Standardization of test administration and scoring criteria: Some shortcomings of current practice with the halstead-reitan test battery

Abstract

Although the Halstead-Reitan Test Battery (HRTB) is the most popular neuropsychological test battery in use, there are a number of potential sources of local variation in the way this battery is administered. This variation has the potential for jeopardizing the comparability of both clinical and research findings across different settings. This paper discusses several of these potential sources of variation. The existence of two generally different versions of the manual is noted and shortcomings in the instructions for administration and scoring are addressed. Additional problems posed by the proliferation of short forms of the HRTB tests and by the development of alternative stimulus materials for these tests are discussed. It is recommended that the test manual for the HRTB should be revised and that clinicians and researchers should be more precise in reporting the versions of the stimulus materials they used.