Test of Memory Malingering™ (TOMM™)

The TOMM is a visual recognition test designed to help psychologists distinguish between malingered (the intentional feigning or exaggeration of symptoms) and true memory impairments. It is widely considered one of the "gold standards" in forensic neuropsychology and is frequently used in legal settings to verify the credibility of a claimant's symptoms.

Research has found the TOMM to be sensitive to malingering and insensitive to a wide variety of neurological impairments i.e. cognitive impairment, aphasia, traumatic brain injury and dementia, which makes it very reliable. It is not as transparent as a malingering test.  Unlike many cognitive tests, the TOMM is not significantly affected by age, education, or even most neurological disorders. This makes a "fail" very specific to effort rather than ability.

The TOMM is an economical first step as part of a full psychological battery to help assess whether an individual is falsifying symptoms of memory impairment. It is a forced-choice visual recognition test of 50 items that appears difficult but is actually remarkably easy, even for individuals with significant neurological damage.

The effectiveness of the TOMM relies on two psychological principles:

• Face Validity: It looks like a standard, challenging memory test. Malingerers often believe that a person with "brain damage" would fail it, so they intentionally choose wrong answers.

• Ease of Task: Research shows that even individuals with severe Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) or early-stage Dementia typically score above 45 out of 50.

AREAS OF APPLICATION

The TOMM instrument can be used in a variety of settings, including:

• Forensic

• Personal injury lawsuits

• Civil and criminal trails

• Disability reviews

• Workers’ compensation claims

• Research