The development and validation of a tablet-based assessment battery of general cognitive ability

• Published in: BMC Psychology 2024, Vol.12 (1)
• Main Authors: Pan, Dong-ni, Xie, Hailun, Zeng, Yanjia, Zhou, Yixiang, Lin, Cuizhu, Ma, Xin, Ren, Juejing, Jiao, Yuanyun, Wu, Yingying, Wei, Wei, Xue, Gui
• Format: Report
• Language: English
• Subjects: Cognition; Testing
• ISSN: 2050-7283; 2050-7283
• DOI: 10.1186/s40359-024-02283-7

Traditional cognitive assessments, often reliant on paper-and-pencil tests and professional evaluators, suffer from subjectivity and limited result discrimination. This study introduces the Baguan Online Cognitive Assessment System (BOCAS), a tablet-based system that evaluates both general cognitive ability (GCA) and domain-specific functions across six domains: sensory-motor skills, processing speed, sustained attention, working memory, cognitive flexibility, and spatial ability. BOCAS was validated with 151 healthy Chinese adults aged 18-40. Reliability was assessed through internal consistency and test-retest reliability. Factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were used to validate the model. The GCA score was correlated with the Raven IQ test and self-reported cognitive flexibility, and its relationship with negative emotions (depression and anxiety) was examined. BOCAS showed satisfactory reliability, with internal consistency ranging from 0.712 to 0.846 and test-retest reliability from 0.56 to 0.71. Factor analysis revealed a common factor explaining 40% of the variance, and CFA indicated a good model fit ([chl]²/df = 1.81; CFI = 0.932). The GCA score strongly correlated with the Raven IQ test (r = 0.58) and was related to self-reported cognitive flexibility and negative emotions. BOCAS offers a digital solution for cognitive assessment, providing automated, remote, and precise evaluations. It demonstrates reliability, validity, and potential for use in clinical and research settings.