Somatic Malingering on the MMPI and MMPI-2 in Personal Injury Litigants

Elevations on Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI/MMPI-2) scales 1 (Hs) and 3 (Hy) frequently occur in neuropsychological settings, due to symptoms of pain, paresthesias, and malaise. The presence of only one F scale item on Hs and Hy complicates detection of exaggerated somatic complaints. Of 12 medically and neurologically normal litigants claiming brain damage, with objective evidence of malingering, only 3 had elevated F scales, despite elevations on Hs and Hy exceeding those reported for chronic pain samples and for noninjured dissimulators in malingering research. By contrast, 11 of 12 had elevations on the Lees-Haley Fake Bad Scale (FBS). Somatic malingering should be considered when elevations on Hs and Hy exceed T80, and FBS is significantly elevated.