The validity of a computerized visual searching task as an indicator of brain damage

Goldstein, Rennick, Welch, and Shelly (1973) developed a visual searching task (VST) that succeeded in obtaining a hit rate of 94.1% correct classifications when comparing brain-damaged and normal subjects and a 79.4% hit rate when comparing brain-damaged and psychiatric subjects. Goldstein and Kyc (1978) reported 92.5% correct classifications for the brain-damaged vs. normal comparisons and 82.5% correct classifications for brain-damaged vs. schizophrenic comparisons. We computerized the administration of the VST and found 85.7% correct classifications for the brain-damaged vs. normal groups and 71.4% correct classifications for the brain-damaged vs. psychiatric group. These results suggest that the computerized VST (CVST) is also a potentially valid indicator of brain damage.