Journal of Psychology & Behavioral Science

Disability Exaggeration and Cognitive Task Performance: Potential Role of Cognitive Dissonance
Joseph L. Etherton, Randall Osborne, Rosa Burroughs

Abstract
Disability exaggeration is common in disability claims, and exaggerated symptoms and impairment may persist in the absence of any objective basis. Cognitive dissonance may contribute to continued disability manifestation given the discrepancy between overt behaviors and initial self-perception. Volunteers performed normally (Control; n = 36) or feigned impairment (Simulator; n = 39) on WAIS-IV working memory and processing speed measures, and validity scales. Both groups were then asked to perform normally on a second set of related cognitive tasks, on which we hypothesized that Simulators would perform more poorly than Controls. No group differences were observed on any measures, failing to support the cognitive dissonance hypothesis.

Full Text: PDF     DOI: 10.15640/jpbs.v8n2a5