Information/Orientation Subtest of the Wechsler Memory Scale-Revised as an Indicator of Suspicion of Insufficient Effort

• Published in: Clinical neuropsychologist Vol. 14; no. 1; pp. 56 - 66
• Main Authors: Suchy, Yana, Sweet, Jerry J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Taylor & Francis Group 01.02.2000
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Brain Diseases - diagnosis; Brain Diseases - psychology; Case-Control Studies; Disability Evaluation; Female; Humans; Male; Malingering - diagnosis; Malingering - prevention & control; Memory Disorders - diagnosis; Memory Disorders - psychology; Middle Aged; Reference Standards; Sensitivity and Specificity; Wechsler Scales - standards
• ISSN: 1385-4046; 1744-4144
• DOI: 10.1076/1385-4046(200002)14:1;1-8;FT056

The utility of the Information/Orientation (IO) subtest of the Wechsler Memory Scale-Revised in identifying insufficient effort was examined. Performances of 50 benefit-seeking patients were compared to previously generated norms based on a clinical sample. Of the 50 benefit-seeking patients, 6 (12%) had IO scores that were outside the performance ranges of the entire clinical sample. An additional 6 of 50 (24%) had performances that were comparable to less than 2% of the normative sample. These results are consistent with previously published estimates of insufficient effort base rates in benefit-seeking populations and demonstrate the utility of IO as an indicator of suspicion of insufficient effort.