Attention Tests in Different Stimulus Presentation Modes

Abstract

Tests of attention are frequently used in clinical psychology, neuropsychology, and other applied settings. Depending on the assessment tradition, attention tests are designed and administered differently. Among other aspects, assessment traditions enable testtakers to conduct the tests at either their own pace or at a pace set by the test developer, and apply either rows of stimuli or single stimuli. The current study systematically varied these aspects and examined how these variations affected the structure of attention tests and their correlation with reasoning. A facet model was established that included a facet related to the way attention tests are designed and administered as well as a facet related to the attention ability assessed. Results revealed that both facets explained variance in test performance. Moreover, results revealed that the facet-related test design and administration yielded higher correlations with reasoning than the ability facet. A specific combination of pace and stimulus configuration showed the highest correlations with the applied reasoning tests. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.