Psychometric Considerations of the Attention Network Test

Abstract

<p>It has been suggested that the human attention system is subdivided into three functionally and anatomically independent networks-the alerting network, the orienting network, and the executive control network. The Attention Network Test (ANT) aims to provide a quick, easy and intuitive tool for measuring the efficiency of these three networks. The ANT, first described in 2001, has become popular in the neuropsychological literature, with some form of the task currently appearing in no less than 65 original research papers. Although several general reviews of the ANT exist, an analysis of the psychometric properties of the ANT is lacking. The present study analyzed the reliability, variance structure, distribution shape, and independence of the three attention network measures provided by the ANT using a multi-study approach with a large sample (N=1129). The findings suggest caution is needed in the collection, analysis, and interpretation of ANT data</p>