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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Psychol.
Sec. Neuropsychology
Volume 15 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1399388
This article is part of the Research Topic Neuropsychological Testing: From Psychometrics to Clinical Neuropsychology View all 8 articles

A New Neuropsychological Tool for Simultaneous Reading and Executive Functions Assessment: Initial Psychometric Properties

Provisionally accepted
Vinícius Figueiredo de Oliveira Vinícius Figueiredo de Oliveira 1*Jéssica Vial-Martins Jéssica Vial-Martins 1André Luiz D. Braule Pinto André Luiz D. Braule Pinto 2Rochele Paz Fonseca Rochele Paz Fonseca 1Leandro F. Malloy-Diniz Leandro F. Malloy-Diniz 1
  • 1 Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
  • 2 Federal University of Amazonas, Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    The development of reading and complex executive functions is fundamental for achieving social, academic, and professional success. So far, there is no single neuropsychological instrument that comprehensively assesses the domains of inhibitory control, cognitive flexibility, working memory, and reading comprehension. To assess executive functions related to reading, the "Assessment of Reading and Executive Functions" (AREF) was developed. In this study, we show initial evidence of validity and reliability for four subtests -Graphophonological-Semantic Flexibility, Inhibitory Control, Flexibility, and Working Memory. A total of 93 students from 4th to 9th grade, aged 8-14, in public (n = 61) and private (n = 32) schools were evaluated. The results of the AREF subtests demonstrated significant positive correlations with measures of reading (ranging from 0.339 to 0.367) and executive functions (ranging from 0.209 to 0.396). Regarding evidence of reliability, the internal consistency of the tasks was low for Graphophonological-Semantic Flexibility (Cronbach's α = 0.566), moderate for Inhibitory Control and Flexibility (Cronbach's α = 0.768), and high for Working Memory (Cronbach's α = 0.881). It is expected that this new neuropsychological test will contribute to the assessment of reading skills and executive functions, assisting in directing clinical and educational interventions for individuals with and without neurodevelopmental disorders.

    Keywords: reading, reading comprehension, executive functions, Psychometric validation, Inhibitory Control, cognitive flexibility, working memory

    Received: 11 Mar 2024; Accepted: 25 Jul 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Figueiredo de Oliveira, Vial-Martins, Braule Pinto, Paz Fonseca and Malloy-Diniz. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Vinícius Figueiredo de Oliveira, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil

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