Preliminary psychometric evaluation of the online Wisconsin Card Sorting Inspired Test (WCSIT)

Area of Science:

• Neuropsychology
• Cognitive Science
• Digital Health

Background:

• Developing culturally adapted digital tools for cognitive assessment is crucial, especially in regions with limited validated Arabic-language neuropsychological tests.
• The Wisconsin Card Sorting Inspired Test (WCSIT) was created as a scalable, accessible digital alternative to traditional methods.
• This study focuses on the preliminary psychometric evaluation of the WCSIT.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a preliminary psychometric evaluation of the Wisconsin Card Sorting Inspired Test (WCSIT).
• To assess the WCSIT's reliability, validity, and cultural relevance for evaluating cognitive flexibility and executive functioning in an Arabic-speaking population.
• To establish the WCSIT as a viable digital tool for neuropsychological assessment.

Main Methods:

• 462 adult participants from Saudi Arabia, including 81 with frontal lobe damage, completed the WCSIT on personal touchscreen devices.
• Performance was measured using five indices: accuracy, categories, perseverative errors, reaction time, and inverse efficiency score.
• Psychometric analyses included Cronbach's alpha, exploratory graph analysis, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and criterion-related validity via group comparisons.

Main Results:

• The WCSIT demonstrated acceptable to good internal consistency for most performance indices.
• Confirmatory factor analysis supported a two-factor model, differentiating number-based from shape/color-based categorization.
• The test successfully discriminated between healthy participants and those with frontal lobe damage, with significant gender differences observed.

Conclusions:

• The WCSIT exhibits promising psychometric properties and cultural relevance as a digital tool for executive function assessment in Arabic-speaking populations.
• Foundational evidence supports the WCSIT's clinical utility, though further validation is needed.
• Future research should address limitations in convergent/discriminant validity, sample characteristics, digital literacy, and cultural variability.