What are the 3 extra validity scales in the PAI?

• A. Malingering and Defensiveness
• B. Malingering, Defensiveness and Under-Reporting of Substance Abuse
• C. Defensiveness, Under-Reporting of Substance Abuse
• D. Malingering Only

Answer: (B)

In interpreting the PAI, you always consider response biases that can distort the profile. Beyond the standard validity checks, there are three extra scales specifically designed to flag particular biases: Malingering, Defensiveness, and Under-Reporting of Substance Abuse. Malingering looks for exaggeration or fabrication of symptoms to look more impaired. Defensiveness detects a tendency to present oneself in an unrealistically favorable light, downplaying distress. Under-Reporting of Substance Abuse screens for minimizing or denying substance-related problems, which can hide true issues in that area. Together these three scales help determine whether the rest of the profile reflects genuine symptoms or is influenced by deliberate or self-protective response biases. The other options omit one or more of these biases, so they don’t capture the full set of extra validity checks the PAI provides.