Evaluating a measure of everyday problem solving for use in African Americans

Results from previous research on everyday problem solving involving Caucas ians suggests that it may be a useful concept in studying cognitive aging i n African Americans. The purpose of this investigation was to examine: (1) the factor structure of an everyday problem solving in a sample of African Americans, (2) the internal consistency of everyday-problem solving in a sa mple of African Americans, and (3) the relationship of problem solving to d emographic factors, physical functioning, and measures of fluid ability. Th e sample included subjects recruited from Baltimore, MD. The sample consist ed of 249 community dwelling African-American adults with a mean age of 67. 8 years (SD = 8.47). Variables included the Everyday Problem Solving Test ( EPT), gender, age, education, physical functioning, and inductive reasoning . Everyday problem solving as a latent construct was confirmed and the spli t half reliability was high (.89). As in previous reseal ch, inductive reas oning and physical functioning were related to everyday problem solving abi lities. We also found that certain domains of the EPT are more influenced b y demographic factors than others. Our finding suggest that the Everyday Pr oblems Test is appropriate for use with African American samples.