Befunde zur Reliabilität und Validität des Mottier-Tests in einer klinisch-sozialpädiatrischen Stichprobe

BACKGROUND: The Mottier-test (a test of nonword repetition) is supposed to measure phonological short-term memory and differentiation of phonemes. Although it is widely used in german-speaking countries, few data on its reliability and validity have been published. METHOD: Data were gathered under routine conditions of clinical diagnosis in a community mental health service (social pediatric center) for early diagnosis and early intervention. The Mottier-test was administered to 322 children (aged 4-15 years) diagnosed with developmental disabilities, speech and language impairments, behavior disorders, or affective disorders. In addition to ICD-10 diagnoses and socio-demographical variables, intelligence (K-ABC, SON-R 2S-7, WPPSI) and various aspects of phonological processing were assessed. Retest reliability was established for a sample of 67 children. RESULTS: Reliability coefficients ranged from .79 to .88. Correlations with all measures of phonological processing were significant (low to moderate effect sizes). The validity of the Mottier-test was supported by its differential validity for different clinical groups, children with auditory perception disorders obtaining the lowest scores. Discriminative validity compared to intelligence was mainly supported. Mottier-test scores were unrelated to IQ as measured by SON-R 2S -7 and WPSSI (german adaptation) verbal and performance scales, but correlated positively with the K-ABC mental processing scale. In regression analysis, only sequential processing - but not simultaneous processing and achievement - contributed significantly to the prediction of Mottier-test scores. CONCLUSIONS: Data on reliability and validity support the potential of the Mottier-Test to identify children who are in need of a more detailed assessment of auditory perception. However, a representative and up to date standardization of the Mottier-test is required.