Assessment of visual selective and orienting attention with a new touchscreen tablet-based test in school-aged children

Objective: The aim of the study was to investigate the reliability and validity of the newly developed touchscreen tablet-based test of selective and orienting attention (t-SOA test) in typical developing children aged 7-10 years.

Methods: Two age groups of children, the group7-8 (7-8 years, 9 girls, 10 boys) and the group9-10 (9-10 years, 9 girls, 9 boys), performed the t-SOA test on a tablet (Android operating system) and a stylus, as well as the Reaction test of selective attention of the Vienna Test System (RT4-VTS). The criterion validity of the t-SOA test was verified by the RT4-VTS, and the construct validity via an analysis of the effect of age on the results of the t-SOA test. The reliability of the t-SOA test was assessed through internal consistency.

Results: The internal consistency of the response time (RT) to the target stimulus was demonstrated to be excellent, Cronbach's α = .944. The mixed linear model with two factors - the central and the spatial (peripheral) cues, showed no significant effect on mean RT. Mean RT, median RT, and the coefficient of variation for RTs (CVRT) in the t-SOA test correlated significantly with analogous test scores of the RT4-VTS test, but not in the case of the number of correct responses, omissions, and commissions. A statistically significant effect of the age group was found for mean RT, median RTs, CVRT, and omission of the t-SOA test.

Conclusions: The study demonstrated that the newly constructed t- SOA test may be a valid and reliable tool for assessing the level of visual selective attention of children during middle childhood. The study supported the current suggestion that the assessment of cognitive functions with a touchscreen tablet and a digital stylus is feasible and accepted by school-age children.