Adaptation of Western measures of cognition for assessing 5-year-old semi-urban Ugandan children

Nampijja, Margaret and Apule, B. and Lule, S. and Akurut, H. and Muhangi, L. and Elliot, A. and Alcock, Katherine Jane (2010) Adaptation of Western measures of cognition for assessing 5-year-old semi-urban Ugandan children. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 80 (1). pp. 15-30. ISSN 0007-0998

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Abstract

Background: The majority of available psychometric tests originates from the Western World and was designed to suit the culture, language, and socio-economic status of the respective populations. Few tests have been validated in the developing world despite the growing interest in examining effects of biological and environmental factors on cognitive functioning of children in this setting. Aims: The present study aimed at translating and adapting Western measures of working memory, general cognitive ability, attention, executive function, and motor ability in order to obtain a cognitive instrument suitable for assessing 5-year-old semi-urban Ugandan children. This population represents a particular assessment challenge as school enrolment is highly variable at this age in this setting and many children are unused to a formal educational setting. Methods: Measures of the above domains were selected, translated, and modified to suit the local culture, education, and socio-economic background of the target population. The measures were piloted and then administered to semi-urban Ugandan children aged 4;6-5;6, who included children who had started and not yet started school. Results: Analysis of validity and reliability characteristics showed that 8 (at least one from each domain) out of the 11 measures were successfully adapted on the basis that they showed adequate task comprehension, optimum levels of difficulty to demonstrate individual and group differences in abilities, sensitivity to effects of age and education, and good internal as well as test-retest reliability. Conclusion: Translation and adaptation are realistic and worthwhile strategies for obtaining valid and reliable cognitive measures in a resource-limited setting.

Item Type:
Journal Article
Journal or Publication Title:
British Journal of Educational Psychology
Additional Information:
This is the pre review version of the following article: Nampijja, M., Apule, B., Lule, S., Akurut, H., Muhangi, L., Elliott, A. M. and Alcock, K. J. (2010), Adaptation of Western measures of cognition for assessing 5-year-old semi-urban Ugandan children. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 80: 15–30. doi: 10.1348/000709909X460600 which has been published in final form at http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1348/000709909X46066/abstract This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance With Wiley Terms and Conditions for self-archiving.
Uncontrolled Keywords:
/dk/atira/pure/core/keywords/psychology
Subjects:
?? psychologyeducationdevelopmental and educational psychologybf psychology ??
ID Code:
31011
Deposited By:
Deposited On:
15 Dec 2009 13:19
Refereed?:
Yes
Published?:
Published
Last Modified:
13 Dec 2023 01:12