title: Can defendants with mental retardation successfully fake their performance on a test of competence to stand trial?
abstract: The purpose of this study was to determine whether criminal defendants with mental retardation can feign poor performance on a test of competence to stand trial. Four groups of adjudicated criminal defendants were given a test of competence to stand trial. In the experimental condition, defendants with mental retardation (MR) and mentally typical defendants (non-MR) were given instructions to fake their performance on the test. In the control, MR defendants and non-MR defendants took the test under standard conditions. The results indicated that both the MR and non-MR fakers scored significantly lower than the MR and non-MR controls. There was no significant difference in the scores of the MR and non-MR fakers. The results suggest that defendants with mental retardation may be able to successfully fake their performance in certain circumstances. Implications of these findings are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Winthrop University, Rock Hill, SC 27932, USA. Everingtonc@winthrop.edu
authors.forename: Caroline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Everington
authors.forename: Heidi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Notario-Smull
authors.forename: Mel L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Horton
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D008192:Deception; D005260:Female; D005555:Forensic Psychiatry / Q000295:instrumentation*; D006801:Humans; D007298:Insanity Defense; D008607:Intellectual Disability; D008297:Male; D008306:Malingering / Q000175:diagnosis; D016743:Mental Competency / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010414:Pennsylvania; D011581:Psychological Tests