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The Concept Shifting Test: adult normative data.
Wim Van der Elst1, Martin P J Van Boxtel, Gerard J P Van Breukelen
1Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands. w.vanderelst@np.unimaas.nl
Psychological Assessment
|December 13, 2006
Summary
The Concept Shifting Test (CST) shows women perform better, with performance declining with age and improving with education. This study establishes normative data for this executive functioning test.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychology
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- Executive functioning is crucial for cognitive flexibility.
- The Concept Shifting Test (CST) is a novel Trail Making Type test designed to assess concept shifting.
- Understanding demographic influences on CST performance is essential for accurate interpretation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of age, gender, education, and handedness on CST performance.
- To establish normative data for the CST in a large, cognitively intact adult sample.
- To develop a regression-based approach for correcting normative data.
Main Methods:
- Administered the CST to 1,794 cognitively intact adults aged 24–81 years.
- Analyzed performance data in relation to age, gender, educational level, and handedness.
- Utilized a regression-based normative approach for data correction.
Main Results:
- CST performance was significantly better in women compared to men.
- Performance on the CST decreased with increasing age.
- Higher levels of education correlated with improved CST performance.
- Handedness did not demonstrate a significant effect on CST results.
Conclusions:
- CST performance is influenced by gender, age, and education in adults.
- Normative data for the CST should account for these demographic variables.
- The established regression-based norms provide a more accurate benchmark for assessing executive functioning via the CST.
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