Donald J Viglione

Alliant International University · California School of Professional Psychology (CSPP)

Professionals are encouraged to include multiple symptom validity tests (SVTs) and multiple performance validity tests (PVTs) to assess the credibility of clinical and forensic presentations. Combining the Inventory of Problems–29 (IOP-29, an SVT) with its Memory module (IOP-M, a PVT), referred to here as ‘IOP-29-M’, may be especially beneficial, a...

Objective Consistent with the NAN expectations, the American Academy of Clinical Neuropsychology (Sweet et al., 2021) asserted that neuropsychologists should include symptom validity tests (SVT) and performance validity tests (PVT) to assess the credibility of psychological and cognitive complaints. Aligned with this declaration, the Inventory of P...

Objective: Despite decades of research, neuropsychological tests (NPTs) that clearly differentiate between Alzheimer's disease (AD) and late-life depression (LLD) have yet to be agreed upon. Given this gap in knowledge and the rapid deployment of disease-modifying drugs for the two disorders, accurate clinical diagnosis using evidence-based assess...

Sometimes forensic psychologists are asked to determine whether the symptoms of PTSD presented by the plaintiff are genuine or feigned. To this end, they may use both symptom validity tests (SVTs) and performance validity tests (PVTs), but SVTs are used far more frequently in these assessments. Thus, we conducted a natural experiment and administer...

Although emphasis on psychodynamic thinking has waned in assessment training, the ascendant Rorschach Performance Assessment System (R-PAS; Meyer et al., 2011) has reintegrated psychoanalytic concepts into empirical Rorschach assessment: R-PAS adds scores involving object relations, implicit dependency, aggressive ideation, and ego impairment. R-PA...

Assessing the credibility of symptoms is critical to neuropsychological assessment in both clinical and forensic settings. To this end, the Inventory of Problems-29 (IOP-29) and its recently added memory module (Inventory of Problems-Memory; IOP-M) appear to be particularly useful, as they provide a rapid and cost-effective measure of both symptom...

This case study demonstrates the procedures and the complementary function and contribution of the Rorschach within a multi-method forensic mental health evaluation. This particular case addressed the state of mind of a perpetrator and related traumatic reactions and the possibility of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) associated with violent at...

This article reviews published, journal articles informing on the conditions of use, strengths, weaknesses, and optimal cut scores of the Inventory of Problems-29 (IOP-29; Viglione & Giromini, 2020). To provide more accurate information on the convergent and incremental validity, hit rates, and optimal cut scores of the IOP-29, in addition to revie...

The special issue editors selected us to form an "adversarial collaboration" because our publications and teaching encompass both supportive and critical attitudes toward the Rorschach and its recently developed system for use, the Rorschach Performance Assessment System (R-PAS). We reviewed the research literature and case law to determine if the...

While the psychometric equivalence of computerized versus paper-and-pencil administration formats has been documented for some tests, so far very few studies have focused on the comparability and validity of test scores obtained via in-person versus remote administrations, and none of them have researched a symptom validity test (SVT). To contribut...

A recently published article harshly criticized forensic practitioners operating in Slovenia for not including in their assessments any tests specifically designed to assess negative distortion (Areh, 2020). To promote better forensic assessment practice and stimulate future research on symptom and performance validity assessment in Slovenia, the c...

Evaluating the credibility of the respondent’s cognitive and psychological complaints is a core component of forensic mental health assessment. The Inventory of Problems-29 (IOP-29) and a new IOP-Memory module (IOP-M) are designed specifically for that purpose. Initial research suggests that they might provide practitioners with a quick and thus po...

The Inventory of Problems-29 (IOP-29) is a recently introduced free-standing symptom validity test (SVT) with a rapidly growing evidence base. Its classification accuracy compares favorably with that of the widely utilized Structured Inventory of Malingered Symptomology (SIMS), and it provides incremental validity when used in combination with othe...

We investigated the classification accuracy of the Inventory of Problems − 29 (IOP-29), its newly developed memory module (IOP-M) and the Fifteen Item Test (FIT) in an Australian community sample (N = 275). One third of the participants (n = 93) were asked to respond honestly, two thirds were instructed to feign mild TBI. Half of the feigners (n =...

