The Utility of an Attention-Based Performance Validity Test in a Sample of Austrian Early Retirement Claimants

Most performance validity tests (PVTs) are memory-based which might lead to an underestimation of performance validity issues in other cognitive domains. Accordingly, the Groningen Effort Test (GET) was developed as an attention-based PVT to detect noncredible attentional performance. This study aimed to examine the utility of the GET performance validity measures-the GET index score (GETI) and the number of errors (GETE)-in a civil forensic setting. Archival data were drawn from neuropsychological assessments of 132 individuals seeking early retirement in Austria. Performance on the Word Memory Test (WMT) and Reliable Digit Span (RDS) served as an external performance validity criterion. Additionally, correlations between all PVTs and two cognitive ability tests (i.e., the Cognitrone and Test of Attentional Performance) were calculated. GET performance was substantially better for individuals exhibiting valid performance than for individuals exhibiting invalid performance, with moderate (GETId = 0.73) and large (GETEd = 2.20) effect sizes. The GETI showed sensitivity of 71.0% and specificity of 81.8%. The GETE showed sensitivity of 77.4% and specificity of 89.1%. Correlations between the PVTs and the cognitive ability tests were in the small-to-medium range among participants with valid performance. The GET proved valuable in assessing performance validity in early retirement claimants. Of the two GET measures, the GETE was slightly superior to the GETI and should be preferred for clinical use. While the findings indicate that the GET is relatively easy to pass for most individuals, further investigation into its cognitive demands is desirable.