Linguistic Fairness And Differential Validity Of The Auditory Wordlist Learning Test (Awlt) In Dementia Of The Alzheimer'S Type

The Auditory Wordlist Learning Test (AWLT) is part of the test set Cognitive Functions Dementia (CFD) of the Vienna Test System ('ITS). The AWLT was developed along neurolinguistic criteria to prevent interactions between the cognitive status of the test-persons and the linguistic characteristics of the learning list. Using data from a sample of healthy persons (N = 44) and persons with Alzheimer's dementia (N = 44) who were matched for age, education, and sex, we investigated with ANOVAs for repeated measures whether this aim of the test construction was met. We found interactions of small effect size between linguistic variables and the diagnosis. The AWLT's main variables differentiated with large effect sizes between the groups. The AWLT seems to be linguistically fairer and equally valid compared with similar instruments.