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Validity of multiple-sentence reading comprehension tests for aphasic adults
The Journal of Speech and Hearing Disorders
|February 1, 1986
Summary
Many reading tests for aphasia fail to accurately measure comprehension. Over half of items on popular tests were answered correctly without reading the passages, questioning their validity for assessing reading comprehension in adults with aphasia.
Area of Science:
- Neurolinguistics
- Clinical Psychology
- Speech-Language Pathology
Background:
- Assessing reading comprehension in individuals with aphasia is crucial for rehabilitation.
- Existing multiple-sentence reading tests are widely used but their validity requires scrutiny.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the passage dependency of multiple-sentence reading test items.
- To determine if current reading tests provide valid measures of reading comprehension for aphasic adults.
Main Methods:
- Analyzed multiple-sentence reading test items from five established aphasia examinations.
- Compared performance of aphasic and non-brain-damaged adults on test items without reading the associated passages.
Main Results:
- A significant number of test items were answered correctly by both groups without reading the passages.
- More than 50% of items demonstrated a lack of passage dependency.
Conclusions:
- Published reading comprehension tests for aphasia may not accurately estimate reading abilities.
- The validity of current tests for assessing comprehension of printed texts in aphasia is questionable.