C-17Expanding the Measurement of Abstract Reasoning on the D-KEFS 20 Questions Test (2024)

Objective: The 20 Questions Test (20Q) from the Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System (D-KEFS) was designed to assess abstract reasoning and concept formation. The primary variables generated from the test-Weighted Achievement (WAch), Initial Abstraction (Abs), and Total Questions (TQ)-describe the efficiency with which an individual approaches the test, but may still be suboptimal. It was hypothesized that the better measure of abstract reasoning on this test would be to examine the degree to which every question reflects an abstract plan. Method: A fixed protocol assessing a broad range of neuropsychological constructs was administered to 113 veterans referred for Polytrauma/TBI evaluation who passed performance validity testing. A Total Abstraction Score (TABS) was calculated for all participants. Intercorrelations among 20Q variables were calculated. Linear regression, with an executive domain score (mean T-score of Trail Making Test B, Digit Span backward, and Verbal Fluency) as the dependent variable, was conducted to compare the relative variance contributed by Abs and WA with that contributed by TABS. Results: TABS correlated significantly but not completely with Abs, r = .61; WA, r = .54; and TQ, r = −.54, all p < .001. In a linear regression, TABS, p = .036, was a stronger predictor of executive functioning performance than Abs, p = .524; F(2,110) = 5.21, R² = .09, p = .007. Likewise, TABS, p = .044, contributed a greater proportion of variance than WA, p = .244; F(2,110) = 5.73, R² = .09, p = .004. Conclusion: TABS, an expanded measure of abstract reasoning on the D-KEFS 20 Questions Test, is uniquely related to external measures of executive functioning.

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