Hankins G C, Barnard G W, Robbins L
Union Correctional Institution, Raiford, Florida.
Bull Am Acad Psychiatry Law. 1993;21(1):111-21.
The validity of the M Test as a screening measure for malingering was assessed in a residential forensic treatment center. Clinically, malingering was recognized by the treatment staff as a significant problem among incompetent to proceed (ITP) defendants in this setting. A total of 79 ITP defendants completed the M Test under standard instructions. To assess the predictive validity of the M Test, its sensitivity and specificity were determined using three separate measures of malingering status. Using the original scoring procedure, the results provided estimates of sensitivity of 11, 31, and 29 percent and estimates of specificity of 67, 70, and 69 percent, respectively, for the three malingering status measures. A revised scoring procedure improved the sensitivity estimates to the statistically significant level of 86 percent for the malingering status measure that was defined as feigned or grossly exaggerated psychotic symptoms. The pattern of correlations between the M Test scales and a variety of other clinical measures suggested that, in this forensic treatment setting, the subject's pattern of responses to the M Test was primarily determined by the severity of cognitive impairment of that subject.
在一家住院法医治疗中心评估了 M 测试作为伪装筛查手段的有效性。临床上，在这种情况下，治疗人员认为伪装是无行为能力（ITP）被告中的一个重大问题。共有 79 名 ITP 被告按照标准指示完成了 M 测试。为了评估 M 测试的预测效度，使用三种独立的伪装状态测量方法确定其敏感性和特异性。采用原始评分程序，对于三种伪装状态测量方法，结果分别提供了 11%、31%和 29%的敏感性估计值以及 67%、70%和 69%的特异性估计值。对于定义为伪装或严重夸大的精神病症状的伪装状态测量方法，修订后的评分程序将敏感性估计值提高到了具有统计学意义的 86%。M 测试量表与各种其他临床测量之间的相关模式表明，在这种法医治疗环境中，受试者对 M 测试的反应模式主要由该受试者认知障碍的严重程度决定。
