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Age Equivalent

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Encyclopedia of Child Behavior and Development

Synonyms

Age equivalent score; Age score; Developmental norms; Norm-referenced scores; Phylogenetic equivalents; Relative performance indexes

Definition

Age Equivalent is the individual's ability; skill, knowledge, or measurement expressed as the age at which most individuals reach the same level (age norm). The Age Norm is the average score of a particular test completed by children of a given chronological age.

For example, the mental age norm of a 6-year old female is determined by collecting a sample of 6-year old female children’s mental abilities, then calculating that average cognitive function as the age norm. This average mental function is the age norm for that group. The cognitive function equivalent of the 6-year-old female will then be compared against this age norm.

Description

Age Equivalents are not only used in intelligence measurement, but also physical development such as physical growth (i.e., height and weight, verbal quantity and quality) and motor skills. There...

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References

  1. DeVaus, D. A. (2001). Research Design in Social Research. Thousand Oaks: Sage.

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  2. Hishinuma, E., & Tadaki, S. (1997). The problem with grade and age equivalents: What is a case in point. Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment, 15, 214–225.

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  3. Hurlock, E. (1975). Growth and Decline. Developmental Psychology (4th ed., pp. 5–15). New York: McGraw Hill.

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  4. Radichel, T., & Chen, T. (2003). Insights from AGS Publishing Development Age and Grade Equivalents-Truly Equivalent? Clinical Café, February 2003.

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  5. Subbaiah, Pon. Evaluation and Testing; an Introduction to Terminology Viewed on website, http://www.ciil-ebooks.net/html/test/index.htm on June 16, 2008.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Texas, San Antonio, TX, USA

    Laura Tinsley

Authors
  1. Laura Tinsley
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Neurology, Learning and Behavior Center, 230 South 500 East, Suite 100, Salt Lake City, Utah, 84102, USA

    Sam Goldstein Ph.D.

  2. Department of Psychology MS 2C6, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, 22030, USA

    Jack A. Naglieri Ph.D. (Professor of Psychology) (Professor of Psychology)

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© 2011 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC

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Tinsley, L. (2011). Age Equivalent. In: Goldstein, S., Naglieri, J.A. (eds) Encyclopedia of Child Behavior and Development. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-79061-9_76

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-79061-9_76

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-0-387-77579-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-0-387-79061-9

  • eBook Packages: Behavioral Science

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