title: Simple real-time computerized tasks for detection of malingering among murderers with schizophrenia.
abstract: It is our contention that computer-based two-alternative forced choice techniques can be useful tools for the detection of patients with schizophrenia who feign acute psychotic symptoms and cognitive impairment as opposed to patients with schizophrenia with a true active psychosis. In our experiment, Visual Simple and Choice Reaction Time tasks were used. Reaction time in milliseconds was recorded and accuracy rate was obtained for all subjects' responses. Both types of task were administered to 27 patients with schizophrenia suspected of having committed murder. Patients with schizophrenia who were clinically assessed as malingerers achieved significantly fewer correct results, were significantly slower and less consistent in their reaction time. Congruence of performance between the Simple and Choice tasks was an additional parameter for the accurate diagnosis of malingering. The four parameters of both tests (accuracy of response, reaction time, standard deviation of reaction time and task congruency) are simple and constitute a user-friendly means for the detection of malingering in forensic practice. Another advantage of this procedure is that the software automatically measures and evaluates all the parameters.
authors.affiliation: Forensic Division, Be'er Yaakov Mental Health Center, Be'er Yaakov 70350, Israel. kertzman@Animascan.com
authors.forename: Semion
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kertzman
authors.forename: Haim
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Grinspan
authors.forename: Moshe
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Birger
authors.forename: Nina
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Shliapnikov
authors.forename: Yakov
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Alish
authors.forename: Zeev
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Ben Nahum
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mester
authors.forename: Moshe
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kotler
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003936:Diagnosis, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D006708:Homicide / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008306:Malingering / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D009484:Neuropsychology / Q000295:instrumentation*; D011930:Reaction Time; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000453:epidemiology*