Synonyms
DCT
Description
The Dot Counting Test (DCT) is a performance validity test (PVT), i.e., a test designed to detect malingered cognitive difficulties. It was originally developed in 1941 by Andre Rey. Examinees are shown a series of 12 cards (usually 3 × 5″) on which are printed dots 1/16th of an inch in diameter. Each of the first six cards contains an odd number of randomly arranged dots (ungrouped), while the final six cards show an even number of dots (one more than each corresponding card from the first six) arranged in an organized pattern (grouped). The task requires examinees to count the dots as quickly as possible by the fastest means possible. Both time to completion and errors are recorded. It is expected that cooperative examinees will count grouped dots more quickly and accurately than ungroupeddots. Therefore, suspect effort is identified when the number of errors is higher for the grouped dot condition or when the time taken to count grouped dots is equal to or...
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References and Readings
Boone, K. B., Lu, P., Back, C., King, C., Lee, A., Philpott, L., et al. (2002a). Sensitivity and specificity of the Rey dot counting test in patients with suspect effort and various clinical samples. Achieves of Clinical Neuropsychology, 17, 625–642.
Boone, K. B., Lu, P., & Herzberg, D. (2002b). The dot counting test. Los Angeles: Western Psycholoigcal Services.
Frederick, R. I. (2002). A review of Rey’s strategies for detecting malingered neuropsychological impairment. Journal of Forensic Neuropsychology, 2, 1–25.
Frederick, R. I., Sarafaty, S. D., Johnston, J. D., & Powel, J. (1994). Validation of a detector response bias on a forced-choice test of non-verbal ability. Neuropsychology, 8, 118–125.
Lee, I., Boone, K. B., Lesser, I., Wohl, M., Wilkins, S., & Parks, C. (2000). Performance of older depressed patients on two cognitive malingering tests: False positive rates for the Rey 15-item memorization and dot counting tests. The Clinical Neuropsychologist, 14, 303–308.
Lezak, M. D., Howieson, D. B., & Loring, D. W. (2004). Neuropsychological assessment (4th ed.). New York: Oxford University Press.
Martin, R. C., Hayes, J. S., & Gouvier, W. D. (1996). Differential vulnerability between postconcussion self-report and objective malingering tests in identifying simulated mild head injury. Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology, 18, 265–275.
Nelson, N. W., Boone, K., Dueck, A., Wagener, L., Lu, P., & Grills, C. (2003). Relationships between eight measures of suspect effort. The Clinical Neuropsychologist, 17, 263–272.
Paul, D., Franzen, M. D., Cohen, S. H., & Fremouw, W. (1992). An investigation into the reliability and validity of two tests used in the detection of dissimulation. International Journal of Clinical Neuropsychology, 14, 1–9.
Rambo, P. L., Callahan, J. L., Hogan, L. R., Hullmann, S., & Wrape, E. (2015). Effort testing in children: Can cognitive and symptom validity measures differentiate malingered performances? Applied Neuropsychology: Child, 4, 1–8.
Robles, L., Lopez, E., Salazar, X., Boone, K. B., & Glaser, D. F. (2015). Specificity data for the b test, dot counting test, Rey-15 item plus recognition, and Rey word recognition test in monolingual Spanish-speakers. Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology, 37, 614–621.
Rose, F. E., Hall, S., & Szalda-Petree, A. D. (1998). A comparison of four tests of malingering and the effects of coaching. Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology, 13, 349–363.
Rudman, N., Oyebode, J. R., Jones, C. A., & Bentham, P. (2011). An investigation into the validity of effort tests in a working age dementia population. Aging & Mental Health, 13, 47–57.
Vasserman, M., Maiman, M., Fernando, H., & MacAllister, W. (2015). The dot counting test: Is it effective in clinical pediatric populations? Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology, 20, 46–59.
Vickery, C. D., Berry, D. T. R., Hanlon Iman, T., Harris, M. J., & Orey, S. A. (2001). Detection of inadequate effort on neuropsychological testing: A meta-analytic review of selected procedures. Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology, 16, 454–473.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2018 Springer International Publishing AG, part of Springer Nature
About this entry
Cite this entry
Merker, B., Wingate, M., Podell, K. (2018). Dot Counting Test. In: Kreutzer, J.S., DeLuca, J., Caplan, B. (eds) Encyclopedia of Clinical Neuropsychology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-57111-9_173
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-57111-9_173
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-57110-2
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-57111-9
eBook Packages: Behavioral Science and PsychologyReference Module Humanities and Social SciencesReference Module Business, Economics and Social Sciences