You are called to evaluate a 27 year-old male, who was brought from a local prison and was accused of a homicide. You reviewed his medical and mental health records, which are unremarkable. When you do psychological evaluations of this individual, he acts bizarrely, reports auditory and visual hallucinations, loss of interest in life, no appetite, suicidal and homicidal intentions. Your staff reports that his behavior is usually normal when you are not visiting him. He eats well and demands for more food. One of your staff members overheard his phone conversation with his defense attorney. During the phone conversation, the patient said that he would like to feign mental illness to evade criminal prosecution. Of the following, which best explains this patient’s condition?
