The Development and Validation of an Online Spatial Network Measure

Abstract

Planning is an essential cognitive process of executive functions and is considered as one of the most important brain functions. Planning has been extensively studied in the field of neuropsychology, but there is a lack of computerized assessment tools of planning ability that are easily accessible to researchers and clinicians. The present study aims to validate a newly developed online spatial network test that is designed for both clinical and nonclinical populations. Exploratory factor analysis revealed a unidimensional factorial structure with moderate to high internal consistency in the test. Two-parameter logistic item response theory analysis showed acceptable item and model fit and no violation of the local independence assumption. The overall success rate exhibited a positive correlation with the performance of planning before attempting to solve the items. After correcting for attenuation, moderate to high correlations were found between the spatial network test and the International Cognitive Ability Resource 16 short form cognitive ability test and the automated perceptual maze test, respectively, demonstrating convergent, discriminant, and criterion validity. Future directions and potential applications of the spatial network test as an assessment tool to measure planning for researchers and clinicians are discussed in the end.