The Memory Assessment Battery For Children: Reliability And Validity

Objects:This study was to develop a new instrument for assessing children's memory abilities, the Memory Assessment Battery for Children (MABC).Definitely, the present study had two purposes:the construction of scales, the examination of reliability and validity of the MABC.Methods:The MABC contains 13 subtests.The assessment procedures include multiple learning trials,delayed-retention tests, free recall, recogni tion retrieval,and both visual and verbal materials.266 subjects aged fro m 6 to 12 years old were sampled from 5 urban schools.The split-half r eliability,Cronbach a coefficients and test-retest correlation cofficient were used to estimate reliability. The construct validity and criterion-related val idity of the MABC were also examined in this study.Results:1.Item analysis showed that the average difficulty index for the subtests was 0.54, discrimination indexes ranged from 0.27 to 0.59, and the independent-sample T Test for Equality of Means between higher group and lower group was evaluated to be significant.2.The test-retest stability coefficients ranged from 0.38 to 0.81 for the subtest scores, and from 0.43 to 0.85 for Index scores.Except Picture Memory (â… ,â…¡)and Word Memory Delay subtests, the split-half coefficients, Cronbach a coefficients for the subtest scores were 0.8 or so.3.Exploratory factor analysis resulted in a five-factor solution, and the five factors could be specified as Logical Memory, Free Recall, Associate Memory, Recognition and Working Memory.The 5 factors of the exploratory factor analysis could explain 75.00 percent of the whole variability. 4.Intercorrelation studies showed that the correlations among subtest scores ranged form 0.16 to 0.96,the correlations between subtest and index scores ranged from 0.18 to 0.92,and the correlations among index scores ranged from 0.43 to 0.97.4.The subtest and index scores of the MABC showed moderate to high correlations to the Comprehension Memory of WMS-RC,the correlation index were between 0.02 and 0.76,also showed moderate to high correlations to the Comprehension Memory,and moderate correlated to the Picture Memory; The Logical Memory of the MABC showed moderate correlations to the Number Completion and The Chain Test of The Nonverbal Intelligence Tests, and the Number Sentences Span showed high correlations to the Number Completion.5. Most of the subtest and index scores showed significant correlations to the scholastic attainments, with the Chinese performance showed slightly higher correlations to auditory subtest and index scores,and mathematical performance to the Picture Memory,the Word Memory subtests and working memory index scores.The subtests and index scores showed significant correlations to the age and grade.Conclusion:The present findings indicated that the Memory Assessment Battery for Children had psychometrically acceptable reliabilities, and the construct and criterion-related validity of the battery were supported in the present study.