Measuring cognitive flexibility in anorexia nervosa: Wisconsin Card Sorting Test versus cued task-switching

PURPOSE: The Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) is the most common measure of cognitive flexibility in anorexia nervosa (AN), but task-switching paradigms are beginning to be utilized. The current study directly compared performance on a cued task-switching measure and the WCST to evaluate their association in participants with a lifetime diagnosis of AN, and to assess which measure is more strongly associated with clinical symptoms. METHODS: Forty-five women with a lifetime diagnosis of AN completed the WCST, cued color-shape task-switching paradigm, Anti-saccade Keyboard Task, Running Memory Span, Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire, Depression Anxiety Stress Scales short form and Eating Disorder Flexibility Index. RESULTS: There was no evidence of a significant association between WCST perseverative errors and cued task-switching switch costs. Results suggest lower working memory capacity is a determinant of higher perseverative error rate. When controlling for mood variables, neither cognitive flexibility measure was a significant independent predictor of symptom severity. CONCLUSIONS: Results provide support for previous suggestions that WCST perseverative errors could occur due to difficulties with working memory, sensitivity to feedback, and issues with concept formation. Cued task-switching paradigms may provide a useful measure of cognitive flexibility for future eating disorders research by reducing task-specific confounds. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III Case–control analytic study. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40519-023-01589-6.