The reliability and validity of two qualitative scoring systems for the Controlled Oral Word Association Test [Benton, A. L., Hamsher, de S. K., & Sivan, A. B. (1983). Multilingual aplasia examination (2nd ed.). Iowa City, IA: AJA Associates] were examined in 108 healthy young adults. The scoring systems developed by Troyer et al. [Troyer, A. K., Moscovich, M., & Winocur, G. (1997). Clustering and switching as two components of verbal fluency: Evidence from younger and older healthy adults. Neuropsychology, 11, 138-146] and by Abwender et al. [Abwender, D. A., Swan, J. G., Bowerman, J. T., & Connolly, S. W. (2001a). Qualitative analysis of verbal fluency output: Review and comparison of several scoring methods. Assessment, 8, 323-336] each demonstrated excellent interrater reliability (all indices at or above r(icc)=.9). Consistent with previous research [e.g., Ross, T. P. (2003). The reliability of cluster and switch scores for the COWAT. Archives of Clinical Psychology, 18, 153-164), test-retest reliability coefficients (N=53; M interval 44.6 days) for the qualitative scores were modest to poor (r(icc)=.6 to .4 range). Correlations among COWAT scores, measures of executive functioning, verbal learning, working memory, and vocabulary were examined. The idea that qualitative scores represent distinct executive functions such as cognitive flexibility or strategy utilization was not supported. We offer the interpretation that COWAT performance may require the ability to retrieve words in a non-routine manner while suppressing habitual responses and associated processing interference, presumably due to a spread of activation across semantic or lexical networks. This interpretation, though speculative at present, implies that clustering and switching on the COWAT may not be entirely deliberate, but rather an artifact of a passive (i.e., state-dependent) process. Ideas for future research, most noticeably experimental studies using cognitive methods (e.g., priming), are discussed.

The reliability and validity of the abstract design version of the self-ordered pointing task (SOPT; Petrides, M., & Milner, B. (1982). Deficits on subject-ordered tasks after frontal- and temporal-lobe lesions in man. Neuropsychologia, 20, 249-262) was examined in healthy college students (N=170; M age=21.6; S.D.=2.8). The test-retest reliability (N=93; M interval=42.7 days) for SOPT total errors was r(icc)=.82. In contrast, the stability of other SOPT indices was modest to poor, ranging from .58 for span score to .12 for perseverations. Participants obtained two fewer errors when retested [(t(1,92))=4.15; p<.001], suggesting a small practice effect (Cohen's d=.34). SOPT scores correlated with measures of working memory, verbal learning, visuospatial ability, and select aspects of executive functioning (i.e., strategy utilization and planning) but not others (e.g., cognitive flexibility, interference control). Reliability data better support the use of the total error score over other indices (e.g., span score, perseverative errors). SOPT performance appears more closely related to the construct of working memory as compared to executive functioning; however, the SOPT may assess some specific elements common to both constructs. The implications of these findings and suggestions for future research are presented.