The serial position effect shows that two interrelated cognitive processes underlie immediate recall of a supraspan word list. The current study used item response theory (IRT) methods to determine whether the serial position effect poses a threat to the construct validity of immediate list recall as a measure of verbal episodic memory. Archival data were obtained from a national sample of 4,212 volunteers aged 28-84 in the Midlife Development in the United States study. Telephone assessment yielded item-level data for a single immediate recall trial of the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT). Two parameter logistic IRT procedures were used to estimate item parameters and the Q(1) statistic was used to evaluate item fit. A two-dimensional model better fit the data than a unidimensional model, supporting the notion that list recall is influenced by two underlying cognitive processes. IRT analyses revealed that 4 of the 15 RAVLT items (1, 12, 14, and 15) were misfit (p < .05). Item characteristic curves for items 14 and 15 decreased monotonically, implying an inverse relationship between the ability level and the probability of recall. Elimination of the four misfit items provided better fit to the data and met necessary IRT assumptions. Performance on a supraspan list learning test is influenced by multiple cognitive abilities; failure to account for the serial position of words decreases the construct validity of the test as a measure of episodic memory and may provide misleading results. IRT methods can ameliorate these problems and improve construct validity.
For the past 10 years, research on the effects of observer presence on test performance has expanded in the neuropsychological literature. Previous studies have shown that the presence of a third party observer is associated with poorer performance on tests of effort, attention, concentration, learning, and memory. The present study was designed to investigate whether performance on tests of executive function is similarly impaired by the presence of a third party observer. The study also sought to examine associations among examinee anxiety, observer presence, and performance. Seventy-nine college undergraduates were recruited for the study, and 70 were included in the final analyses. Participants were randomly assigned to either the observation or control condition, and were administered verbal fluency tests, the Trail Making Test (parts A and B), and the Tactual Performance Test, as well as the Fear of Negative Evaluation scale and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Multivariate analyses of variance revealed that performance on the combined dependent variables was significantly associated with observer presence. A significant observation condition by trait anxiety interaction was also found. Univariate analyses revealed that performances on semantic fluency and TPT-localization were most strongly associated with observation and trait anxiety, with performance being poorer in the presence of a third party observer. Additionally, effects of trait anxiety on performance in the presence of an observer appear to vary depending on task characteristics. Implications and suggestions for further research are discussed.
The Finger Tapping Test (FTT) has a strong empirical base but its procedures are inconsistent and the test can be time-consuming. To simplify and abbreviate administration procedures, several potential abbreviated procedures were evaluated using a sample of 71 individuals presenting to a VA Hospital for neuropsychological evaluation. A short version using the mean score of Trials 3-5 for each hand was found to be a strong predictor of full-test performance. The abbreviated version also had stronger reliability than the full version, and it accurately predicts impairment and performance validity classification based on the full version. This abbreviated version appears to be more efficient and sufficiently accurate to be considered for use in lieu of the traditional and potentially longer version of the FTT.
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