Investigating Moderators of Test-Retest Reliability in Screening Children's Cognitive Functioning

This project examined some of the common constraints on reliable cognitive assessment for children over time. Repeated measures design (n = 133) was with younger (5 & 6 year old, n = 64) and older (7 & 8 year old, n = 69) children. Results showed that children’s self-concepts moderated the test-retest reliability over extended intervals for younger and older children. Social self-categorizations moderated slightly the test-retest reliability for both age groups. For younger children only, personal self-categorization and self-reported talking about items moderated the reliability. In contrast, there were no moderators of test-retest reliability for shorter retest intervals. Other experiences, including recall, recognition and self-reported reflection on the content, did not moderate the test-retest reliability

A Model of Children's Cognitive Functioning and Cognitive Self-Concepts

This project proposes a ‘feed forward’ skill developmental model of cognitive assessment in relation to cognitive self-concepts for children over initial short intervals of time. Study 1 was a cross-sectional design with 5 to 11 year old children (N = 186). Study 2 was a longitudinal design with 5 to 8 year old children (N = 135). In one-to-one sessions, children completed the SYSTEMS School-Years Screening Test for the Evaluation of Mental Status (Ouvrier, Hendy, Bornholt & Black, 1999, 2000) and ASK-KIDS self-concepts inventory (Bornholt, 1996) extended to cognitive activities (Black, 2001, Black & Bornholt, 2000). Study 1 showed that children’s self-concepts and test scores were unrelated. Study 2 confirmed that performance and self concepts are separate aspects, and showed that over initial brief intervals of time cognitive assessments feed forward to subsequent self-concepts. Findings have implications for assessment and early interventions in clinical and educational settings. Children’s self-concepts seem under researched in relation to the cognitive activities that are commonly used in assessment situations by school counsellors, psychologists, neurologists and other professionals who work with children to support their learning (Bornholt, Black, Ouvrier & Hendy, 1999; Stankov & Crawford, 1997). Understanding children’s cognitive development is regarded as somewhat incomplete unless we also understand children’s self concepts about cognitive activities (Bjorklund, 1995). This project therefore examined the relation between children’s performance and their self concepts about standard cognitive assessments. The main issue is whether children’s performance and self concepts are associated, and how these links develop over time

Test Reliability and Stability of Children's Cognitive Functioning

This study addresses the test reliability of a screening test and stability of children’s cognitive functioning. Children aged 5 to 8 years in western Sydney were assessed on three occasions. The first assessment provided a baseline, with the second assessment at 2-, 4-, or 12-week intervals. The final assessment was 4 weeks later. Indicators of reliability and stability suggested that a distinction can be made between test reliability and the phenomenon (cognitive functioning) stability. Cognitive functioning was assessed using the School-Years Screening Test for the Evaluation of Mental Status (SYSTEMS). The findings have implications for indicators of reliability and stability of cognitive assessments in developmental research and clinical practice

Systems: a screening test of higher mental function in childhood

Children with deficits of higher mental function are often referred to paediatricians and child neurologists. The referrals may occur for the specific evaluation of a child’s school difficulties or because of a symptom, such as school refusal, headache or deterioration in behaviour. It is generally accepted that examination of the higher mental abilities could be a routine part of a complete neurological examination in any child presenting with such problems. Despite this, there is very little information concerning normal values for screening tests of higher mental function at different ages in childhood

The SYSTEMS - School-Years Screening Test for the Evaluation of Mental Status

This paper introduces the School-Years Screening Test for Evaluation of Mental Status (SYSTEMS). It was designed to be used by neurologists, pediatricians, and other health professionals assessing children with suspected cognitive problems or changes. SYSTEMS was initially based on the adult Mini-Mental State Examination developed by Folstein, Folstein, and McHugh in 1975. SYSTEMS is a 7- to 12-minute, one-on-one interview test containing 46 items for use in children between 5 and 12 years of age. Although a full diagnosis cannot be made, the results do provide an indication of whether to send a child for further detailed cognitive assessment. The development of SYSTEMS comprised seven studies with a total of 1207 children involved from Sydney primary schools and neurology clinics of the New Children's Hospital, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia. All children were administered the SYSTEMS. Some of the children also were administered the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Test, 4th edition, or the Differential Ability Scales. Results showed that the SYSTEMS was internally consistent, unbiased by sex, socioeconomic indicators, or language groups; discriminated well by age; and strongly correlated (r = 0.88) with mental age. No significant differences in results obtained by two trained administrators were evident and no indication of apparent practice effect was found. The SYSTEMS was found to have desirable levels of sensitivity (83% and 92%), specificity (76% and 95%), and likelihood ratio for cognitive impairment (3.63 and 17.5) when compared with neurologic judgments and the Differential Ability Scales, respectively. This paper presents and evaluates the School-Years Screening Test for the Evaluation of Mental Status (SYSTEMS). The test was designed to assess the cognitive state of a child when he or she first presents to a neurologist or pediatrician. Low scores on the SYSTEMS would suggest cognitive impairment or cognitive deterioration and would indicate the need for a more detailed cognitive assessment

Understanding Choice Behaviours: Pathways from School to University with Changing Aspirations and Opportunities

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