A Cross-Cultural Analysis of the Test of Memory Malingering Among Latin American Spanish-Speaking Adults

Cognitive efforts tests, such as the Test of Memory Malingering (TOMM; Tombaugh, 1997), are widely used internationally, yet there is a dearth of research that has assessed the utility of these measures in different cultures, countries, and languages. This study evaluated the specificity of the TOMM Trial 2 among a sample of 3,590 Spanish-speaking adults residing in 8 Latin American countries (Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, and Puerto Rico). Trial 2 TOMM scores were negatively associated with participants' age and positively associated with level of education. Country development, as measured by the United Nations Human Development Index, was also positively associated with TOMM scores. With the widespread use of cognitive efforts tests, this study offers useful insights into the utility of the TOMM in the assessment of Spanish speakers and highlights potential cultural biases that may impact test performance. Furthermore, this study raises concerns about the cross-cultural applicability of the TOMM, particularly when using cut scores established and evaluated primarily on North American, English-speaking samples. Forensic psychologists should be cautious when interpreting TOMM performance with Spanish-speaking adults from Latin American countries because it appears that there are cross-cultural differences that influence test performance. Public Significance Statement The potential for symptom or deficit exaggeration in the context of forensic evaluations supports the need for reliable and valid measures of cognitive effort. With the widespread use of cognitive effort tests and the potential for cultural biases when tests are adapted to a new language or culture, this study offers useful insights into the utility of one such test, the TOMM, in the assessment of Spanish speakers in Latin America. The present study suggests that forensic psychologists should be cautious when interpreting TOMM performance with Spanish-speaking adults from eight Latin American countries because scores varied markedly between countries, and there were significant associations between participants' age, education, and country's development with TOMM scores.