Early Literacy Research Library (ELRL) - Metric

Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT)

PPVT


Access: FREE/Open Access

evaluation focus

Receptive (hearing) Vocabulary Acquisition

applicable ages

Grades: K-12; 30+ months; 2.5+ years

available language(s)

English

availability

Must be purchased


summary

The Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT™) is an instrument that can be used to measure receptive (hearing) vocabulary acquisition in Standard American English of children and adults. The PPVT-4 has a variety of uses, including aiding in the monitoring language development, identifying potential delays or impairments, and informing intervention if needed.

 

The examinee’s understanding of spoken words, including a variety of content areas and parts of speech, is used to assess the examinee’s vocabulary acquisition. For a comprehensive assessment of English-speaking vocabulary, this tool can be used in conjunction with the Expressive Vocabulary Test (EVT), a measure of expressive vocabulary.

 

Items Derived from 20 Categories, Including:

  • Content: ie actions, vegetables, tools
  • Parts of Speech: ie nouns, verbs, attributes

Administration Format: examiner says a word, presents a form with four colored picture response options, and examinee responds by selecting the picture that matches the word’s meaning.

 

Administration Time: ~10-15 minutes

 

Reliability (Technical Specifications, Pearson Assessments: Resources):

    • Internal Consistency:
        • Age – Split-Half – Form A: M=0.94
        • Age – Split-Half – Form B: M=0.94
        • Age – SEM – Form A: 3.6
        • Age – SEM – Form B: 3.6
        • Grade – Split-Half – Form A: M=0.95
        • Grade – Split-Half – Form B: M=0.94
        • Grade – SEM – Form A: 3.6
        • Grade – SEM – Form B: 3.7
    • Alternate Form: M=0.89 (by age)
    • Test-Retest: M=0.93 (by age)

 

Validity (Technical Specifications, Pearson Assessments: Resources):

    • PPVT–4 Scale With the CASL:
      • Ages 3–5 years (N = 68)
        • Basic Concepts: r = .50
        • Antonyms: r = .41
        • Sentence Completion: r = .54
      • Ages 8–12 years (N = 62)
        • Synonyms: r = .65
        • Antonyms: r = .78
        • Sentence Completion: r = .63
        • Lexical/Semantic Composite: r = .79
    • PPVT–4 Scale With the CELF-4 Scale:
      • Ages 5–8 years (N = 55)
        • Core Language: r = .73
        • Receptive Language: r = .67
        • Expressive Language: r = .72
      • Ages 9–12 years (N = 56)
        • Core Language: r = .72
        • Receptive Language: r = .75
        • Expressive Language: r = .68
    • PPVT–4 Scale With the GRADE (Total Test score):
      • K, Fall (Level P, N = 50): r = .71
      • K, Spring (Level K, N = 65): r = .40
      • 1 (N = 52): r = .58
      • 2 (N = 48): r = .43
      • 3 (N = 63): r = .65
      • 4 (N = 61): r = .66
      • 6 (N = 49): r = .71
      • 8 (N = 47): r = .79
      • 10–11 (N = 52): r = .59
    • PPVT–4 Scale With the PPVT-III Scale (N = 322): Average r = .84

Available for Purchase: https://www.pearsonassessments.com/store/usassessments/en/Store/Professional-Assessments/Academic-Learning/Brief/Peabody-Picture-Vocabulary-Test-%7C-Fourth-Edition/p/100000501.html

 

Source: https://www.pearsonassessments.com/store/usassessments/en/Store/Professional-Assessments/Academic-Learning/Brief/Peabody-Picture-Vocabulary-Test-%7C-Fourth-Edition/p/100000501.html


supporting literature

Naglieri, J.A., Pfeiffer, S.I. (1983) Stability, Concurrent and Predictive Validity of the PPVT-R. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 39(6), 965-967.
PDF: PPVT – 1 – Naglieri 1983
Link: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/6662951/

Campbell, J.M., Bell, S.K., Keith, L.K. (2001) Concurrent Validity of the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-Third Edition as an Intelligence and Achievement Screener for Low African American Children. Assessment, 8(1), 85-94.
PDF: PPVT – 2 – Campbell 2001
Link: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/107319110100800108?url_ver=Z39.88-2003&rfr_id=ori:rid:crossref.org&rfr_dat=cr_pub%20%200pubmed

Castellino, S.M., Tooze, J.A., Flowers, L., Parsons, S.K. (2013) The Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test as a Pre-Screening Tool for Global Cognitive Functioning in Childhood Brain Tumor Survivors. Journal of Neurooncology, 104(2), 559-563.
PDF: PPVT – 3 – Castellino 2013
Link: https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/3681605