Hayling Test - Adult Version: Applicability in the assessment of executive functions in children.

Abstract

Childhood neuropsychology is a growing scientific area in Brazil. Regarding cognitive function in infancy, executive function (EF) has been the main focus of several studies because of its importance for and complexity in human cognition and behavior. Executive functions can be considered a set of cognitive processes related to control and integration devoted to the execution of goal-directed behaviors. Research has shown that these abilities begin in infancy and progressively develop until adulthood. Although some studies on EF development in children have already been conducted, our knowledge on this topic is still incipient. Because of the relevant role of age in cognition and EF development, the present study investigated whether differences exist between children aged 6 to 12 years concerning their performance on the Hayling test-adult version, an instrument that assesses the EF components of initiation and inhibition. Pilot data are presented that verify the applicability of this test to children. Significant differences were found between comparable age groups only in three of the seven main Hayling test scores, suggesting that the adult version may not be appropriate for children, and an adaptation of the test for child assessment is necessary. The study may lead to an initial reflection on the development of these components and thus contribute to improvements in the field of child neuropsychology.

Female adolescents’ performance on the Hayling test.

“…With regard to Section 2, there were no significant differences between the age groups in raw or scaled response times, nor were there significant differences in the number of errors made (raw or scaled score). This finding is puzzling, as it is inconsistent with findings by de Sousa Siqueira et al (2010) and Bellaj et al (2015), who documented age-related differences in performance in that younger individuals perform significantly worse than their older peers. There were significant differences between the age groups in the number of both Category A and Category B errors; however, these were of a small to medium effect size.…”

“…A strength of the current study was the inclusion of a wide age range and a large sample size. This allowed for the comparison of performance across different age groups on a cognitive task assessing functions that have previously been demonstrated to be age related (Sequiera et al, 2010). Second, this study controlled for intelligence effects on Hayling test performance.…”

“…The first aim of the current study was to replicate findings of developmental trends as documented by de Sousa Siqueira et al (2010) and Bellaj et al (2015) by reporting developmentally sensitive response time and error data from healthy female children and adolescents on the Hayling test. In line with recommendations by Bellaj et al (2015), intelligence is also controlled for.…”

“…De Sousa Siqueira, Scherer, Reppold, and Fonseca (2010) conducted a pilot study to compare two age groups on the Hayling test. The authors concluded that there were significant differences in performance on the test between children aged 6 and 12 years.…”

Pré-validation et normes préliminaires du test de Hayling Junior pour évaluer l’inhibition verbale chez l’enfant francophone au Québec

“…Dans une étude au Brésil (de Sousa Siqueira et al, 2010), la version du test de Hayling pour adulte a été administrée auprès d'enfants âgés de 6 à 12 ans. Contrairement à ce qui était attendu, l'effet d'âge était absent pour plusieurs scores.…”