Developing the Persian version of the homophone meaning generation test

Area of Science:

• Linguistics
• Psychology
• Speech-Language Pathology

Background:

• Accurate word retrieval is essential for effective communication.
• Evaluating word-finding abilities presents clinical challenges, necessitating reliable measurement tools.
• The Homophone Meaning Generation Test (HMGT) assesses the crucial skill of switching between verbal concepts for word retrieval.

Purpose of the Study:

• To adapt the Homophone Meaning Generation Test (HMGT) for the Persian language.
• To validate the psychometric properties of the Persian version of the HMGT.

Main Methods:

• The study involved adapting the HMGT into Persian and conducting psychometric testing.
• Ninety healthy Persian-speaking adults (20-50 years) participated.
• Word-finding performance was assessed using Semantic Fluency, Phonemic Fluency, and the Persian HMGT.

Main Results:

• The Persian HMGT demonstrated excellent internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.80) and reliability (interrater and intrarater).
• Item validity exceeded 0.77, with a content validity index of 0.99.
• The test showed strong convergent validity with semantic/phonemic switching and adequate divergent validity with semantic/phonemic clustering.

Conclusions:

• The Persian version of the HMGT is a suitable, valid, and reliable instrument.
• It effectively evaluates the ability to switch between verbal concepts in word-finding assessments.
• This validated tool aids in the clinical evaluation of word-finding performance in Persian speakers.