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The Self-Report Symptom Inventory (SRSI): a New Instrument for the Assessment of Distorted Symptom Endorsement

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Abstract

Self-report instruments to detect distorted symptom reporting play a crucial role in clinical and forensic psychology. Most of the instruments currently available for this purpose only list implausible symptoms, which makes them easily identifiable as symptom validity tests. We developed the Self-Report Symptom Inventory (SRSI), combining five self-report scales of genuine symptoms with five pseudosymptom scales to screen for distorted symptom reporting in various domains (e.g., depression, post-traumatic stress). With a preliminary questionnaire version, we collected data in a heterogeneous sample (N = 239) and performed an item selection, resulting in the final 107-item version. This version was evaluated in civil forensic patients, inmates of a prison, and a population-based sample; N = 387). Data show that (a) SRSI pseudosymptom scores correlate highly (≥.80) with other instruments tapping distorted symptom endorsement, notably the Structured Inventory of Malingered Symptomatology; (b) High SRSI pseudosymptom scores tend to correlate with underperformance; and (c) The psychometric features of the SRSI are satisfactory, with internal consistency for the total scales >.90 and retest reliability >.85. The instrument appears to be a promising tool for examining symptom exaggeration, but further work is required, in particular cross-validation with other samples and different methods.

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Acknowledgments

Special thanks of the authors are due to Dr. Eva Friedel, who participated in the original conception of the instrument and the early phase of rational item construction. Furthermore, we acknowledge the contributions of Christina Fuchs (nee Diederich), Robert Lorenz, Sam Schlatow, Dr. Elisabeth Vossler-Thies, Lena Delattre, Maren Zon Rafdal, Benno Huhnt, and David Schlicht for their assistance in the data collection phase.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurology, Vivantes Klinikum im Friedrichshain, Landsberger Allee 49, D-10249, Berlin, Germany

    Thomas Merten

  2. Forensic Psychology Section, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands

    Harald Merckelbach

  3. Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sports, Bern, Switzerland

    Peter Giger

  4. Medizinisches Begutachtungsinstitut, Tübingen, Germany

    Andreas Stevens

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  1. Thomas Merten
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Correspondence to Thomas Merten.

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Prof. Stevens and Dr. Merten are regularly doing independent examinations in the fields of civil and social law. Prof. Merckelbach, Prof. Stevens, and Dr. Merten have participated in the development and adaptation of several validity tests.

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Merten, T., Merckelbach, H., Giger, P. et al. The Self-Report Symptom Inventory (SRSI): a New Instrument for the Assessment of Distorted Symptom Endorsement. Psychol. Inj. and Law 9, 102–111 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12207-016-9257-3

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