Committee Chair

Clark; Amanda

Committee Member

Howell, Ashley N..; Wilhelm, Ricardo

Department

Dept. of Psychology

College

College of Arts and Sciences

Publisher

University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

Place of Publication

Chattanooga (Tenn.)

Abstract

Academic accommodations support equitable access to education for students whose mental health conditions meaningfully impair academic performance. Concerns exist regarding the potential to exaggerate or fabricate anxiety symptoms. This study examined whether cognitive tasks can differentiate credible generalized anxiety from malingered anxiety among college students. Participants were classified into probable GAD, malingering anxiety, or low GA control groups using a structured diagnostic interview and self-report measure. Participants completed working memory tasks (1-back and 3-back), a modified emotional Stroop task, and symptom validity tests. Malingering and probable GAD groups reported comparable anxiety symptom endorsement and severity. Working memory accuracy did not reliably distinguish groups, although malingerers demonstrated slower response times on the 1-back. In contrast, the modified Stroop task differentiated malingerers, who showed reduced accuracy and slower response times. These findings suggest that performance on cognitive tasks may aid in identifying exaggerated anxiety presentations in academic accommodation evaluations.

Acknowledgments

I would first like to express my sincere gratitude to my advisor, Dr. Amanda Clark, for her invaluable guidance, mentorship, and support throughout the completion of this thesis. Beyond her academic expertise, I am especially appreciative of her willingness to listen, offer thoughtful perspective, and provide advice that has contributed not only to my development as a researcher, but also to my personal growth. I am also deeply grateful to my committee members, Drs. Ashley Howell and Ricardo Wilhelm, for their time, expertise, and insightful feedback. Their contributions strengthened this project and were instrumental in shaping it into its final form. I extend a special thank you to Dr. Walker, whose mentorship provided me with opportunities to engage in work I had never imagined pursuing. I also acknowledge and thank the URACE program for the SEARCH Award that provided funding support for this project. I am grateful to my parents for instilling in me the value of hard work and determination, which carried me through the toughest parts of this research. I am incredibly thankful for my friend, Hannah Daugherty, for her companionship that has made the challenges of this program manageable. Finally, I’d like to acknowledge my boyfriend, Micah, for his unwavering support and constant encouragement throughout this process.

Degree

M. S.; A thesis submitted to the faculty of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the degree of Master of Science.

Date

5-2026

Subject

Anxiety disorders; College students--Mental health; Malingering--Diagnosis; Testing accommodations

Keyword

Malingering; Generalized Anxiety Disorder; Academic Accommodations; Performance Validity

Document Type

Masters theses

DCMI Type

Text

Extent

x, 81 leaves

Language

English

Rights

http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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