Psychometric characteristics of the memory for intentions screening test

Abstract

The construct of prospective memory (ProM), or "remembering to remember," is hypothesized to play a critical role in normal activities of daily living and has increasingly been the focus of clinical research over the past 10 years. However, the assessment of ProM as part of routine clinical care is presently hampered by the paucity of psychometrically sound, validated ProM tests available in the neuropsychological literature. The Memory for Intentions Screening Test (MIST; Raskin, 2004) is a user-friendly, comprehensive measure of ProM that demonstrates preliminary evidence of construct validity. Extending this research, this study evaluated the psychometric characteristics of the MIST in a sample of 67 healthy adults. Despite a mildly restricted range of scores, results revealed excellent inter-rater reliability, adequate split-half reliability, and satisfactory inter-relationships between the MIST summary score, subscales, and error types. Analysis of demographic correlates showed that the MIST was independently associated with both age and education, but not with sex or ethnicity. These findings broadly support the psychometric properties of the MIST, specifically its reliability and expected relationships with demographic characteristics. Recommendations are provided regarding future research to enhance the clinical usefulness of the MIST.