Evaluating a Measure of Everyday Problem Solving for Use in African Americans

• Published in: Experimental aging research Vol. 25; no. 3; pp. 209 - 221
• Main Authors: Whitfield, K E, Baker-Thomas, T, Heyward, K, Gatto, M, Williams, Y
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Philadelphia, PA Informa UK Ltd 01.07.1999; Taylor & Francis
• Subjects: Adult; African Americans - psychology; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Aging - psychology; Biological and medical sciences; Cognition; Developmental psychology; Evaluation Studies as Topic; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Problem Solving; Psychological Tests; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Psychometrics; Human; Factor analysis; Education level; Induction; Daily living; Sex; Aptitude test; Negroid; Psychometrics; Cognition; Fluent intelligence; Test reliability; Ethnic group; Test validation; Physical fitness; Reasoning; Race; Problem solving; Intellectual ability; Black American; Elderly; Age
• ISSN: 0361-073X; 1096-4657
• DOI: 10.1080/036107399243995

Results from previous research on everyday problem solving involving Caucasians suggests that it may be a useful concept in studying cognitive aging in African Americans . The purpose of this investigation was to examine : (1) the factor structure of an everyday problem solving in a sample of African Americans , (2) the internal consistency of everyday problem solving in a sample of African Americans , and (3) the relation ship of problem solving to demographic factors, physical functioning, and measures of fluid ability. The sample included subjects recruited from Baltimore , MD . The sample consisted of 249 community dwelling African - American adults with a mean age of 67 . 8 years (SD = 8.47). Variables included the Everyday Problem Solving Test (EPT), gender , age , education , physical functioning , and inductive reasoning . Everyday problem solving as a latent construct was confirmed and the split half reliability was high (.89). As in previous research , inductive reasoning and physical functioning were related to everyday problem solving abilities . We also found that certain domains of the EPT are more influ enced by demographic factors than others . Our finding suggest that the Everyday Problems Test is appropriate for use with African American samples .