What is the purpose of the stopwatch in the Symbol Search assessment?

The purpose of the stopwatch in the Symbol Search assessment is to track the time for responses as well as measure the overall duration of the test. The Symbol Search task requires individuals to quickly and accurately identify whether specific symbols are present in a group of symbols. Timing is critical in this assessment because it evaluates both the speed and accuracy of cognitive processing. The tracking of time allows for an assessment of how efficiently a child is able to perform the task, which is a vital component of interpreting the results as it can reflect aspects of attentional control and processing speed. Therefore, the stopwatch serves dual functions: it helps to manage the test duration while also emphasizing the importance of response times in understanding the child's cognitive abilities.