Detecting feigned impairment with the digit span and vocabulary subtests of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-third edition.

The WAIS-III Digit Span and Vocabulary subtests were investigated as indicators of feigned cognitive impairment. Participants included 64 undergraduates randomly assigned to control, symptom-coached, or test-coached groups. Six previously researched validity indicators were examined. We hypothesized that symptom-coached participants would perform worse relative to test-coached simulators. Analyses determined both simulator groups performed lower than controls on all indicators except Vocabulary. Symptom-coached participants, however, did not differ from test-coached participants on any indicator. Classification accuracies for these six indicators ranged from 42 to 78%. While the WAIS-III validity indicators hold some promise, they should not be employed as independent measures.