ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To generate normative data for the Verbal Fluency Test (VFT) and the Boston Naming Test (BNT) in the Costa Rican population. METHOD: The sample consisted of 563 healthy older people (aged 59-90 years). Polynomial multiple regression analyses were run to evaluate the effects of the age, sex, and education variables on VFT and BNT scores. RESULTS: The results showed a significant linear effect of education on the four-letter VF scores and an effect of sex on the letter P score, with females performing better than males. The explained variance ranged from 20.9% to 28.3%. A linear effect of age and education was also found for the four semantic VF scores, with scores decreasing with increasing age and lower education. The sex variable was significant for all semantic categories, with females performing better than males except in the animal category. The explained variance ranged from 21.7% to 30.9%. In the BNT, a linear effect of education was found, so that the more education, the better the score. In addition, a sex effect was also found, with males having higher scores than females. The predictors of the model explained 9.6% of the variance. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study that generates normative data for the VF and BNT in the Costa Rican population over 59 years of age based on demographic variables. The use of these normative data will help clinicians in Costa Rica to better understand language functioning in the elderly, allowing for better classification and diagnosis in the future.
ABSTRACT
Resumen Durante la pandemia por COVID-19, el sistema educativo costarricense ha adaptado las clases a una modalidad virtual; además, hay evidencia de brechas tecnológicas, digitales y educativas entre la población estudiantil. El objetivo del presente estudio fue identificar las características sociodemográficas, psicosociales, tecnológicas y digitales asociadas al nivel de satisfacción de adolescentes en Costa Rica con las clases virtuales durante la pandemia. Se empleó un diseño transversal y se aplicó un cuestionario en línea a adolescentes de entre 14 y 18 años (n = 128, 63.3% mujeres, Medad = 16.2, DEedad = 0.593) de colegios públicos y privados. Se encontró que solo el apoyo percibido, la autoeficacia hacia las clases virtuales y el nivel socioeconómico (NSE) se correlacionan significativamente (de forma positiva) con la satisfacción con las clases virtuales. Además, se halló que un modelo que explica la variabilidad en la satisfacción a partir del apoyo percibido y la autoeficacia hacia las clases virtuales es mejor que uno que también incluya el NSE como variable predictora. Los resultados muestran indicios sobre la forma de hacer más satisfactoria la experiencia de las personas adolescentes en el contexto de clases virtuales.
Abstract During the COVID-19 pandemic the Costa Rican educational system has adapted classes to a virtual model; fur- thermore, evidence has supported the existence of technological, digital, and educational gaps among students. The aim of the present study is to identify sociodemographic, psychosocial, technological, and digital characteristics associated with the adolescents' satisfaction with virtual classes during the pandemic. Using a cross-sectional design, an online questionnaire was filled out by 14- to 18-year-old adolescents (n = 128, 63.3% girls, Mage = 16.2, SDage = 0.593) from public and private high schools. Results showed that only perceived support, self-efficacy, and socioeconomic status (SES) were significantly (positively) correlated with satisfaction with virtual classes. Also, it was found that a model that accounts for satisfaction in terms of perceived support and self-efficacy is better than one that includes SES as another explanatory variable. These results show some insights for making virtual learning a more satisfying experience for adolescents.
