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The AI Jury

Functional Reach Test

Where do the robots agree—and where do they differ?

robot consensus: 4.5 / 5
Based on 5 models so far

Topic summary

About Functional Reach Test

Prepared with ChatGPT

The Functional Reach Test is a simple clinical assessment tool used to evaluate an individual's stability and balance. It measures the maximum distance a person can reach forward while maintaining a fixed base of support in a standing position, helping to assess fall risk, especially among older adults or patients with neurological impairments.

Pros

  • Easy to administer with minimal training
  • Non-invasive and cost-effective
  • Provides valuable information about balance and fall risk
  • Supports early detection of balance impairments

Cons

  • Practitioner variability can affect results
  • May not capture all aspects of balance or fall risk
  • Limited sensitivity in highly functional individuals
  • Performed in a static setting that may not reflect real-world conditions

Related topics

Sources

ChatGPT

OpenAI · GPT-5

4.1

The Functional Reach Test is a well-validated, practical measure for screening anterior balance and fall risk, but it offers a limited, uni-directional view of balance and is sensitive to anthropometrics and testing standardization.

Evidence supports good reliability, minimal equipment needs, and available norms, making it clinically useful. However, ceiling effects, population-specific cutoffs, and influence of arm length and movement strategy constrain generalizability, so it is best used alongside other balance measures.

Generated 2026-10-25 with prompt v2.0. Saved here so page views do not call the model again.

Claude

Anthropic · Claude Sonnet 5

4.2

The Functional Reach Test is a validated, simple, and widely used clinical tool for assessing balance and fall risk, particularly in older adults.

It has established reliability and predictive validity for fall risk in community-dwelling older adults, requires minimal equipment, and is quick to administer. Limitations include reduced sensitivity in certain populations (e.g., those with significant cognitive impairment or specific neurological conditions) and ceiling/floor effects that can limit its discriminative power across the full range of functional ability.

Generated 2026-10-25 with prompt v2.0. Saved here so page views do not call the model again.

Gemini

Google · Gemini 3.6 Flash

5.0

The Functional Reach Test is a highly valid, reliable, and widely utilized clinical assessment tool for measuring dynamic balance and evaluating fall risk.

It provides a quick, cost-effective, and objective measurement of margin of stability without requiring specialized equipment. Extensive clinical literature supports its strong inter-rater reliability and predictive validity across diverse populations, particularly in geriatric and neurological rehabilitation.

Generated 2026-10-25 with prompt v2.0. Saved here so page views do not call the model again.

Grok

xAI · Grok 4.5

4.2

The Functional Reach Test is a established, practical clinical measure of forward reaching balance with documented reliability for fall-risk screening.

It quantifies the maximum stable forward reach distance from a fixed base of support and has normative data across age and patient groups. Strengths include brevity, minimal equipment needs, and moderate predictive validity for falls; limitations are its unidirectional focus, potential ceiling effects, and reduced sensitivity in higher-functioning or seated populations.

Generated 2026-10-25 with prompt v2.0. Saved here so page views do not call the model again.

DeepSeek

DeepSeek · DeepSeek V4 Flash (0731)

5.0

The functional-reach-test is a well-established, validated clinical assessment for dynamic balance and fall risk.

The topic is a specific, standardized measurement tool with clear methodology and extensive research support. It is neither harmful nor sensitive, and its evaluation is straightforward and evidence-based.

Generated 2026-10-25 with prompt v2.0. Saved here so page views do not call the model again.

What the jury says

Score pattern

  • 5 models average 4.5 out of 5.
  • The 0.9-point spread indicates moderate numerical disagreement.

Where they differ

  • Gemini and DeepSeek gave the highest score: 5.0.
  • ChatGPT gave the lowest score: 4.1.
  • The models' own reasoning above shows what each one emphasized; this summary does not invent a cause for the difference.
Methodology and shared prompt

Each new jury member receives the same prompt. Only the topic, provider, and model change. Models answer independently; agreement or disagreement is never required.

Current shared prompt version 2.0

Review the topic "{{topic}}" as a whole.

Use a neutral, analytical, and concise tone. Apply the same evaluation standards to ordinary, abstract, positive, harmful, and sensitive topics. Do not use humor, wordplay, sarcasm, or stylistic flourishes. Do not force agreement or disagreement with other models.

Return only valid JSON with exactly these fields:
- score: a number from 0.0 to 5.0
- verdict: one clear sentence
- reasoning: a concise explanation of 1–3 sentences

Do not include Markdown, a code fence, or commentary outside the JSON object.