FAS and CFL forms of verbal fluency differ in difficulty: a meta-analytic study
Danielle Barry1, Marsha E Bates, Erich Labouvie
1University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, Connecticut 06030, USA. barry@psychiatry.uchc.edu
Applied Neuropsychology
|June 24, 2008
Summary
The Controlled Oral Word Association (COWA) Test's CFL form is harder than the FAS form. Performance on both tests is affected by age and education, with stricter criteria impacting results.
Area of Science:
- Neuropsychology
- Cognitive Psychology
Background:
- The Controlled Oral Word Association (COWA) Test assesses executive cognitive function.
- Two common forms exist: FAS and CFL.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the relative difficulty of the FAS and CFL COWA Test forms.
- To investigate factors influencing performance variability.
Main Methods:
- A meta-analytic approach was used.
- Multiple samples of normal individuals were included.
- Effects of age, education, gender, exclusion criteria, and study age were analyzed.
Main Results:
- The CFL form is more difficult than the FAS form.
- Age, education, and strict exclusion criteria significantly influence performance.
- Performance variability is greater for the FAS form, influenced by age and study age.
Conclusions:
- The CFL form presents a greater challenge in verbal fluency tasks.
- Demographic and methodological factors impact COWA Test performance and variability.
