Clinical utility of the McVaugh and Grow rules for the detection of faking on the Personality Inventory for Children.

Investigated the clinical utility of the McVaugh and Grow (1983) suggestions that Adjustment Scale (ADJ) greater than or equal to 84T indicates faking bad and K greater than or equal to 59T or Social Desirability (SD) greater than or equal to 54T indicates faking good on the Personality Inventory for Children (PIC) in 100 children, aged 6-0 to 12-11, seen in a private, fee-for-service, practice of psychology. Profiles that exceeded the fake bad criterion were found in 35% of the cases, but only one profile met fake good criteria. In contrast to profiles below the faking bad criterion, those profiles with ADJ greater than or equal to 84 were associated with higher levels of family pathology, a higher incidence of learning disabilities, and a higher incidence of hyperactivity. It was concluded that profiles that meet the ADJ greater than or equal to 84T criterion reflect psychopathology, not faking.