Detecting random responding using the Assessment of Depression Inventory: a brief screening measure of depression

Abstract

Traditionally, the assessment of random responding in psychological assessment tools has been the primary domain of large multi-scale inventories. However, the ability of clinicians to assess random responding when using short symptom inventories is also an important facet of reliably assessing psychopathology and psychological distress. This study assesses the effectiveness of a short symptom inventory, the Assessment of Depression Inventory (ADI), to assess random responding. The responses of 335 clinical patients, 150 responses from a feigning population, and 1,000 generated random profiles were compared to determine if the Random and Reliability scales of the ADI could detect adequately random responses. Findings indicate that even scales as short as four items can be used to detect random responses in symptom inventories at levels equivalent to or better than longer multi-scale inventories.