Form Quality (FQ) scores are well-validated measures of the accuracy of perceptive processes, of reality testing, and of the severity of psychological disturbance. Research studies reveal that inter-rater reliability of FQ scoring is good when visualized objects are available in the FQ tables. However, many visualized objects are not found in the F...

The sexual abuse crisis in the Catholic Church demands that we assess the utility of all assessment methods. Despite 20 years of persistent and often heated debate over the utility of the Rorschach Inkblot Method (RIM), we know that the Rorschach has been and continues to be used by about 60% of seminaries and religious institutes in their assessme...

Recently, an eye-tracking study found that Complexity and other R-PAS variables located in the Engagement and Cognitive Processing domain correlated with a proxy marker for cognitive effort and engagement. The goal of the current study was to test the robustness and validity of those eye-tracking findings by inspecting fMRI data. We hypothesized th...

A growing literature indicates that to evaluate the credibility of a clinical presentation it would be optimal to rely on multiple sources of information, and use both symptom validity tests (SVTs) and performance validity tests (PVTs) whenever possible. In this paper, we present the development and initial validation of a PVT module designed to be...

Compared to other Western countries, malingering research is still relatively scarce in the United Kingdom, partly because only a few brief and easy-to-use symptom validity tests (SVTs) have been validated for use with British test-takers. This online study examined the validity of the Inventory of Problems–29 (IOP–29) in detecting feigned schizoph...

The Inventory of Problems-29 (IOP-29; Viglione, Giromini, & Landis, Journal of Personality Assessment, 99(5), 534–544, 2017) is a 29-item, recently published, self-administered test aimed at assessing the credibility of various symptom presentations. Although available research strongly supports the use of this symptom validity test in malingering-...

This article contributes to the growing research on the validity of the recently developed, Inventory of Problems – 29 (IOP-29) in the discrimination of feigned from bona fide mental or cognitive disorders. Specifically, we first developed a Lithuanian version of the IOP-29 and tested its validity on a sample of 50 depressed patients and 50 healthy...

To date, the MMPI-based, rare-symptom detection strategy is considered one of the most effective ones in symptom validity assessment. Because many of the items of the Inventory of Problems-29 (IOP-29) were designed specifically to provide incremental validity over the MMPI F scales, this study tested whether using the IOP-29 in combination with the...

We introduce the concept of “neurobiological foundation” of Rorschach interpretations as an extension of the concept of behavioral representation as a foundation for interpretation of R‐PAS variables. Here, we propose that if there is a parallelism between the mental, verbal and perceptual behaviors occurring within the microcosm of the Rorschach t...

Self-reports could be affected by 2 primary sources of distortion: content-related (CRD) and content-unrelated (CUD) distortions. CRD and CUD, however, might covary, and similar detection strategies have been used to capture both. Thus, we hypothesized that a scale developed to detect random responding—arguably, one of the most evident examples of...

Objectives Assessment of ADHD typically includes rating scales completed by parents, teachers, and/or patients themselves. However, rating scales may be subject to rater bias effects, and raters may not recognize the patient’s implicit qualities and underlying personality processes. In contrast, the Rorschach test permits standardized, in vivo obse...

This study tested whether combining the Inventory of Problems – 29 (IOP-29) with the Test of Memory Malingering (TOMM) would increase sensitivity in the detection of experimentally feigned mental health problems, compared to using either test alone. Additionally, it also evaluated (a) the effects of administration order of these two tests and (b) t...

The Inventory of Problems–29 (IOP–29) is a newly developed, self-administered test designed to assist practitioners evaluating the credibility of various symptom presentations. In a recent simulation study comparing real patients against experimental feigners, its classification accuracy compared favorably with that of the Structured Inventory of M...

This study explores the sexual attitudes and behaviors of a small sample of seminary applicants as revealed by the SABI. It demonstrates and application of the test to a current problem. These 29 cases are archival data from real, high-stakes suitability evaluations, mostly for the Roman Catholic seminary (N =29) but also for other Catholic church...

The Inventory of Problems–29 (IOP-29) was recently introduced as a brief, easy-to-use measure of non-credible mental and cognitive symptoms that may be applied to a wide variety of contexts or clinical conditions. The current study compared its validity in discriminating bona fide versus feigned (via experimental malingering paradigm) psychopatholo...

This article introduces the Inventory of Problems (IOP)—a new, computerized, 181-item tool designed to discriminate bona fide from feigned mental illness and cognitive impairment—and presents the development and validation of its focal, feigning scale, the False Disorder Score (IOP–FDS). The initial sample included (a) 211 patients and 64 offenders...

