Assessing Bias in Cognitive Testing for Older Adults with Sensory Impairment: An Analysis of Differential Item Functioning in the Baltimore Longitudinal Study on Aging (BLSA) and the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Neurocognitive Study (ARIC-NCS).
Emma NicholsJ A DealB K SwenorA G AbrahamNicole M ArmstrongM C CarlsonM GriswoldF R LinT H MosleyP Y RamuluN S ReedS M ResnickA R SharrettA L GrossPublished in: Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society : JINS (2021)
DIF by sensory impairment in cognitive tests was independent of administration characteristics, which could indicate that elevated cognitive load among persons with sensory impairment plays a larger role in test performance than previously acknowledged. While these results were unexpected, neither of these samples are nationally representative and each has unique selection factors; thus, replication is critical.