Ecological validity reconsidered: the Night Out Task versus the D-KEFS

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Neuropsychology
• Cognitive Science

Background:

• Executive functioning (EF) is crucial for instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs).
• Traditional EF tests often lack ecological validity, limiting their real-world application.
• Novel tasks aim to bridge the gap between lab assessments and daily functioning.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the Night Out Task (NOT) for ecological validity in assessing EF and IADLs.
• To determine if the NOT correlates with traditional lab- and home-based EF and IADL measures.
• To assess the NOT's predictive utility for IADLs compared to existing EF tests.

Main Methods:

• Fifty adults aged 60-95 participated.
• Assessments included the Delis Kaplan Executive Function System (D-KEFS) and IADLs in a lab setting.
• Ecological momentary assessment of EF and IADLs was conducted at home over three weeks using the DAILIES protocol.

Main Results:

• The NOT correlated with lab-based EF and IADLs, outperforming the D-KEFS in predicting lab-based IADLs.
• However, the NOT did not correlate with at-home EF or IADL measures.
• The D-KEFS significantly predicted at-home IADLs, mediated by at-home EF performance.

Conclusions:

• The NOT shows preliminary validation for office-based EF correlates but not for home-based IADLs.
• The NOT may not adequately capture EF processes essential for real-world, home-based IADLs.
• Further research with larger samples is needed to clarify the NOT's utility for ecologically valid EF assessment.