Embedded WAIS-IV Detection Strategies and Feigned Cognitive Impairment: An Investigation of Malingered ADHD.

Malingered attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may be strongly motivated on college campuses by recreational use of ADHD medications and to obtain unwarranted academic accommodations. Rather than rely on face-valid (easily faked) ADHD checklists, the study focused on the more complex Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Fourth edition (WAIS-IV; Wechsler, 2008). However, the current literature has not yet investigated well-defined detection strategies for feigned WAIS-IV presentations. Using aprioristic standards, four different detection strategies from the feigning literature were adapted to certain WAIS-IV subscales. For example, significantly below-chance performance was applied to visual puzzles. Using a between-subjects simulation design, 74 undergraduate simulators were compared with archival data on 73 outpatients diagnosed with ADHD at a university psychology clinic. Very large effect sizes (Cohen's ds from 1.66 to 1.90) differentiated between genuine and feigned ADHD. Two strategies (significantly below-chance performance and floor effect) showed strong promise if cross-validated for other feigning presentations. The study concluded with clinical considerations and future avenues for research.

Effectiveness of the Miranda Acquiescence Questionnaire for Investigating Impaired Miranda Reasoning.

The capacity of arrestees to comprehend their Miranda rights adequately and to waive them intelligently remains largely unexamined by most defense attorneys and forensic practitioners. Although much is now known about Miranda comprehension, only recently has forensic research emerged on Miranda reasoning. This archival study utilizes an extensive dataset of 847 pretrial detainees who were administered the Standardized Assessment of Miranda Abilities. This study focuses on how forensic practitioners can evaluate Miranda misperceptions that may have contributed to highly consequential decisions to cooperate with law enforcement without seeking legal counsel. Specific items from the Miranda Acquiescence Questionnaire of the Standardized Assessment of Miranda Abilities clearly identified detainees with impaired Miranda reasoning. Two important patterns of Miranda misperceptions were observed: adversarial perspective on arrest and trusting law enforcement. For instance, more than 20 percent of detainees with impaired reasoning wrongly believed that cooperating with police could only have positive outcomes. Even more troubling, more than one fourth of detainees erroneously believed that they must always comply with police requests, which obviously could entail self-incrimination. These findings are then placed in a broader context when examining the professional roles of forensic practitioners in recognizing, understanding, and evaluating for impaired Miranda abilities.