title: Cognitive-Affective Verbal Learning Test: An integrated measure of affective and neutral words.
abstract: Despite growing affective-memory research, only 2 potential clinical measures have been published, each with limitations. We describe the development and piloting of an integrated memory measure for neutral and affectively valenced words, the Cognitive-Affective Verbal Learning Test (C-AVLT). The C-AVLT and mood self-report measures were administered to 124 healthy university students in Study 1, with readministration to 40 students after 1 week. In Study 2, the C-AVLT and other neuropsychological measures of memory and emotion were administered to 61 patients referred for polysomnogram evaluation of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Study 1 supported the C-AVLT's internal and test-retest reliabilities, as well as concurrent validity, that is, the affective-bias scores but not performance scores correlated with self-reported mood. In Study 2, convergent, criterion (specifically cross-sectional concurrent validity), and incremental validity were supported with regard to both performance and affective-bias scores within the OSA sample. We demonstrated the C-AVLT is a reliable and clinically useful measure of both memory and affective-processing bias in 2 samples. Future clinical and research recommendations for the C-AVLT are discussed, including broadening normative data and criterion validity data in psychiatric and neurological samples. (PsycINFO Database Record
authors.affiliation: Psychology Department, University of Windsor.
authors.forename: Ciaran M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Considine
authors.affiliation: Psychology Department, University of Windsor.
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Keatley
authors.affiliation: Psychology Department, University of Windsor.
authors.forename: Christopher A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Abeare
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect; D000368:Aged; D003071:Cognition; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D020181:Sleep Apnea, Obstructive / Q000523:psychology*; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*; D014706:Verbal Learning; D055815:Young Adult