suboptimal effort cut scores derived for monolingual English-speakers can be used with Spanish/English bilinguals when using the visual-perceptual format Test of Memory Malingering and Dot Counting. The high failure rate for Reliable Digit Span suggests it should not be used as a performance validity measure with Spanish/English bilinguals, irrespective of the language of test administration, Spanish or English.

Keywords:

• Hispanic Americans
• effort in neuropsychological testing
• symptom validity tests
• Spanish–English bilingualism
• false positive rates

Acknowledgments

Many thanks to the following University of Texas Rio Grande Valley undergraduate and graduate psychology students who assisted with data collection and other aspects of this study: Mario Arredondo; Alejandro Ballesteros; David Cruz; Liliana Flores; Melissa Garza; Cindy Gonzalez; Melissa Leon Leal; Lucila Lopez; Marlene Orta; Francisco Sierra.

Notes

* This study formed the basis of a thesis submitted by the third author in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a Master of Arts degree in experimental psychology at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.