Cultural Aspects in Assessing Malingering Detection

The effects of cross-cultural factors on cognitive testing have attracted increasing attention in recent years. Studies have indicated that these factors influence examinees’ performance in standard cognitive tests, raising concerns that they may bias decisions regarding whether malingering is at play. The current chapter briefly reviews the effects of cultural factors on performance in cognitive tests as well as the current understanding regarding their sources. Next, effects of cross-cultural factors on the determination of malingering are reviewed, focusing on stand-alone and embedded validity indicators. Though findings suggest that stand-alone validity indicators are relatively immune to these effects, embedded validity indicators necessitate a more cautious approach. However, at present conclusions can be stated only tentatively, as empirical data is still limited. Taking these caveats into consideration, recommendations are suggested to improve the validity of malingering assessment in a cross-cultural context, including a proposal for an interpretative scheme that can be utilized in such assessments. Hopefully, as empirical data accumulates, these recommendations will provide a basis for future refinements.