Abstract
This study examined reliability and validity of the Weekly Calendar Planning Activity-Student version (WCPA-S), an assessment of EF. Participants were 120 graduate and undergraduate students, ages 18 to 30. The WCPA-S was correlated with three other EF measures. Performance of students without and with learning challenges (e.g., ADHD, LD) was examined. There were small to moderate correlations among EF measures. It is essential for OT to have psychometrically sound measures.
Primary Author and Speaker: Eddie Chu
Additional Authors and Speakers: Sharon Cermak
Contributing Authors: Rashelle Nagata, Creig Smith, Jesse Zhao, Margaret Goodfellow
Executive functions (EF) are the cognitive skills necessary for performance of goal-directed tasks. They are critical to successful engagement in everyday activities. Executive dysfunction can negatively impact a person’s ability to learn in different contexts and complete everyday activities. The Weekly Calendar Planning Activity (WCPA) is a new standardized assessment to measure EF in the context of a real-world task for adults.
In this study, participants will gain an understanding of the clinical utility of the WCPA-S in assessing EF to inform treatment planning. We aim to examine the validity of the WCPA by exploring its relationship with other measures of EF and functional cognition. The Zoo Map Test is a part of the Behavioral Assessment of the Dysexecutive Syndrome (BADS) that assesses the participant’s planning ability aspect of EF. The Behavior Regulation Inventory of Executive Function – Adult version (BRIEF-A) is a self-report questionnaire where participants rate statements about their executive function. The Dysexecutive Questionnaire (DEX) is a self-report questionnaire of executive function that primarily measures associated behavioral difficulties.
Participants included 130 graduate and undergraduate students between the ages of 18 and 30 years who are native English speakers. Participants were recruited from universities in Southern California by research assistants. Fliers with the author’s contact information were posted in different areas of the University of Southern California’s campuses.
Correlational analyses were performed to measure concurrent validity, examining relationships between the WCPA-S and the Zoo Map Test, BRIEF-A, and DEX. ICC analyses were performed to examine test-retest reliability. T-tests examined differences in students with and without learning challenges, in sex (male vs. female), in student status (undergraduate vs. graduate), and between study samples (Israeli students vs. California students vs. WCPA standardization sample).
Results showed no differences in sex and in student status. Test-retest reliability was low, possibly due to a ceiling effect. There were no significant differences found between students with and without learning challenges, possibly due to the low sample size of students with learning challenges. Our sample of Californian students scored more accurately and used more strategies in the WCPA-S than the Israeli students and the WCPA standardized sample, but our students required nearly twice the amount of time to complete. The moderate correlations between the WCPA-S and other measures suggested there may be further variables being measured.
Participation is the ultimate goal in occupational therapy. Impairments in executive skills and related functional cognition can negatively impact participation. There is a lack of performance-based measures examining EF, particularly for high-functioning individuals such as college students. The WCPA-S is a measure that may be used for college students who are struggling with organizing and planning their everyday activities. The moderate correlations between the WCPA-S and the other measures suggest that there may be a relationship between these executive function measures to support the validity of the WCPA-S. Our professional organization calls for reliable and valid tools for clinical practice and research. This study provides support for the validity of the WCPA-S, a tool that can be used to provide information to help understand the challenges being faced by college students through its occupation-focused assessment of an individual’s planning and organizational ability.
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