The Rorschach Performance Assessment System (R-PAS; Meyer, Viglione, Mihura, Erard, & Erdberg, 2011 Meyer, G. J., Viglione, D. J., Mihura, J. L., Erard, R. E., & Erdberg, P. (2011). Rorschach Performance Assessment System: Administration, coding, interpretation, and technical manual. Toledo, OH: Rorschach Performance Assessment System. [Google Scho...

Extensive research demonstrates that the dimensional assessment of psychotic manifestations is a primary strength of the Rorschach inkblot task, which provides an in vivo sample of problem-solving behavior and normative standards concerning the logic and coherence of thought processes and the typicality of perceptual representations. This article p...

Controlling the number of Rorschach responses (R) as a method to reduce variability in the length of records has stimulated controversy among researchers for many years. Recently, the Rorschach Performance Assessment System (R-PAS; Meyer, Viglione, Mihura, Erard, & Erdberg, 2011 ) introduced an R-Optimized method to reduce variability in R. Using 4...

The Rorschach Developmental Index (DI) is a composite measure of psychological development. The aim of this study was to examine the criterion validity of the DI by investigating its relationship with age, nonverbal intelligence, and the impact of institutionalization in a sample of Brazilian children. The sample included 231 children, ages 7 to 11...

It has been suggested that the Rorschach human movement (M) response could be associated with an embodied simulation mechanism mediated by the mirror neuron system (MNS). To date, evidence for this hypothesis comes from two electroencephalogram studies and one repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation study. To provide additional data on this to...

Recently, a lot of effort has been made to ground Rorschach interpretations to their evidence base. To date, however, no studies have yet described, via fMRI, what brain areas get involved when one takes the Rorschach. To fill this gap in the literature, we administered the ten-inkblot stimuli to 26 healthy volunteers during fMRI. Analysis of BOLD...

This article describes the development of the Inventory of Problems–29 (IOP–29), a new, short, paper-and-pencil, self-administered measure of feigned mental and cognitive disorders. Four clinical comparison simulation studies were conducted. Study 1 (n = 451) selected the items and produced an index of potential feigning. Study 2 (n = 331) scaled t...

Learning to code the imagery, communication, and behavior associated with Rorschach responding is challenging. Although there is some survey research on graduate students' impressions of their Rorschach training, research has not identified which coding decisions students find to be the most problematic and time-consuming. We surveyed students to i...

This study investigated the predictive validity of the ten Rorschach Performance Assessment System (R-PAS) variables from the Stress and Distress domain, by testing whether they predicted increased sympathetic reactivity to a mild, laboratory-induced stress, occurred one week after Rorschach administration. A relatively small student sample (N = 52...

Currently, there is some debate about whether to use Comprehensive System norms (CS; Exner, 20035. Exner, J. E. (2003). The Rorschach: A Comprehensive System: Vol. 1. Basic foundations (4th ed.). New York, NY: Wiley.View all references) or the Composite International Reference Values (CIRV; Meyer, Erdberg, & Shaffer, 200714. Meyer, G. J., Erdberg,...

This article introduces a new scientific paradigm that might allow the investigation of the neurological correlates of the Rorschach test without using expensive and time consuming tools such as the fMRI or the EEG. Based on the literature on the Mozart effect, we anticipated that preactivation of a given brain network before exposure to the Rorsch...

This article introduces the concept of the "corporate family," and discusses the use of family systems theory in the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of workplace pathology and dysfunction. As a leadership development company started by Steve Wilke, Ph.D., LEADon Inc. has been working with organizations for nearly two decades to increase their...

This study investigated the cultural and linguistic adaptability of the Rorschach Performance Assessment System (R-PAS), a new Rorschach administration, scoring, and interpretation system that minimizes psychometric weaknesses of the Comprehensive System (CS). This investigation addressed the validity of R-PAS measures of psychotic characteristics...

Suppression of the 8-13 Hz (Mu) frequency EEG band recorded over sensorimotor cortex has been postulated as an index of mirroring activity in the brain (Cochin et al., 1998; Pineda et al., 2005), and initial evidence suggests that the EEG Mu rhythm might be reduced during exposure to Rorschach inkblot designs eliciting “feeling of movement” (Giromi...

