California older adult STROOP test (COAST): Pilot test results for subjects with non-insulin-dependent Type II diabetes mellitus and age-matched normal controls

(From the chapter) Stroop-type tests, consisting of naming coloured blocks or crosses, reading the names of colours in black ink, and reading the colour of ink which different colour names are printed in, are commonly used tests of cognitive flexibility, divided attention and speed of mental processing. Studies in the literature suggest that proneness to colour-confusion in an older population, coupled with test construction considerations of Stroop-type tests, may limit their usefulness with older adults. An adaptation of such a test for use with an older population, the California Older Adult Stroop Test (COAST), is described. Preliminary reliability and validity data are presented for Ss with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus and healthy age-matched controls. No significant group effects on any dependent variable emerged for the COAST. The correlational data demonstrating high correlations between the COAST and Stroop imply that the 2 tests are similar in terms of measurement of time to complete the 3 trials of the tests. No Ss, regardless of diagnostic status, experienced colour-confusion on the COAST