The Relationship Among Malingering, Psychopathy, and the MMPI-2 Validity Scales in Maximum Security Forensic Psychiatric Inpatients

ABSTRACT

The records of 392 men hospitalized in a maximum security forensic psychiatric hospital were reviewed. Demographic information was collected as well as data from the men's performance on the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) and Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2). Prevalence rates for malingering were low across the sample. However, results of chi-square analysis revealed that those who scored high on the PCL-R received a diagnosis of malingering significantly more frequently than those who scored low on the PCL-R. Clinical applications and theoretical implications of the results are discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• Assessment
• forensic
• inpatient
• malingering
• psychopathy