Abstract
Word association tests (WATs) have been widely used to examine associative/semantic memory structures and shown to be relevant to behavior and its underpinnings. Despite successful applications of WATs in diverse research areas, few studies have examined psychometric properties of these tests or other open-ended cognitive tests of common use. Modern test theory models, such as item response theory (IRT) models, are well suited to evaluate interpretations of this class of test. In this evaluation, unidimensional IRT models were fitted to the data on the WAT designed to capture associative memory relevant to an important applied issue: Casual sex in a sample of 1,138 adult drug offenders. Using association instructions, participants were instructed to generate the first behavior or action that came to mind in response to cues (e.g., "hotel/motel") that might elicit casual sex-related responses. Results indicate a multitude of evidence for the internal validity of WAT score interpretations. All WAT items measured a single latent trait of casual sex-related associative memory, strongly related to the latent trait, and were invariant across gender, ethnicity, age groups, and sex partner profiles. The WAT was highly informative at average-to-high levels of the latent trait and also associated with risky sex behavior, demonstrating the usefulness of this class of test. The study illustrates the utility of the assessments in this at-risk population as well as the benefits of application of the modern test theory models in the evaluation of internal validity of open-ended cognitive test score interpretation.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 194-204 |
| Number of pages | 11 |
| Journal | Psychological assessment |
| Volume | 28 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Feb 1 2016 |
Funding
This report was supported by Grants K24 MH001571, R01 MH058397, and R01 MH069619 (Robin B. Jarrett) and R01 MH058356 and R01 MH069618 (Michael E. Thase) from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). Robin B. Jarrett is a paid consultant to NIMH. The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center collects payments for cognitive therapy services provided by Robin B. Jarrett. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NIMH or the National Institutes of Health. NIMH had no role in the design and conduct of the study; in the collection, analysis, and interpretation of the data; or in the preparation, review, or approval of the manuscript. The Continuation Phase Cognitive Therapy Relapse Prevention [C-CT-RP] Trial is registered at http://www.clinicaltrials.gov [NCT00118404, NCT00183664, and NCT00218764]. We are grateful to our patients, research teams, and colleagues at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, The University of Pittsburgh, and The University of Pennsylvania who made this trial possible. We are grateful to Nancy Cravens, L.V.N., John Dennis, PhD, Luke Schultz, PhD, and Julie Kangas, B. A. for providing the ratings for the SoCT-IO for this study; Joanne Saunders, M. S. for providing technical assistance and Patrizia Salini, M.S.Ed. and Lauren Singer, M. A. for providing assistance with manuscript and SoCT-IO manual preparation.
Keywords
- Associative memory
- At risk populations
- Item response theory
- Validity
- Word association test
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Clinical Psychology
- Psychiatry and Mental health