Is the Boston Naming Test still fit for purpose?

Area of Science:

• Neuropsychology
• Cognitive Psychology

Background:

• The Boston Naming Test (BNT) is a widely used confrontation naming assessment in neuropsychology.
• Significant criticisms question the BNT's psychometric properties, standardization, and normative data.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review criticisms of the BNT regarding its psychometric properties and conceptual alignment with naming models.
• To evaluate alternative naming tests for clinical neuropsychology.
• To identify the need for a new naming assessment tool.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of the Boston Naming Test (BNT).
• Evaluation of criticisms regarding psychometric properties, standardization, and norms.
• Review of alternative visual confrontation naming tasks.
• Assessment of existing tests against contemporary models of naming neuropsychology.

Main Results:

• The BNT exhibits poor psychometric properties, inadequate standardization, and insufficient norms.
• The BNT does not fully capture naming processes or sample the naming domain comprehensively.
• The Naming Test from the Neuropsychological Assessment Battery is a potential alternative but also lacks theoretical grounding.

Conclusions:

• The Boston Naming Test (BNT) is considered flawed for naming assessment in neuropsychology.
• Existing alternative tests do not fully address the limitations of the BNT.
• Development of a new naming test, informed by models of naming neuropsychology, is indicated.