Relationship Between Malingerers' Intelligence and MMPI-2 Knowledge and Their Ability to Avoid Detection

• NCJ Number: 208118
• Journal: International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology Volume: 48 Issue: 6 Dated: December 2004 Pages: 649-663
• Author(s): Williams V. Pelfrey Jr.
• Editor(s): Adrienne Palermo R.N.
• Date Published: December 2004
• Length: 15 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This paper addresses the relationship between two factors, intelligence and knowledge of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2) and a participant’s ability to escape detection as a malingerer.

Abstract

The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2) is widely considered to be the most frequently administered personality inventory. In order to identify those participants who misrepresent themselves on the MMPI-2, a series of validity and detection devices or malingering devices exist. This paper examines the utility of two factors or variables, MMPI-2 knowledge and general intelligence in predicting the likelihood of escaping detection as a malingerer. The paper begins with a literature review of the importance of malingering detection, standard detection devices, and successful malingerers. When studying the detection of malingering, the research population may be obtained from several distinct groups, such as a motivated sample, participants identified as malingerers, and an instructed group. For this paper, the instructed group was utilized. Findings indicate that knowledge of MMPI-2 contributes significantly to the probability of escaping detection as a malingerer which is consistent with previous findings. References