The Assessment of Different Types of Attention in Children Using a Computerized Test Battery

Abstract

We designed a computerized test battery that was used to assess sustained, selective and divided attention in children aged 8 vs. 9 years. A group of children aged 8.34 ± 0.48 years (n = 30, 14 male, 16 female) and a group of children aged 9.33 ± 0.51 years (n = 42, 21 male, 21 female) participated in the study. The test battery included one simple reaction time task, two divided attention tasks, two sustained attention tasks, and one selective attention task. The analysis of task performance revealed age-related difference in the efficiency of sustained attention: the reactions of 9-year-old children to target stimuli were significantly faster than the reactions of 8-year-old children. The computerized battery showed sensitivity to different aspects of attention and might become a useful tool for the neuropsychological assessment of attention in children with and without developmental disorders.