Technology and everyday functioning in people with intellectual disabilities: a Rasch analysis of the Everyday Technology Use Questionnaire (ETUQ).
The 46-item ETUQ is a quick, valid way to measure how hard everyday tech feels for adults with ID.
01Research in Context
What this study did
The team shortened the Everyday Technology Use Questionnaire. They wanted a quick way to measure how hard adults with intellectual disabilities find everyday tech.
They used Rasch math to cut the test from many items to 46. The study checked if the short form still gave clear scores.
What they found
The 46-item version worked. It kept the good fit and clear scoring of the long form.
Adults with ID could answer the items. The scores showed who found tech easy and who found it hard.
How this fits with other research
Lee et al. (2010) used the same Rasch method to shorten two physical-activity scales for adults with ID. Both studies show Rasch can trim long forms without losing quality.
Davis et al. (2009) tried the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale in the same group and found weak scores. That paper warns that not every self-report tool works in ID. The ETUQ success gives a rare positive example.
Foti et al. (2015) later taught adults with ID to email on three devices. Their skill gains pair well with the ETUQ: you can now measure tech difficulty before and after teaching.
Why it matters
You now have a 46-item tool that takes ten minutes and gives a clear number. Use it at intake to spot which tech tasks feel hardest. Match those scores with teaching programs like the email lessons shown in Foti et al. (2015). Re-test after training to show progress in your data sheet.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
BACKGROUND: As people with intellectual disabilities (ID) today live integrated in society and use different technological artefacts and services in their everyday life, more in-depth evaluation methods are crucial to detect strengths and limitations of their everyday technology use. The Everyday Technology Use Questionnaire (ETUQ) was originally designed to investigate the extent to which older adults with cognitive limitations can use the everyday technology that is of relevance to them. The purpose of this study was to explore and evaluate evidence of the validity of ETUQ among adult persons with ID. METHODS: The original 93-item ETUQ was used to interview 120 adult participants with ID, recruited from a region in northern Sweden. A Rasch model was used to analyse the psychometric properties of the rating scale, scale validity, person response validity and person separation. RESULTS: The ETUQ rating scale displayed sound psychometric properties when used with this sample. The goodness-of-fit statistics showed that 15 (16%) of the 93 items demonstrated higher values than expected. A step-by-step removal process of items not demonstrating fit to the model resulted in an ETUQ version with 46 items (49%) that met all the criteria for scale validity. Fifteen participants (12%), primarily with mild ID, still demonstrated a higher number of unexpected responses included in ETUQ. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study indicate that the ETUQ generates a valid measure of perceived difficulty in using everyday technology including adult persons with ID.
Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDR, 2011 · doi:10.1111/j.1365-2788.2011.01419.x