Graduation Date
5-2018
Document Type
Master's Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science in Occupational Therapy
Department or Program
Occupational Therapy
Department or Program Chair
Julia Wilbarger PhD, OTR/L
First Reader
Kitsum Li, OTD, OTR/L, CSRS
Second Reader
Shad St. Louis, MS, OTR/L
Abstract
Older adults are at a significantly increased risk of being involved in motor vehicle accidents. Evidence reveals that visual processing speed decreases with age, which may impact driving. The Motor-Free Visual Perception Test- Third Edition (MVPT-3) is used as a pre-driving assessment and has an age-normed Response Time Index that measures visual processing speed. In 2015, a new version, the new Motor-Free Visual Perception Test- Fourth Edition (MVPT-4), was published. The new MVPT-4 does not yet demonstrate its utility in measuring visual processing speed. The purpose of this study was to explore if differences in visual processing speed between younger adults ages 20-35 years and older adults ages 70 years and older could be detected using the new MVPT-4. Results revealed a significant difference between older and younger adults’ time to complete the MVPT-4 (p