De test-hertestbetrouwbaarheid van instrumenten voor executieve functies bij kleuters.

Abstract

The preschool period is a period of significant advances in the development of executive functions and therefore reliable measures are essential for evaluating intra- and inter group differences in the development of executive functions. However little is known about the psychometric qualities, especially about the test-retest reliability, of measures for executive functions in preschool children. This study examined the test-retest reliability of four executive function tasks (Corsi-block test, DCCS, updatingtest and HTKS) in preschool children. The influence of age on test-retest reliability and possible practice effects were evaluated. The four tests were administered to fourty preschool children between the ages of four and six on two testing occasions approximately one week apart. The results show that the tests differ in terms of test-retest reliability, with an inconsistent pattern concerning the different aspects of executive function. Age does not have an influence on the test-retest reliability. The test-retest reliability was high when the instruments were being interpreted as a task battery. Significant practice effects were limited to 5-year olds on the updatingtest and HTKS. These findings contribute to the establishment of reliable measures for preschool children. Implications of the current study are discussed and recommendations for further research are given.