Procedures for successful data collection through psychological tests in the elderly

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"Drawing on the experience of sampling and assessing thousands of elders, who dwell both in rural and urban areas, from all socio-economic strata, we present data collection procedures recommended to assess elderly populations. Based on International Test Commission’s Guidelines (2010) for test translation and adaptation, we propose the administration of psychological tests to older adults in an interview format arguing that it is better suited for such population. We provide and discuss practical examples and common problems of data collection regarding: the need of adapting the translation to make cultural and psychological sense; the lack of familiarity of most elders with the psychological assessment setting and process; and, ethical concerns for this specifi c population. Keywords: Elderly, psychological assessment, protocol adaptation, International Test Commission, illiteracy."

"Baseados na experiência de seleção e avaliação de milhares de idosos residentes em meio rural e urbano, pertencentes aos diversos estratos socioeconómicos, apresentamos procedimentos de recolha de dados recomendáveis para esta população. Considerando as diretrizes de tradução e adaptação de testes da International Test Commission (2010), propomos a administração de testes psicológicos a idosos sob a forma de entrevista, argumentando que esta é a forma mais adequada. Apresentamos e discutimos exemplos práticos e problemas comuns relativos à recolha de dados, considerando: a necessidade de nas traduções ser atendido o significado cultural e psicológico; a falta de familiaridade da maioria dos idosos com o cenário e o processo de avaliação psicológica; e, aspetos éticos vis-à-vis esta população."