A comparison of preschoolers' performance on conventional and computerized versions of the PPVT-R

• Main Author: Robson, Andrew T.
• Language: en_US
• Published: 2007
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/1993/1070

The validity and practicality of a computerized version of the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-Revised (PPVT-R) was investigated. Specific guidelines for developing computerized versions of conventional tests were formulated and followed in the creation of a version of the PPVT-R that runs on a Macintosh computer. The conventional and computerized versions of the test were administered to 53 preschoolers. A within-subjects design was used and order of administration was counterbalanced. Pearson product-moment correlations were calculated to assess the concurrent validity of the computerized PPVT-R. Significant positive correlations were found between the two versions of the tests in the entire sample (r =.88), as well as within gender and age subgroups (r =.88 and.82 respectively). Results of t-tests revealed no significant difference between scores on the two versions of the test among four-year-olds, but three-year-olds performed at a significantly higher level on the conventional version. Possible explanations for this age difference are put forth and the utility of computerized testing is discussed.