ChatGPT Helps Students Feign ADHD: An Analogue Study on AI-Assisted Coaching

This preregistered study aimed to assess whether AI-generated coaching helps students to successfully feign attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in adulthood. First, based on questions generated by 22 students, we conducted an extensive ChatGPT query to develop a concise AI-generated information sheet designed to coach students in feigning ADHD during a clinical assessment. Second, we evaluated the effect of this coaching in an experimental analogue study in which 110 university students were randomly assigned to one of three groups: (1) a control group (n = 42), (2) an ADHD symptom–coached simulation group (n = 35), and (3) an AI-coached simulation group (n = 33). All participants underwent a clinical neuropsychological assessment that included measures of ADHD symptoms, functional impairments, selective attention, and working memory. Our preregistered data analysis revealed that the AI-coached simulation group consistently moderated their symptom overreporting and cognitive underperformance compared to the symptom-coached group in small to medium size, resulting in lower detection sensitivity. We conclude that publicly accessible AI tools, such as current versions of chatbots, can provide clear and effective strategies for feigning ADHD during clinical neuropsychological assessments, posing a significant threat to the validity assessments. We recommend that researchers and clinicians exercise caution when sharing assessment materials, example items, and scoring methodologies.