Developing and validating an abbreviated adult reading history questionnaire in the Finnish and Dutch contexts
Abstract
Background
The adult reading history questionnaire (ARHQ) is frequently used in research on adult dyslexia and family risk for dyslexia. However, this measure is lengthy (23 items), reducing its applicability in studies with extensive assessment batteries.
Methods
We identified the best-performing ARHQ items in a sample of 396 Finnish adults using exploratory factor analysis and item response theory. Consequently, we validated the brief questionnaire in independent Finnish and Dutch samples by comparing its performance with that of the complete questionnaire. We also evaluated how the scores on the questionnaires related to the scores on direct adult reading assessments in the Finnish samples. Finally, we tested how predictive parental questionnaires were of children's skills in the Dutch and one of the Finnish samples.
Results
Five items were selected to construct the short version of ARHQ. All of them relate to childhood/adolescent reading difficulties rather than current adult skills. The scores of the complete ARHQ significantly correlated with those of the abbreviated version in all samples. Moreover, in one of the samples, direct reading assessment scores had a stronger correlation with the short ARHQ than with the full version. Additionally, across all three samples parental scores on the short ARHQ were at least as predictive of children's reading skills as the complete ARHQ.
Conclusions
The short ARHQ proved to be on a par with the complete version in its usefulness for identifying adults with dyslexia. Future research should investigate whether the five selected items can effectively serve as a brief screening measure for adults with dyslexia in languages other than Finnish and Dutch.
Main Authors
Format
Articles
Research article
Published
2024
Series
Subjects
Publication in research information system
Publisher
Wiley-Blackwell
The permanent address of the publication
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:jyu-202401251534Use this for linking
Review status
Peer reviewed
ISSN
0141-0423
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9817.12445
Language
English
Published in
Journal of Research in Reading
Citation
- Khanolainen, D., Verwimp, C., Tijms, J., Tolvanen, A., Salminen, J., & Torppa, M. (2024). Developing and validating an abbreviated adult reading history questionnaire in the Finnish and Dutch contexts. Journal of Research in Reading, Early View. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9817.12445
Funder(s)
European Commission
Research Council of Finland
European Commission
Funding program(s)
ERC Consolidator Grant
Tutkijatohtori, SA
MSCA Innovative Training Networks (ITN)
ERC Consolidator Grant
Postdoctoral Researcher, AoF
MSCA Innovative Training Networks (ITN)



Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.
Additional information about funding
This work was supported by (1) the European Union’sHorizon 2020 research and innovation programme Neo-PRISM-C under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement no. 813546; by (2) the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (grant agreement no. 101002966); and by (3) the Academy of Finland (no. 308070).
Copyright© 2024 The Authors. Journal of Research in Reading published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of United Kingdom Literacy Association.