The Bivalent Shape Task in a Dutch primary school population: A pilot study for a first psychometric assessment

Abstract

Objective

The Bivalent Shape Task (BST) tests the ability to suppress interfering information. The purpose of this study was to assess some psychometric properties of the BST in 5–11-year-old children, using multilevel analysis.

Methods

The present study was initiated in a Dutch primary school in October 2019. The BST was administered as part of a larger neuropsychological assessment. The outbreak of Covid-19 and the subsequential lockdown in the Netherlands led to a premature termination of the study in March 2020. Data of 38 children were available. This dataset was analyzed and labeled as pilot.

Results

Significant main effects of age, time components, levels, correct answer, and several interactions were found on the reaction time in the predicted direction. Random effects could also be modeled. A final statistical combination model is described.

Conclusion

Despite the small study sample, it seems to be justified to conclude that the BST is a potentially valuable instrument to test interference suppression in 5–11-year-old children. In the analysis of the BST, multilevel analysis has proven to be very rewarding. Since the present study only examined a small part of reliability and validity aspects, further psychometric research is desired.

Keywords:

• Child development
• interference suppression
• multilevel analysis
• neuropsychological test
• neuropsychology
• psychometric assessment
• validity

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank primary school “De Wereldster” for their cooperation and enthusiasm.

Ethics statement

The study was approved by the medical ethics committee of Maastricht University (2019–1068).

Consent form

Written informed consent was obtained for all participants and their parents.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).