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An examination of the validity of the orrisby Manual Dexterity Test
Author(s) -
Maiden Debra,
Dyson Maree
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
australian occupational therapy journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.595
H-Index - 44
eISSN - 1440-1630
pISSN - 0045-0766
DOI - 10.1111/j.1440-1630.1997.tb00772.x
Subject(s) - test (biology) , percentile , psychology , construct validity , reliability (semiconductor) , normative , percentile rank , physical therapy , statistics , psychometrics , medicine , developmental psychology , mathematics , paleontology , power (physics) , physics , philosophy , epistemology , quantum mechanics , biology
This study examines the validity of the Morrisby Manual Dexterity Test (MMDT) to ascertain its effectiveness as a measure of hand function, within a broader Work Capacity Evaluation. This test was developed by the Morrisby Organization of the Educational and Industrial Test Services Ltd, London, in 1966. The MMDT, which aims to measure manual speed and manual skill, was tested on 15 subjects with normal function and 10 subjects known to have disabilities affecting the hands. The scores obtained were compared with results from two other commonly used hand function tests (Purdue Peg Board and Minnesota Rate of Manipulation Test). Subtests of all three tests were appropriately matched so that comparisons were meaningful. The scores from 11 subtests were related to normative data and a percentile score was established. The data were statistically analysed using Pearson correlation coefficients to examine the relationship between performance on the MMDT and the comparison tests. The scores of subjects with normal hand function and subjects with known impairment of hand function were compared on all variables. Construct validity was assessed by using the t ‐test to determine whether the MMDT discriminates between the two groups. To ascertain test reliability, test‐retest scores of the MMDT manual speed and manual skill tests were compared. The findings suggest that the MMDT is a reliable but not a valid test instrument and is of questionable value in predicting hand function performance, particularly in relation to manual skill.