title: Test reliability and stability of children's cognitive functioning.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: School of Learning and Professional Studies, Queensland University of Technology, Kelvin Grove, Queensland, Australia. f.spencer@qut.edu.au
authors.forename: Fiona H
authors.initials: FH
authors.lastname: Spencer
authors.forename: Laurel J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Bornholt
authors.forename: Robert A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Ouvrier
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008609:Mental Status Schedule / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011594:Psychometrics; D011793:Queensland; D015203:Reproducibility of Results