Cognitive Skills Assessment of Minerva Selective Attention Test

Abstract

The Cognitive Skills Assessment of Minerva (CSM) Selective Attention Test, developed by Kiliçarslan et al. in 2023, is a specialized instrument designed to measure a fundamental cognitive skill: the ability to focus on specific stimuli while effectively filtering out conflicting or distracting information. This 40-item scale was meticulously constructed following an extensive review of existing literature and draws conceptual inspiration from established measures, notably the Attention Network Test (Fan et al., 2002). The CSM Selective Attention Test has been validated and evaluated within a Turkish sample of children, providing crucial psychometric data regarding its reliability and validity for this specific population.

The test employs a reaction time paradigm, classifying trials as either congruent or incongruent to measure interference control, a core component of selective attention. The resulting metrics, including mean reaction times for different trial types, serve to establish normative data for school-age participants in Turkey.

Keywords

Cognitive Skills Assessment, Selective Attention Test, Children, Childhood Development, Cognitive Development, Selective Attention, Cognitive Measures, Interference Control, Reaction Time.

Authors

Kiliçarslan, İlkay, Yilanli, Musa, Usluer, Erdal, Öncü, Bedriye

Purpose

The primary objective guiding the development of the Cognitive Skills Assessment of Minerva Selective Attention Test is to establish a standardized and normative measure of selective attention specifically tailored for use with the Turkish pediatric population.

By providing reliable and valid data regarding attention skills in Turkish children, the instrument aims to facilitate better clinical assessment, educational planning, and research into childhood development and cognitive function across different age groups, spanning from school age through early adolescence.

Construct

The CSM Selective Attention Test primarily measures the psychological construct of Selective Attention, often conceptualized as the capacity to efficiently process relevant sensory information while suppressing the processing of irrelevant information, a mechanism also referred to as interference control.

The design of the test utilizes a conflict paradigm, similar to the Stroop or Flanker tasks, where participants must respond to a target stimulus (the central arrow) while ignoring surrounding distractors (flanking arrows). The difference in reaction times between trials where the target and distractors are aligned (congruent) versus trials where they conflict (incongruent) provides a quantitative measure of the individual’s ability to exert cognitive control and maintain focus amidst interference.

Validity

The Criterion Validity of the CSM Selective Attention Test was established by correlating its results with a widely recognized measure of attentional conflict, the Eriksen Flanker Test (Eriksen & Eriksen, 1974).

The findings demonstrated strong convergence between the two instruments. A robust positive correlation was observed between the mean congruent reaction times of the CSM test and the Eriksen Flanker Test (r = .78, p < .001). Furthermore, a moderately strong positive correlation was found when comparing the mean incongruent reaction times of the CSM Selective Attention Test with the mean incompatible reaction times of the Eriksen Flanker Test (r = .64, p < .001). Crucially, the overall mean reaction times across both measures exhibited a very strong positive correlation (r = .81, p < .001), lending significant support to the criterion validity of the CSM scale as a measure of interference processing.

Reliability

The internal consistency of the CSM Selective Attention Test was evaluated using the Split-Half Reliability method, focusing on the mean compatible reaction times measured in milliseconds.

The analysis indicated no significant statistical difference between the two halves of the test (Group A and Group B) regarding mean compatible reaction time, with a result of t(30) = .94, p > .05. This non-significant finding suggests that the items within the test consistently measure the construct across the entire administration, supporting the scale’s reliability.

Factor Analysis

Information regarding the underlying factor structure or dimensionality of the Cognitive Skills Assessment of Minerva Selective Attention Test is currently unavailable.

Instrument

Test Type: Original

Format: The test utilizes a computerized arrow task designed to measure reaction time and interference control. The display features twelve constant flanking arrows: six pointing up (vertical) and six pointing to the right (horizontal). A central target arrow changes direction throughout the trials. A congruent trial occurs when the central arrow’s direction aligns with either the horizontal or vertical flanking arrows. Conversely, an incongruent trial occurs when the central arrow’s direction is opposite to the flanking arrows, creating attentional conflict.

Participants are instructed to identify the direction of the central arrow by pressing the corresponding key on a keyboard. The test consists of 40 trials in total, divided equally into 20 congruent trials and 20 incongruent trials. The key metrics recorded are the mean reaction time for congruent trials, the mean reaction time for incongruent trials, and the overall mean reaction time across all trials. The average completion time for the entire assessment is approximately 5 minutes.

Language Available: Turkish

Population Group: Human (Male and Female)

Age Group: Childhood (birth-12 yrs), School Age (6-12 yrs), Adolescence (13-17 yrs)

Population Details: The validation study sample consisted of children aged 6–14 years, all residing in Turkey.

Test Methodology: Test Validity, Criterion Validity, Test Reliability, Split-Half Reliability.

Keywords

Cognitive Skills Assessment, Selective Attention Test, Children, Reaction Time Measurement, Turkish Norms, Psychometric Validation.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: No data is Available

Affiliation Email addresses: No data is Available

Correspondence Address:

• Kiliçarslan, İlkay: Minerva Technology, Department of Psychology, Istanbul, Turkey

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

• Permissions: Contact Corresponding Author

• Fee: No

• Test Year: 2023

Reference’s

Kiliçarslan, İ., Yilanli, M., Usluer, E., & Öncü, B. (2023). Assessing the validity and reliability and establishing norm values for a selective attention test in a Turkish sample of 6–14-year-old participants. Applied Neuropsychology: Child, 12(2), 150–156. The digital object identifier (DOI) for this publication is: https://doi.org/10.1080/21622965.2022.2063722

Items of the Cognitive Skills Assessment of Minerva Selective Attention Test

IMPORTANT: The following scale items must be preserved in their original language and must not be changed in any way.

This measure consists of 40 items. No data is Available.