Here is an invaluable tool for clinicians who must assess the possibility of malingering. This brief self-report inventory gives you a quick, convenient, and cost-effective way to determine the likelihood that an individual is exaggerating claims of mental illness. Research with both criminal and noncriminal samples shows that the MPS is effective in identifying malingerers.
A Large, Varied Norm Sample
Unlike other tests designed to assess malingering, the MPS is based on a large and varied sample. Norms are derived from a population of more than 1,000 adults—nationally representative in terms of gender, age, educational level, and region. In addition, numerous validation studies were conducted on a sample of more than 600 individuals, including prison inmates, normals, outpatients, inpatients, and worker’s compensation claimants. (Normals and prisoners were asked to complete the test twice, responding honestly on one administration and faking on another.) The scale has been validated against multiple measures and criteria.
Items Addressing Real and Simulated Psychopathology
MPS scales—Post-Traumatic Stress, Schizophrenia, Depression, and Dissociative Disorders—address real psychopathology, while a large set of parallel items represents simulated psychopathology. This nonoverlapping subset of “pseudo” symptoms provides a strong basis for discriminating honest and dishonest protocols.
Composed of 139 simple true/false questions, the MPS can be easily completed in 20 minutes and then quickly computer scored using the CD. The test is an excellent way to help screen for psychopathology and to determine how likely it is that psychopathology is being exaggerated or feigned by the client.
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