Best Practices and Methodological Strategies for Addressing Generalizability in Neuropsychological Assessment

J Pediatr Neuropsychol. 2023;9(2):47-63. doi: 10.1007/s40817-023-00145-5. Epub 2023 May 13.

Abstract

Generalizability considerations are widely discussed and a core foundation for understanding when and why treatment effects will replicate across sample demographics. However, guidelines on assessing and reporting generalizability-related factors differ across fields and are inconsistently applied. This paper synthesizes obstacles and best practices to apply recent work on measurement and sample diversity. We present a brief history of how knowledge in psychology has been constructed, with implications for who has been historically prioritized in research. We then review how generalizability remains a contemporary threat to neuropsychological assessment and outline best practices for researchers and clinical neuropsychologists. In doing so, we provide concrete tools to evaluate whether a given assessment is generalizable across populations and assist researchers in effectively testing and reporting treatment differences across sample demographics.

Keywords: Cultural competency; Generalizability; Neuropsychological assessment; Sample demographics.

Publication types

  • Review