Assessing attentional disorders using cognitive and neuropsychological measures

The purpose of this study was to explore the relative importance of cognitive and neuropsychological measures in the diagnosis of Attentional disorders. The Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (WISC-R) and the Halstead Reitan Test Battery for Children (HNTB-C) were examined to assess their independent and shared contribution to the prediction of variance of Factor I (Undiscipline/Poor Self Control) of the Personality Inventory for Children.Subjects for this study were 100 9 to 14 year old boys and girls referred to an outpatient psychological assessment clinic. Question 1 examined the ability of the Freedom from Distractibility factor (FD) and the individual scales of the WISC-R to predict variability in the PIC Factor I. Results showed that the FD factor did not predict any variance in Factor I, however, the individual scales of the WISC-R accounted for 14% of variance in Factor I of the PIC. Question 2 examined the variability accounted for by selected tests of the Halstead-Reitan Neuropsychological Test Battery for Children (HNTB-C) beyond that provided by the WISC-R. It was found that the HNTB-C accounted for 10% of the variability of Factor I of the PIC beyond that found with the FD scale or the individual scales of the WISC-R. The tests of the HNTB-C when examined without the WISC-R accounted for 17% of the variability in the PIC Factor I. Implications for use of neuropsychological measures in assessment of attentional disorders and lack of reliability of traditional cognitive measures were discussed.Department of Educational PsychologyThesis (Ph. D.