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Dhruvi M Mehta, Jennifer L Thompson Kamar, Troy A Webber, Romeo Penheiro, Natalie C Ridgely, David Andrés González, Steven Paul Woods, A preliminary examination of the psychometrics and cognitive correlates of an abbreviated version of the verbal naming test administered via telephone, Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology, Volume 41, Issue 4, June 2026, acag039, https://doi.org/10.1093/arclin/acag039
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Abstract
Confrontational naming is an important part of many neuropsychological evaluations. Yet, data on the feasibility and psychometric properties of telephone-based confrontational verbal naming tests (VNTs) are quite limited. The current study conducted a preliminary, exploratory examination of the psychometrics and correlates of an abbreviated version of the 50-item VNT administered via telephone.
Participants were 220 healthy adults, including 110 younger adults (ages 18–35) and 110 middle-aged to older adults (ages 50–85). Participants completed a 15-item version of the VNT as part of a broader telephone-based cognitive battery.
Confirmatory factor analysis suggested support for a 12-item model of the VNT (VNT-T12) with acceptable fit. VNT-T12 scores were negatively skewed and demonstrated good internal consistency. A quantile regression predicting VNT-T12 from domain-level cognitive variables showed that executive functions (e.g., verbal fluency) and fund of verbal knowledge were significantly and positively associated with VNT-T12 scores at most percentile ranges. The VNT-T12 scores were also significantly associated with race/ethnicity and English as a second language at higher quantiles of performance. Demographically-adjusted coefficients and an associated calculator are provided as a normative resource.
Findings provide mixed and preliminary support for the feasibility, psychometrics, and validity of a 12-item VNT administered via telephone. Future research on the psychometrics and validity of the VNT-T12 is warranted in samples with lower levels of education and in clinical populations.