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The Development and Psychometric Properties of the Visuospatial Working Memory Assessment (VWMA) for Children
Thitiya Wangkawan1, Cynthia Lai2,3,4, Peeraya Munkhetvit1
1Department of Occupational Therapy, Chiang Mai University, Thailand.
Occupational Therapy International
|April 16, 2020
Summary
A new visuospatial working memory assessment (VWMA) was developed and validated for children. The VWMA demonstrates good psychometric properties, making it suitable for occupational therapy settings.
Area of Science:
- Occupational therapy
- Child psychology
- Neurodevelopmental disorders
Background:
- Visuospatial working memory is vital for children's daily living and academic success.
- Existing visuospatial working memory tests are insufficient for occupational therapy practice.
- There is a clinical need for reliable assessment tools in this domain.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and evaluate the psychometric properties of a new visuospatial working memory assessment (VWMA).
- To establish the validity and reliability of both computerized and tabletop versions of the VWMA.
- To determine the suitability of the VWMA for use with children, including those with ADHD.
Main Methods:
- Development of the visuospatial working memory assessment (VWMA).
- Assessment of psychometric properties including content validity (IOC), internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha), test-retest reliability (ICC), and construct validity.
- Comparison of performance between control groups, typically developing children, and children with ADHD.
Main Results:
- The VWMA demonstrated excellent item-objective congruence (IOC) of 1.0.
- Good internal consistency was found for both computerized (Cronbach's alpha = .88) and tabletop (Cronbach's alpha = .81) versions.
- Excellent test-retest reliability was observed for the computerized test (ICC = .88–.99), and fair to good reliability for the tabletop test (ICC = .51–.63).
- The VWMA showed significant differences between typically developing children and those with ADHD, supporting its construct validity.
Conclusions:
- The visuospatial working memory assessment (VWMA) exhibits strong psychometric properties, including content validity, internal consistency, and reliability.
- The VWMA is a valid tool for differentiating between typically developing children and those with ADHD.
- The developed VWMA is appropriate for use in occupational therapy settings to assess children's visuospatial working memory.
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