B - 129 Examining the Influence of Age and Other Demographics on Word Choice (WC)

Abstract

Abstract Objective Performance validity tests (PVTs) often vary by examinee characteristics including age and education among other demographics. Normative data on WC are limited to adults in the 16–69 age range. We examined relationships among demographic variables and WC in a mixed clinical sample. Method Local clinical data were retrospectively examined. Cases with WC and four independent PVTs were included; cases with dementia, intellectual disability or psychosis were excluded yielding a sample (N = 362) in which 61% of participants were female and 44% identified as Hispanic/Latino. Average age and education were 48 and 13 years, respectively. Outcome measures included WC and PVT scores and dichotomous cutoffs. Results WC was associated with age (r = −0.27) but not education. WC scores were significantly different by gender with a small effect (d = 0.39) but not by ethnicity. Using logistic regression with WC as outcome, age, education, and gender were significant predictors. Significantly more males (11%) scored below the WC cutoff than females (5%) in the valid group. Among participants 70 and older, 17% scored below the standard WC cutoff, but only 7% scored below expectation on two or more criterion PVTs. Lowering the WC cutoff resulted in improved specificity in the 70 and older subset: 15% with WC ≤ 40, and 11% with WC ≤ 36. Conclusions WC scores varied by age and gender. The standard WC cutoff showed an elevated false positive rate among adults 70 and older. Consideration might be given to adjusting the cutoff if subsequent research supports these preliminary findings. Further research might also examine relationships among gender, education, and WC.