title: Faking ADHD? Symptom Validity Testing and Its Relation to Self-Reported, Observer-Reported Symptoms, and Neuropsychological Measures of Attention in Adults With ADHD.
abstract: To compare ADHD patients who failed a symptom validity test with those who passed the test to explore whether there are signs of negative response bias on group level.
  
  
  
  In our outpatient department, 196 adults were diagnosed with ADHD using a comprehensive diagnostic strategy featuring a detailed clinical history, clinical interview, observer rating, several self-rating scales, and neuropsychological attention tests. The Amsterdam Short Term Memory Test (AKGT) was applied as a symptom validity measure.
  
  
  
  Sixty-three patients (32.1%) scored below the AKGT cutoff level. The two groups did not significantly differ regarding self-report and observer ratings. Those who failed the AKGT had higher reaction time variabilities in selective, auditory and visual divided attention, and higher omission errors in sustained attention.
  
  
  
  We found no strong indicators for negative response bias in ADHD patients who failed a symptom validity test. New measures and approaches to detect feigned ADHD should be developed.
authors.affiliation: 1 Philipps University Marburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Oliver
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Hirsch
authors.affiliation: 1 Philipps University Marburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Hanna
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Christiansen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology*; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology*; D003071:Cognition; D008192:Deception; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008306:Malingering / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D057566:Self Report; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
keywords: ADHD; assessment; neuropsychology; symptom validity testing