We have located links that may give you full text access.
COMPARATIVE STUDY
JOURNAL ARTICLE
Performance validity in undergraduate research participants: a comparison of failure rates across tests and cutoffs.
Clinical Neuropsychologist 2017 January
OBJECTIVE: This study compared failure rates on performance validity tests (PVTs) across liberal and conservative cutoffs in a sample of undergraduate students participating in academic research.
METHOD: Participants (n = 120) were administered four free-standing PVTs (Test of Memory Malingering, Word Memory Test, Rey 15-Item Test, Hiscock Forced-Choice Procedure) and three embedded PVTs (Digit Span, letter and category fluency). Participants also reported their perceived level of effort during testing.
RESULTS: At liberal cutoffs, 36.7% of the sample failed ≥1 PVTs, 6.7% failed ≥2, and .8% failed 3. At conservative cutoffs, 18.3% of the sample failed ≥1 PVTs, 2.5% failed ≥2, and .8% failed 3. Participants were 3 to 5 times more likely to fail embedded (15.8-30.8%) compared to free-standing PVTs (3.3-10.0%). There was no significant difference in failure rates between native and non-native English speaking participants at either liberal or conservative cutoffs. Additionally, there was no relation between self-reported effort and PVT failure rates.
CONCLUSIONS: Although PVT failure rates varied as a function of PVTs and cutoffs, between a third and a fifth of the sample failed ≥1 PVTs, consistent with high initial estimates of invalid performance in this population. Embedded PVTs had notably higher failure rates than free-standing PVTs. Assuming optimal effort in research using students as participants without a formal assessment of performance validity introduces a potentially significant confound in the study design.
METHOD: Participants (n = 120) were administered four free-standing PVTs (Test of Memory Malingering, Word Memory Test, Rey 15-Item Test, Hiscock Forced-Choice Procedure) and three embedded PVTs (Digit Span, letter and category fluency). Participants also reported their perceived level of effort during testing.
RESULTS: At liberal cutoffs, 36.7% of the sample failed ≥1 PVTs, 6.7% failed ≥2, and .8% failed 3. At conservative cutoffs, 18.3% of the sample failed ≥1 PVTs, 2.5% failed ≥2, and .8% failed 3. Participants were 3 to 5 times more likely to fail embedded (15.8-30.8%) compared to free-standing PVTs (3.3-10.0%). There was no significant difference in failure rates between native and non-native English speaking participants at either liberal or conservative cutoffs. Additionally, there was no relation between self-reported effort and PVT failure rates.
CONCLUSIONS: Although PVT failure rates varied as a function of PVTs and cutoffs, between a third and a fifth of the sample failed ≥1 PVTs, consistent with high initial estimates of invalid performance in this population. Embedded PVTs had notably higher failure rates than free-standing PVTs. Assuming optimal effort in research using students as participants without a formal assessment of performance validity introduces a potentially significant confound in the study design.
Full text links
Related Resources
Get seemless 1-tap access through your institution/university
For the best experience, use the Read mobile app
All material on this website is protected by copyright, Copyright © 1994-2024 by WebMD LLC.
This website also contains material copyrighted by 3rd parties.
By using this service, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy.
Your Privacy Choices
You can now claim free CME credits for this literature searchClaim now
Get seemless 1-tap access through your institution/university
For the best experience, use the Read mobile app