Abstract:
The Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test - Revised (PPVT-R) is an individually administered, norm-referenced power test of hearing vocabulary which is available in two forms. Each form contains 5 training items followed by 175 test items arranged in order of increasing difficulty. Each item has four simple, black-and-white illustrations arranged in a multiple-choice format. The subject's task is to select the picture considered to illustrate best the meaning of a stimulus word presented orally by the examiner. The test is designed for persons 2.5 through 40 years of age who can see and hear reasonably well, and understand English to some degree. When used with native speakers of English, it can be used as a scholastic aptitude test, since vocabulary is a strong predictor of school success. In this context, it can be used as an initial screening device for pre-school children who may have high ability, low ability, or a language disorder. Testing requires only 10 to 20 minutes, because the subject must answer only about 35 to 45 items of suitable difficulty. Items which are found to be far too easy or hard during an initial probing session are not administered. Scoring, which is rapid and objective, is accomplished largely while the test is being administered. The PPVT-R was standardized nationally on a sample of 5,028 persons - 4,200 children and adolescents, and 828 adults. Raw scores are usually converted to age-referenced norms, but grade-referenced derived scores are available from the publisher upon request. Split-half reliability ranged from the .60s to the .80s and test - retest reliability ranged from the .70s to the .90s. Concurrent validity with several other vocabulary tests and subtests was assessed. Correlations with the Stanford Binet Vocabulary subtest ranged from .68-.76; with the WISC Vocabulary subtest they ranged from .37-.83; and with the WAIS Vocabulary subtest they ranged from .60-.67.