Response bias in self-reported history of plaintiffs compared with nonlitigating patients.

Response bias refers to systematic error in the data produced by patients or research subjects, e.g., due to erroneous recall or reporting. In forensic settings, response bias appears to be associated with the nature of the proceedings. The present study tested whether patients in litigation exhibit different response patterns than nonlitigating patients when asked about their preinjury problems. 34 litigants and 80 nonlitigants rated various areas of cognitive and emotional functioning as problematic in the past and currently. The primary finding was that plaintiffs reported pre-injury functioning superior to that of controls. These findings suggest the need for caution in inferences that litigants are either reliable or deceitful because response biases may affect self-reports in a misleading fashion.