Validity of the Test of Visual Perceptual Skills–Fourth Edition in People With Schizophrenia

Abstract

Abstract Importance: The Test of Visual Perceptual Skills–Fourth Edition (TVPS–4), which utilizes seven subscales, comprehensively assesses visual perception. Objective: To examine the ecological, convergent, and discriminative validities of the TVPS–4 in the assessment of people with schizophrenia. Design: Prospective and observational study. Setting: Community rehabilitation facilities. Participants: Eighty people with schizophrenia. Outcomes and Measures: To examine ecological validity, we estimated correlations (Pearson’s r) between the TVPS–4 scores (i.e., overall scale and subscales) and the Activities of Daily Living Rating Scale–III (ADLRS–III). To examine convergent validity, we computed the correlations (r) between the TVPS–4 scores and two cognitive measures. An analysis of variance was applied to compare the TVPS–4 scores in groups with different disease severities to examine discriminative validity. Results: Moderate to strong correlations were found between TVPS–4 scores and ADLRS–III scores (rs = .33–.61) and between TVPS–4 scores and two cognitive measures (rs = .44–.70). TVPS–4 scores could discriminate among the three groups with different severities of psychiatric illnesses (p < .05), except for two subscales (Visual Memory and Spatial Relationships). Conclusions and Relevance: The TVPS–4 has sufficient ecological validity, good convergent validity, and acceptable discriminative validity in assessing people with schizophrenia. The Spatial Relationships subscale, which displays a strong correlation with the ADLRS–III, can reveal the status of daily living in people with schizophrenia. Two subscales showing inadequate discriminative validity should be used cautiously to discriminate people with different severities of schizophrenia. What This Article Adds: The TVPS–4 showed three sound validities (ecological, convergent, and discriminative) for assessing visual perception in people with schizophrenia.