Sensitivity of the Semantic Fluency Subtest of the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status

2002 ◽  
Vol 90 (3) ◽  
pp. 858-860 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samuel T. Gontkovsky ◽  
Kelli L. McSwan ◽  
James G. Scott
Keyword(s):  
Word Association ◽  
Brain Dysfunction ◽  
Cognitively Impaired ◽  
Semantic Fluency ◽  
Neurocognitive Dysfunction ◽  
Word Association Test ◽  
Neuropsychological Status ◽  
Neurological Patients ◽  
Repeatable Battery ◽  
Psychometric Validity

This study examined the concurrent validity of the Semantic Fluency subtest of the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status. Performance by cognitively impaired vs nonimpaired neurological patients was examined in relation to the performance of these groups on the Controlled Oral Word Association Test. Analyses indicated these tests are largely equivalent with respect to both sensitivity to neurocognitive dysfunction and discrimination of cognitively impaired from nonimpaired neurological patients. Findings support the psychometric validity of the Semantic Fluency subtest in the evaluation of brain dysfunction.

Die Anwendung des Wortassoziationstests in der Gedächtnisdiagnostik bei älteren Patienten

2002 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Thomas Merten
Keyword(s):  
Verbal Memory ◽  
Older Patients ◽  
Word Association ◽  
Verbal Learning ◽  
Free Association ◽  
Neuropsychological Measures ◽  
Paired Associates ◽  
Word Association Test ◽  
Neurological Patients ◽  
Age Range

Use of the Word Association Technique for Memory Assessment in Older Patients Summary: A free single-word association test (WAT) was performed with 82 older neurological patients (age range: 60 to 85 years), as part of a comprehensive neuropsychological assessment. A list of 25 items was read to the patients twice. First, free associations were obtained and then, response consistency checked immediately. The number of correct repetitions was demonstrated to correlate substantially with other indicators of verbal memory (up to 0.77), such as Wechsler's Logical Memory, Wechsler's Verbal Paired Associates, and verbal learning scores in a selective reminding procedure, but also with rough estimates of cognitive dysfunction such as the Mini-Mental State score (0.59). Total free association response time yielded similarly high correlations with neuropsychological measures, but this was not the case for traditional WAT variables, such as response commonality. The older patients showed a tendency towards preferring paradigmatic associates, such as superordinate, coordinate or synonym responses, in contrast to syntagmatic reactions.

Verbal fluency as a screening tool for mild cognitive impairment

2019 ◽  
Vol 32 (9) ◽  
pp. 1055-1062 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michelle McDonnell ◽  
Lauren Dill ◽  
Stella Panos ◽  
Stacy Amano ◽  
Warren Brown ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Mild Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Verbal Fluency ◽  
Word Association ◽  
Normal Aging ◽  
Semantic Fluency ◽  
Word Association Test ◽  
Phonemic Fluency ◽  
Discriminant Ability ◽  
State Examination

ABSTRACTObjectives:The goal of this study was to evaluate the ability of semantic (animal naming) and phonemic (FAS) fluency in their ability to discriminate between normal aging, amnestic-Mild Cognitive Impairment (a-MCI), and Alzheimer’s disease (AD).Design:We used binary logistic regressions, multinomial regressions, and discriminant analysis to evaluate the predictive value of semantic and phonemic fluency in regards to specific diagnostic classifications.Setting:Outpatient geriatric neuropsychology clinic.Participants:232 participants (normal aging = 99, a-MCI = 90, AD = 43; mean age = 65.75 years).Measurements:Mini-mental State Examination (MMSE), Controlled Oral Word Association TestResults:Results indicate that semantic and phonemic fluency were significant predictors of diagnostic classification, and semantic fluency explained a greater amount of the discriminant ability of the model.Conclusions:These results suggest that verbal fluency, particularly semantic fluency, may be an accurate and efficient tool in screening for early dementia in time-limited medical settings.

scholarly journals Semantic fluency including task switching predicts academic success in medical school

PLoS ONE ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (12) ◽  
pp. e0244456
Author(s):  
Sabrina Kaufmann ◽  
Änne Glass ◽  
Peter Kropp ◽  
Brigitte Müller-Hilke
Keyword(s):  
Academic Success ◽  
Medical School ◽  
Achievement Motivation ◽  
Task Switching ◽  
Word Association ◽  
Semantic Fluency ◽  
Word Association Test ◽  
Second Year ◽  
Achievement Motivation Inventory ◽  
Compensatory Effort

Objectives The future state treaty on the admission of students to German medical schools calls for a variety of selection criteria among which at least two are required to be independent of school leaving grades. Against this background, the present study investigated achievement motivation and executive functions as predictors of academic success in medical school. Material and methods Second year medical students were assessed for executive functioning by using the Tower of London Test (ToL), a German version of the Controlled Oral Word Association Test (COWAT), the Trail Making Test (TMT-A) and for motivation by using the Achievement Motivation Inventory (AMI). Academic success was evaluated twofold, i) whether the first state exam (M1) was passed at the earliest possible, after completion of the second year and ii) via the grades obtained. Results 81 out of 226 students enrolled participated in our study. Passing the M1 was best explained by semantic fluency including task switching. Moreover, academically successful students achieved significantly higher levels in the AMI-facets "compensatory effort" and "engagement". All students scored above average in the TMT-A and average in the ToL. Conclusion Alternating semantic fluency—requiring simultaneously inhibition, updating and task shifting—turned out highly predictive of academic success in medical school. Moreover, higher levels in "compensatory effort" and “engagement” suggested that both, increased energy expenditure as response to fear of failure and elevated readiness to exert effort also impacted positively on success.

Controlled Oral Word Association Test

1983 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. L. Benton ◽  
de S. K. Hamsher ◽  
A. B. Sivan
Keyword(s):  
Word Association ◽  
Association Test ◽  
Word Association Test

Differences in Reaction Times of Extraverts and Introverts to Rapaport's Word Association Test

1979 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
pp. 75-80 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kunio Shiomi
Keyword(s):  
Defense Mechanisms ◽  
Word Association ◽  
Reaction Times ◽  
Personality Inventory ◽  
Association Test ◽  
Word Association Test ◽  
Positive Correlations

For 40 Japanese undergraduates reaction times to the Rapa-port Word Association Test were recorded. Significant negative correlations were obtained between reaction times and Extraversion scores on the Maudsley Personality Inventory, but positive correlations with Neuroticism scores were obtained. These results were discussed in terms of the defense mechanisms of the ego and differences in types of personality.

When Do They Learn? A Study of Drug Awareness in Children in a Rural Elementary School

1977 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 133-140 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janice K. Freeman ◽  
William H. Freeman
Keyword(s):  
Elementary School ◽  
Word Association ◽  
Significant Rise ◽  
Rural Students ◽  
School Students ◽  
Word Association Test ◽  
The Third ◽  
Drug Culture ◽  
Local Students ◽  
Rural Elementary School

The “awareness” of drugs among rural elementary school students was studied with a word-association test of drug slang and words with no drug connotations given to students randomly selected from each of the six grades. The first grades were conscious primarily of alcohol. The significant rise in drug-related responses came between the third and fourth grades, while the biggest shift to non-alcohol drug responses came between the fourth and fifth grades. The study suggests that rural students are not immune to the influence of the drug culture. Curriculum planners should determine when the local students develop an awareness of drugs.

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