Sociocultural and Language Differences in Performance on the Trail Making Test

Authors

Ondrej Bezdicek, Charles UniversityFollow
Ladislav Motak, University of Toulouse
David J. Schretlen, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Marek Preiss, National Institute of Mental Health; Klecany, Czech Republic
Bradley N. Axelrod, John D. Dingell Department of Veterans Affairs Medical CenterFollow
Tomas Nikolai, Charles University
Javier Pena, University of Deusto
Natalia Ojeda, University of Deusto
Evzen Ruzicka, Charles University

Abstract

The aim of this study was to test whether a Czech version of the Trail Making Test (TMT) normative data yield scores that approximate those based on English (North American) and Spanish normative samples. In all samples, TMT Parts A and B were administered according to the guidelines. Completion times for healthy adults from the Czech Republic (n = 422, Bezdicek et al., 2012), the United States (n = 325, Schretlen et al., 2008) and Spain (n = 348, Ojeda, Pena, unpublished data), stratified for age and education, were compared. Czechs took less time to complete TMT-B than English and Spaniards in 70–74 and older age groups (all ps < .01) even after covarying for education, although the amount of variance explained by language (i.e. Czech/Spanish/English) was small (0.3%; p < .001). In addition, TMT-A performance was significantly faster in Czech and English (North American) populations than in Spaniards. In conclusion, this demonstrates a lack of sociocultural equivalence on TMT-A and B, suggesting the need for adjustment of available TMT norms for use in different cultures.

Recommended Citation

Bezdicek, Ondrej; Motak, Ladislav; Schretlen, David J.; Preiss, Marek; Axelrod, Bradley N.; Nikolai, Tomas; Pena, Javier; Ojeda, Natalia; and Ruzicka, Evzen (2016) "Sociocultural and Language Differences in Performance on the Trail Making Test," Archives of Assessment Psychology: Vol. 6, Article 3.
Available at: https://nsuworks.nova.edu/psyassessment/vol6/iss1/3