The Test of Variables of Attention (TOVA): Internal Consistency (Q₁vs. Q₂and Q₃vs. Q₄) in Children with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

Abstract

The internal consistency of the Test of Variables of Attention (TOVA) was examined in a cohort of 6- to 12-year-old children (N = 63) strictly diagnosed with ADHD. The internal consistency of errors of omission (OMM), errors of commission (COM), response time (RT), and response time variability (RTV) of different test conditions (stimulus infrequent condition [Q₁ vs. Q₂] and stimulus frequent condition [Q₃ vs. Q₄]) was assessed via correlation analyses. All TOVA index scores under investigation assessing its internal consistency exhibited statistically significant correlations. All correlations fell in the moderate-high range.

Working in and with Noise: The Impact of Audio Environment on Attention

“…The rationale for including the measures of error as covariates was based on their connection to the reaction time scores. It is known that there are inherent relationships between a participant's reaction time scores and the amount and type of errors that they produce (Homack & Riccio, 2006;Llorente et al, 2008). For example, a faster reaction time increases the likelihood of errors of commission.…”

“…The CPT is a visual paradigm used for the evaluation of attention as well as the response inhibition component of executive control. It represents an effort to incorporate reliable and objective assessment into evaluations for ADHD and other neurological disorders (Ballard, 2001;Homack & Riccio, 2006;Llorente et al, 2008). The test poses no significant risk to the subject beyond what is normally incurred by viewing a computer screen and clicking a button.…”

“…The order of these tests was randomized for each subject to attempt to control for any learning or fatigue effects during the CPT. The test-retest reliability of CPTs depends highly on the length of the test and the amount of time between each phase of the test (Llorente et al, 2008). Following the CPT, the subjects answered questions about their audio preferences and their perceived performance.…”

“…Different objective measures of attention have been developed and are considered variations on a continuous performance test (CPT). Many different versions of CPTs have been developed, some specifically for use in identifying attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (e.g., Llorente et al, 2008) and others for more general use (e.g., Homack & Riccio, 2006).…”

“…The main differences in versions of the CPT are centered around the original intention of the test designers, for example, whether they intended their CPT to be used to help diagnose a clinical population, such as the Tests of Variables of Attention (Llorente et al, 2008), or to be used in a wider range of applications including clinical diagnosis as well as research, such as the Conner's CPT (Homack & Riccio, 2006). CPTs come in many different forms.…”