Assessment

Our Research on Cognition Assessment

Moore, A.L., Miller, T.M., & Ledbetter, C. (2021). Reliability Evidence for the Gibson Assessment of Cognitive Skills (GACS): A Brief Tool for Screening Cognitive Skills Across the Lifespan. Psychology Research and Behavior Management, 14, 31-40. https://doi.org/10.2147/PRBM.S291574 

The aim of the current study was to examine and report three sources of reliability evidence for the Gibson Assessment of Cognitive Skills, a paper-based, brief cognitive screening tool for children and adults measuring working memory, processing speed, visual processing, logic and reasoning, and three auditory processing constructs: sound blending, sound segmenting, sound deletion along with work attack skills. Overall coefficient alphas range from 0.80 to 0.94, producing a strong source of internal consistency reliability evidence. The split-half reliability coefficients ranged from 0.83 to 0.96 overall, producing a strong second source of reliability evidence. Across all ages, the test–retest reliability coefficients ranged from 0.83 to 0.98. The evidence collected for the current study suggests that the GACS is a reliable brief screening tool for assessing cognitive skill performance in both children and adults.

Moore, A.L., & Miller, T. (2018). Reliability and validity of the revised Gibson Test of Cognitive Skills, a computer-based test battery for assessing cognition across the lifespan. Psychology Research and Behavior Management, 11, 25-35. doi:10.2147/PRBM.S152781
This study evaluated the validity and reliability of the revised Gibson Test of Cognitive Skills, a computer-based battery of tests measuring short-term memory, long-term memory, processing speed, logic and reasoning, visual processing, as well as auditory processing and Word Attack skills.  The sample for the study included 2,737 participants ranging in age from 5 to 85. Results indicated strong sources of evidence of validity and reliability for the test, including test-retest reliability coefficients ranging from .69-.91, split-half reliability coefficients ranging from .87 to .91, and concurrent validity coefficients ranging from .53 to .93.  The Gibson Test of Cognitive Skills -2 is a reliable and valid tool for assessing cognition in the general population across the lifespan. Link to article: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5813948/ Link to video abstract: https://youtu.be/qFMois2UyCY

Ledbetter, C., and Moore, A.L. (2021, January 11). Test-retest, internal consistency, and split-half reliabilities of the Gibson Assessment of Cognitive Skills, a brief tool for screening cognitive function across the lifespan. Presented at Society for Neuroscience Global Connectome virtual conference.
The aim of the current study was to examine reliability of the Gibson Assessment of Cognitive Skills (GACS), a paper-based, brief cognitive screening tool for children and adults measuring working memory, processing speed, visual processing, fluid reasoning, and three auditory processing constructs: sound blending, sound segmenting, sound deletion along with work attack skills. The sample (n = 103) for the current study consisted of children (n = 73) and adults (n = 30) between the ages of 6 and 80 (M = 20.2, SD = 17.7), 47.6% female, and 52.4% male. Overall coefficient alphas range from .80 to .94, producing a strong source of internal consistency reliability evidence. The split-half reliability coefficients ranged from .83 to .96 overall, producing a strong second source of reliability evidence. Across all ages, the test-retest reliability coefficients ranged from .83 to .98. All correlations were statistically significant at p < .001, indicating strong test-retest reliability and stability across administrations. The evidence collected for the current study suggests that the GACS is an accessible and reliable brief screening tool for assessing cognitive skill performance across the lifespan. Each subtest was stable over time, indicating it is reliable method for assessing performance in pre-post intervention studies as well as longitudinal studies without cognition outcomes. Link to presentation: 2021 SFN_LedbetterMoore_REV

Moore, A.L., Miller, T., & Ledbetter, C. (2020, August 6). Cognitive Profiles in Dyslexia: Beyond Phonological Processing Deficits. Presented at American Psychological Association, Presidential Poster Session.
The objective of this study was to examine the cognitive profiles of a large sample of children with dyslexia or specific learning disability in reading (n = 4,150). In a chart review of records from 85 learning centers between 2010 and 2019, we collected scores on the Woodcock Johnson III – Tests of Cognitive Abilities (WJ III) administered to children ages 5-18 previously diagnosed with dyslexia or specific learning disability in reading and tested < 38th percentile on a reading test (n = 4,150). Using descriptive statistics, linear regression, and independent samples t tests, we generated overall cognitive profiles and examined differences by age and sex. Overall, long-term memory, working memory, and processing speed were the most deficient cognitive skills, followed by auditory processing (phonological awareness). Age was a significant predictor of 4 of the 7 skills (p < .001) with very small effect sizes: VP, PS, AT, and AP. There was a significant difference between males and females on 4 of the 7 skills (p<.001) with very small effect sizes: VP, PS, AT, and AP. Females scored higher on all constructs except VP. The cognitive profiles examined support the prior research indicating cognitive deficits are associated with dyslexia, and also revealed marked decline across constructs with age in the absence of an effective intervention. The results suggest that interventions for children with dyslexia and specific learning disability in reading should begin early and be aimed at not only the remediation of the typically-targeted phonological processing deficits but also at enhancing working memory, long-term memory, and processing speed. Link to recorded presentation: https://youtu.be/xpUiSmC5cMI Link to poster only: https://apadiv15.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/2020-APA-_Cognitive-Profiles-in-Dyslexia_Moore-.pdf 

Moore, A.L., & Ledbetter, C. (2017). Beyond Attention: Memory and Processing Speed Deficits Dominate Cognitive Profiles in ADHD Across the Lifespan. Presented at American Psychological Association Annual Convention, August 2017, Washington, D.C.
The objective of this study was to examine the cognitive profiles of a large sample of children and adults with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (n = 5,417).  We collected scores on the Woodcock Johnson III – Tests of Cognitive Abilities administered to children and adults with ADHD at 79 cognitive therapy centers between 2010 and 2015.  Deficits were identified in comparison to the standardization sample as standard scores under the 38th percentile.  Results indicated that although deficits in broad attention were present, there were even larger deficits in working memory, long-term memory, and processing speed. The results suggest that interventions for children and adults with ADHD should be aimed at not only the remediation of attentional difficulties but also at enhancing memory and processing speed. Link to presentation

Read all of our research