Kinaesthetic after‐effect, organismic state and retest reliability

Abstract

Earlier research demonstrated that exposure to the first administration of the kinaesthetic after‐effect (KAE) task differentially biases second (and later) session KAE scores. This bias results in low retest reliability. Here we explore the hypothesis that variation in organismic state also affects KAE retest reliability. A significant retest correlation was found for subjects classified as consistent in organismic state (r = 0·349), but not for those subjects classified as inconsistent in organismic state (r = −0·076). If, as these findings indicate, KAE scores reflect state variance, can they also constitute an adequate measure of trait? None of the relevant prior one‐session KAE validity studies controlled for state variance, yet most had significant findings. Although KAE scores are evidently influenced by state variables, this does not contraindicate continued use of KAE as a measure of trait.