Difference scores: A caveat illustrated with neuropsychological measures |
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Authors: | John R Reddon Sarah Vander Veen |
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Institution: | (1) Alberta Hospital Edmonton, Canada;(2) Alberta Hospital Edmonton, Clinical Diagnostics and Research Centre, Fort Road, Box 307, 17480, Alberta T5J 2J7 Edmonton, Canada |
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Abstract: | Relationships among preferred minus non-preferred hand difference scores from four neuropsychological sensorimotor tests were
evaluated in Community (N= 121), Prison Inmate (N = 350), and Psychiatric Inpatient (N = 398) samples. Across the three samples,
the average absolute off-diagonal correlations among the four difference scores ranged from .07 to .13, and the squared multiple
correlations (used to predict any difference score from the other three) did not exceed .07. Based on the determinant of the
correlation matrix (i.e., |R|), the null hypothesis of complete independence was rejected in only the Prison Inmate sample
(p < .001), however, departure from the null hypothesis was negligible (i.e., |R| = .94, expected value under the null = .98). Preferred/non-preferred
hand ratio scores were very highly correlated with the difference scores and consequently analyses of the ratio scores yielded
results that were comparable to those obtained for the difference scores. Results indicate that the four difference scores
or four ratio scores measure little in common and therefore cannot corroborate each other. In general, it would be prudent
to exercise considerable caution when using difference scores or ratio scores obtained from non-independent measures, either
singly or in combination. |
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