The Developmental Index (DI) has recently been introduced as a composite Rorschach measure of psychological development and maturation, which can be used both with the Comprehensive System (Exner, 2003), and with the recently developed Rorschach Performance Assessment System (Meyer, Viglione, Mihura, Erard, & Erdberg, 2011). As the DI is new, and i...

This article offers a new methodological approach to investigate the degree of fit between an independent sample and 2 existing sets of norms. Specifically, with a new adaptation of a Bayesian method, we developed a user-friendly procedure to compare the mean values of a given sample to those of 2 different sets of Rorschach norms. To illustrate ou...

Although the Rorschach is widely used in child custody evaluations, its contributions are often underestimated. As an evidencesupported, performance-based method, it adds incremental validity to self-report findings. It yields insights about perceptual and coping styles, reality testing and logical thinking, emotional regulation and sensitivity, an...

Key practitioner message: Alternative administration method successfully eliminated overly short and excessively long records. ○Utility is potentially increased by greatly reducing both short records that often lack reliability and validity, as well as long records that consume an excessive amount of examiner administration and scoring time. Psych...

We examined the association of gender, ethnicity, age, and education with 60 Rorschach scores using three clinical and nonclinical samples of adults and youths (ns = 640, 249, and 241). As anticipated for our data sets, there were no reliable associations for gender, ethnicity, or adult age. However, in adults years of education was associated with...

Gurley et al. (Psychological Injury and Law 7:9-17, 2014) express reservations about the admissibility of testimony based on the Rorschach Performance Assessment System (R-PAS) in court. They question whether there is sufficient evidentiary foundation in the underlying psychometrics and adequate general acceptance among psychologists for R-PAS-base...

For many years, the effects of variability in the length of Rorschach records has been debated, and a new administration procedure aimed at reducing the proportion of short and long records has recently been introduced. Using an outpatient sample of children and adolescents, this study explored the impact of an early version of the Rorschach Perfor...

The purpose of this study was to examine the differences between learning-disabled (LD) and non-learning-disabled (non-LD) students on the Rorschach inkblot test to help determine how differently the two groups process information. Using the cognitive triad in Exner's Comprehensive System (CS), the variables consistent with past research and most r...

This Rorschach study explored the suppression of aggression content when violent offenders and nonoffenders are asked to present themselves as not posing a threat of dangerousness in a court role-playing context. Aggressive content and complexity in this suppressive role-play context was compared to a neutral control condition. A total of 41 partic...

Human movement (M) responses to the Rorschach are related to cognitive sophistication, creativity, and empathy. Recent studies also link Ms to EEG-mu suppression, an index of mirroring activity in the brain. In this article, we further investigate the link between Ms and mu suppression by testing some clinical interpretative distinctions. Previousl...

We surveyed practicing clinicians who regularly used the Rorschach about the perceived clinical validity of specific Rorschach scores from many coding systems. The survey included quantitative feedback on the validity of specific variables as well as qualitative input in several areas, including the validity of specific variables, the potentially u...

The aim of this study was to develop and to provide an initial validation of a Rorschach index measuring developmental progress and growth. The Developmental Index (DI) was created in a 3-step, sequential strategy with adult and child data in which we (a) selected potential DI variables from quantitative research literature and from data available...

Neurocognitive impairment and negative symptoms contribute to functional disability in people with schizophrenia. Yet, a high level of unexplained variability remains after accounting for the role of these factors. This study examined the role of thought disorder, psychological complexity, and interpersonal representations, as measured by the Rorsc...

This chapter provides a meaningful, comprehensive, and historically informative conceptual framework for understanding performance tests of personality. Their distinctive characteristics are discussed, along with what they add to assessment, and how one should understand and interpret them. An explanation of why the term projective has been replace...

Partially, in response to recent and current military conflicts, many forensic and clinical researchers and practitioners have devoted increasing interest to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and the individual variations in response to trauma. Such efforts have produced a considerable amount of research and opinion supporting the assessment of...

Using a multiple regression approach with a large developmental sample (N = 460) of Rorschach protocols from psychiatric, forensic, and nonclinical control groups, the authors created continuous multivariable Composite scores corresponding to the Comprehensive System (CS) Perceptual-Thinking Index, Hypervigilance Index, and Suicide Constellation. W...

