Victoria Computerized Adaptation of the
Children's Paced Auditory Serial Addition Task
(ChiPASAT)

Based on the original ChiPASAT by
David A. Johnson, Karen Roethig-Johnson, and Judith Middleton

Adapted by Robert J. McInerney

Purpose and Description

The Children's Paced Auditory Serial Addition Task (ChiPASAT) is a serial-addition task used to assess rate of information processing, sustained attention, and working memory. It was developed as a downward extension of the adult version (the PASAT), which was developed in New Zealand in the 1970s by Dorothy Gronwall and colleagues (Gronwall & Sampson, 1974; Gronwall & Wrightson, 1974; Gronwall, 1977). Their research interests involved comparing attentional abilities between persons who had sustained a concussion and uninjured controls. Gronwall and colleagues demonstrated that persons seemingly fully recovered from a concussion could show deficits when their brain was put under sufficient stress.

Like the original audio cassette version of the ChiPASAT, this computerized adaptation delivers a pseudorandom series of 61 numbers from 1 to 5. The child is instructed to add the numbers in pairs, such that each number is added to the one before it. In other words, the second number is added to the first, the third to the second, the fourth to the third, and so on.

The ChiPASAT is suitable for children 8-15 years old. It uses smaller numbers than the adult PASAT; the sum of any number pair is 10 or less. The ChiPASAT takes about 20 minutes to administer if all five trials are given.

How Does the Computerized ChiPASAT Work?

The computerized ChiPASAT delivers number sequences through your computer's speakers, similar to how the standard audiocassette version delivers numbers through the speakers of a cassette player. The computerized ChiPASAT does not record participants' responses. A trained examiner must still manually record responses as they are made, using the printable PDF record form.

How Accurate is the Timing?

The computerized ChiPASAT uses individual audio data files delivered with millisecond precision. This version is not simply a computerized recording of the audiocassette version.

Has It Been Normed?

No. The normative data used in this program are those published by the authors of the original audio cassette version of the ChiPASAT (Johnson, Roethig-Johnston, & Middleton, 1988). The data were obtained from 315 normal school children sampled from London, England.

This computerized adaptation has not been normed. However, research suggests that the mode of presentation (audio cassette versus computer) does not significantly affect test performance. For example, in a sample of 60 undergraduate students, McInerney, Strauss and Wilde (2003 - unpublished raw data) found that a computerized adaptation of the PASAT and Gronwall's audio cassette version produced equivalent results. Further, in the same sample, the computerized PASAT produced results that were equivalent to Stuss et al.'s (1988) normative data, which were obtained from an audio cassette version of the PASAT. Finally, Wingenfeld, Holdwick, Davis, and Hunter (1999) found in a sample of 168 college students that performance on a computerized version of the PASAT did not differ significantly from published normative data for audio cassette versions.

These research findings suggest that this computerized version will likely yield results equivalent to the audio cassette version on which it is based, and that Johnson et al.'s (1988) normative data are suitable for this computerized adaptation.

What Does it Sound Like?

Click here to download a sample audio clip (337 KB). Please note that this sample is not representative of the computerized ChiPASAT's timing accuracy.

Program Features

• North American accent (female voice)
• Unlimited program usages
• Unlimited printable PDF scoring protocols
• Scoring module calculates percentiles from raw scores
• Built-in administration instructions
• Free program updates
• Never wears out (compared to cassette versions, which are subject to tape stretch and reduced timing accuracy)

Screenshots

Important Installation Information

When first installed, the ChiPASAT allows you to play only the Introductory trials (one demonstration and two practice trials). The test trials, the scoring module, and the record form are disabled. This is a security feature to prevent unauthorized copying and distribution, and to maintain the integrity and security of the ChiPASAT as a neuropsychological test.

To unlock the ChiPASAT's full functionality, the program must be activated with an Activation Code. The Activation Code is sent to you upon receipt of: (1) payment; and (2) a License Code, which is obtained from the ChiPASAT after it is installed. Please see the ChiPASAT's help file for further information.

The ChiPASAT will operate only on the computer on which it was activated. It will not operate on other computers. To run the ChiPASAT on other computers, you must purchase additional Activation Codes specifically for those computers. These are available to licensed users at a reduced fee.

System Requirements

The ChiPASAT requires Windows XP, 7, 10, or 11. It will not run on a smartphone, tablet, or Mac.

Pricing and Purchase

Initial purchase: $199.00 CAD

Additional copies: $99.00 CAD (licensed users only)

Please contact me if you have any questions about the test or if you would like to buy it.

Download

The ChiPASAT installation package includes the following:

• ChiPASAT program
• Scoring module
• Printable PDF record form
• Help file