Malingering

Forensic assessments must evaluate systematically the accuracy and forthrightness of individuals referred for evaluation of psycholegal issues. Among different response styles that should be considered, malingering is a cornerstone issue for forensic consultations. Malingering is defined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (fourth edition; DSM-IV) of the American Psychiatric Association as a deliberate fabrication or gross exaggeration of symptoms for an external goal. Feigned symptoms and associated features may be psychological, medical, or a combination of both. Forensic psychologists and psychiatrists should note that minor or even substantive exaggerations do not warrant the classification of malingering; only grossly exaggerated symptoms qualify for malingering. An example of gross exaggeration would be the deliberate misrepresentation of an occasional thought about one's demise (e.g., “I ...