The ‘Obsolescence’ of Assessment Procedures

Abstract

The concept that obsolescence or being “out of date” makes a test or procedure invalid (“inaccurate,” “inappropriate,” “not useful,” “creating wrong interpretations,” etc.) has been widely accepted in psychology and neuropsychology. Such obsolescence, produced by publishing a new version of a test, has produced an extensive nullification of research effort (probably 10,000 Wechsler studies). The arguments, attempting to justify obsolescence, include the Flynn Effect, the creation of a new version of a test or simply time. However, the Flynn Effect appears to have plateaued. In psychometric theory, validated tests do not lose their validity due to the creation of newer versions. Time does not invalidate tests due to the improvement of neurological methodology, such as magnetic resonance imaging. This assumption is unscientific, unproven, and if true, would discredit all older neuropsychological and neurological knowledge. In science, no method, theory, or information, once validated, loses that validation merely due to time or the creation of another test or procedure. Once validated, a procedure is only disproved or replaced by means of new research.

Key words:

• assessment
• Flynn Effect
• obsolescence
• validation
• Wechsler tests

Notes

Notes. In combining key words used in PsycINFO, “or” means either word may be included while “and” means both are required.

^a Key words included: “and brain damage” after each key word.

^b Key words included: Reitan or Halstead Reitan, or HRB.

^c Key words included: Progressive Matrices or Raven's Progressive Matrices.

^d Key words used: W-B or Wechsler-Bellevue.

^e Key words used: WAIS or Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale.

^f Key words used: WAIS-R or Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised.

^g Key words used: WAIS-III or Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-III.

^h Key words used: WISC or Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children.

ⁱ Key words used: WISC-R or Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised.

^j Key words used: WISC-III or Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-III.

^k Key words used: WMS or Wechsler Memory Scale.

^l Key words used: WMS-R or Wechsler Memory Scale-Revised.

^m Key words used: WMS-III or Wechsler Memory Scale-III.

Notes. Data was derived from the test manuals.

^a Wechsler-Bellevue.

^b Mean number of years between the WAIS versions.