Based on available research findings, the Rorschach Performance Assessment System (Meyer, Viglione, Mihura, Erard, & Erdberg, 201126. Meyer , G. J. , Viglione , D. J. , Mihura , J. L. , Erard , R. E. and Erdberg , P. 2011,2012. A manual for the Rorschach Performance Assessment System, Edited by: Mihura , J. L. , Meyer , G. J. , Dumitrascu ,...

We used multiple regression to calculate a new Ego Impairment Index (EII-3). The aim was to incorporate changes in the component variables and distribution of the number of responses as found in the new Rorschach Performance Assessment System, while sustaining the validity and reliability of previous EIIs. The EII-3 formula was derived from a large...

Electroencephalographic μ wave suppression was investigated using all 10 static, ambiguous Rorschach stimuli. In an earlier study using four Rorschach stimuli, the two stimuli that elicited feelings of movement were associated with μ suppression. In this study, we replicated this relationship using all 10 Rorschach stimuli while overcoming a number...

The mirror neuron system (MNS) is considered the best explanation for the neural basis of embodied simulation. To date no study has investigated if it may be activated not only by actual but by the "feeling of movement". The Rorschach test cards were used to investigate evidence of EEG mu wave suppression at central areas, an index of MNS activity,...

In this in-depth, qualitative, multiple case study, we examined Rorschach data as they relate to the interpersonal behavior, experience, and perceptions of an individual. In this study, we addressed the following question: How are the correspondences between Rorschach variables and children's interpersonal behavior revealed? We conducted an examina...

Performance-based personality measures are assessment techniques that require the respondent to perform a task and that are designed to uncover or elicit information or insight into the personality in action. These tasks might, for example, involve completing a sentence, telling a story, or characterizing an emotion or verbalizing a statement in re...

This is the definitive, supplementary reference book for accurate coding of the Rorschach Comprehensive System. http://www.rorschachcodingsolutions.com/login.asp

Using attachment theory, in this research, we explored the construct validity of the Rorschach (Exner, 197415. Exner , J. E. 1974. The Rorschach: A comprehensive system, New York: Wiley. View all references) Texture (T) response as a measure of interpersonal closeness and contact. A total of 40 men and 39 women completed the Rorschach and 2 attach...

Dados epidemiológicos apontam que a esquizofrenia é um problema mundial de saúde pública de primeira grandeza. Atinge 1% da população adulta, independentemente de sexo e condições socioculturais. No entanto, há diferenças entre os gêneros quanto ao início e curso da doença. Foram avaliados por meio da técnica de Rorschach 80 pacientes diagnosticado...

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Brief and lengthy Rorschach records have been identified as common problems in protocol administration. Clinicians have debated how to prevent overly short and long records, but they have been reluctant to alter standardized administration for fear of introducing bias. The present study examines a nonintrusive method for constraining responses by p...

Ninety-eight adult nonpatients from Greece were administered the Rorschach according to the Rorschach Comprehensive Systemcs (CS; Exner, 20037. Exner , J. E. Jr. 2003. The Rorschach: A Comprehensive System: Vol. 1. Basic foundations, , 4th ed., New York: Wiley. View all references) procedures. These participants were of Greek heritage, were older...

Little is known about the characteristics of adolescent sex offenders who do not reoffend. Most studies emphasize reoffense rates, recidivism and those who reoffend. Moreover, these studies provide quantitative summaries without describing the individual, his behavior, and challenges after treatment. The present study seeks to provide novel informa...

The Ego Impairment Index (EII; Perry & Viglione, 1991) is a composite measure of psychological impairment and thought disturbance developed from the empirical and theoretical literature on the Rorschach. In this article, we summarize reliability and validity data regarding the EII. Our major goal was to present the rationale and empirical basis for...

The Human Experience Variable (HEV; Perry & Viglione, 1991) provided information about interpersonal perceptions not previously available within the Comprehensive System (CS; Exner, 1993). Research data suggests that it was related to interpersonal functioning and as a result, psychological impairment and health. In this article, we present the rat...

The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI), and now the MMPI-2, are the most widely researched personality assessment tools in correctional and related forensic settings (MMPI; Hathaway & McKinley, 1940; MMPI-2; Butcher, Dahlstrom, Graham, Tellegen, & Kaemmer, 1989). Using the original MMPI, Megargee (1977a) and colleagues (Megargee & B...