Like the Dot Counting Test (DCT), The b Test assesses test-taking effort in individuals ages 17 and older. Unlike the DCT, The b Test offers entirely new and unfamiliar stimuli, making it ideal for forensic use.

    Because The b Test assesses "overlearned" skills, individuals with cerebral dysfunction who try hard on the task will not be mistakenly classified as non-cooperative. Similarly, examinees who are feigning symptoms may be tempted to display their "impairment," in which case the test will flag their effort as suspect.

    The b Test performance of 91 "suspect effort" patients (previously identified as "under attemptors" by rigorous inclusion and exclusion criteria) was compared to that of patients in 6 "normal effort" diagnostic groups: Depression, Schizophrenia, Head Injury, Stroke, and Learning Disability. Results verified the ability of The b Test to discriminate among patients based on their effort status.

    In interpreting test scores, you can select a cutoff that minimizes false positives while maintaining adequate sensitivity to "suspect effort." Simply compare the patient's performance to that of a similar reference group.

    Like the DCT, The b Test is useful in any setting where examinees have external incentives to fabricate or exaggerate cognitive problems--personal injury litigation, disability evaluations, and criminal cases, for example. However, it need not be limited to these applications. There is increasing consensus among psychologists that effort tests should be a standard component of assessment practice.

    Administered in less than 15 minutes, The b Test is a quick, cost-effective way to routinely assess test-taking effort.