Affiliation:
1. Department of Philosophy, Sociology, Education and Applied Psychology, University of Padova, 35100 Padova, Italy
2. Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, 35100 Padova, Italy
Abstract
Malingering relates to intentionally pretending or exaggerating physical or psychologic symptoms to gain an external incentive, such as avoiding work, law prosecution or military service, or seeking financial compensation from insurance companies. Accordingly, various techniques have been developed in recent years by the scientific community to address this challenge. In this review, we discuss malingering within visual, auditory and olfactory domains, as well as in cognitive disorders and psychopathology. We provide a general, critical, narrative overview on the intermodal criteria for differential diagnosis, and discuss validated psychophysical tools and electrophysiology-based tests for its detection, as well as insights for future directions.