While the fact of litigation in neuropsychological
assessment is about as subtle as a horse in a bedroom,
it does not necessarily follow that the nature of malingering
behaviors is also obvious or that the logic and techniques
of malingering assessment have achieved “mature”
validity. Despite the dramatic increase in studies on malingering
in recent years, detection of malingering in head injury
litigation continues to be a challenge for neuropsychologists.
Numerous studies, most published since 1994, have attempted
to search for the best technique for identifying malingering
and/or malingerers. Unfortunately, this effort has been
hampered by the lack of clinical data regarding the complexity
and diversity of malingering behaviors themselves. In addition,
the research is being conducted by clinical neuroscientists
who, in various ways, are somewhat unsophisticated in their
views of malingering detection statistics, paradigms and
proofs (vs. forensic psychologists, maybe?).