Introducing a Forced Choice Recognition Trial to the Rey Complex Figure Test

This study was designed to introduce and validate a forced choice recognition trial to the Rey Complex Figure Test (FCRRCFT). Healthy undergraduate students at a midsized Canadian university were randomly assigned to the control (n = 80) or experimental malingering (n = 60) conditions. All participants were administered a brief battery of neuropsychological tests. The FCRRCFT had good overall classification accuracy (area under the curve: .79-.88) against various criterion variables. The conservative cutoff (≤16) was highly specific (.93-.96) but not very sensitive (.38-.51). Conversely, the liberal cutoff (≤18) was sensitive (.57-.72) but less specific (.88-.90). The FCRRCFT provided unique information about performance validity above and beyond the existing yes/no recognition trial. Combining multiple RCFT validity indices improved classification accuracy. The utility of previously published validity indicators embedded in the RCFT was also replicated. The FCRRCFT extends the growing trend of enhancing the clinical utility of widely used standard memory tests by developing a built-in validity check. Multivariate models were superior to univariate cutoffs. Although the FCRRCFT performed well in the current sample, replication in clinical/forensic patients is needed to establish its utility in differentiating genuine memory deficits from noncredible responding.