Preliminary Validation of the Traumatic Events Inventory for the Detection of Fictitious Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Authors

Amir M. Poreh, Cleveland State University; Case Western Reserve University
Salayna M. Abdallah, Cleveland State University

Abstract

Objective: The present study described the validation of the Traumatic Events Inventory (TEI), a novel self-report measure of Fictitious Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (F-PTSD). The authors hypothesized that the TEI would detect higher sensitivity and specificity of simulating participants compared to traditional measures. Methods: Four groups of volunteers were recruited. The first two groups were comprised of individuals with a self-reported diagnosis of PTSD or depression/anxiety, respectively; the third group was comprised of individuals without a previous mental health history who were instructed to simulate PTSD; the fourth group was individuals without a mental health history who received no instructions. In addition to the TEI, all of the subjects completed the PTSD checklist for DSM-5 and two performance validity tests (PVT): the Reliable Digit Span (RDS), and the Portland Digit Recognition Test (PDRT). Results: The study showed that the TEI possesses high internal consistency and correlates highly with PVT measures. The TEI also has a high classification accuracy for F-PTSD, and its sensitivity and specificity are higher than those of the RDS and PDRT. Conclusions: Our findings support the TEI as a reliable and valid measure for detecting F-PTSD. Future studies are needed to assess the validity of the measure in clinical populations, and its ability to identify subtypes of F-PTSD claimants.

Recommended Citation

Poreh, Amir M. and Abdallah, Salayna M. (2023) "Preliminary Validation of the Traumatic Events Inventory for the Detection of Fictitious Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)," Archives of Assessment Psychology: Vol. 13, Article 1.
Available at: https://nsuworks.nova.edu/psyassessment/vol13/iss1/1