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Wechsler Memory Scale The WMS is the most widely used memory test for adults and is made up of seven subtests: Personal and Current Information, Orientation, Mental Control, Logical Memory, Memory Span, Visual Reproduction, and Associate Learning. Personal and Current Information consists of six simple questions (e. g. , How old are you? Who is the President of the United States? ). Orientation consists of five questions (e.
g. , What year is this? ). Mental Control requires the subject to count backwards from 20 to 1, recite the alphabet, and count by threes beginning with 1. Logical Memory is a measure of short-term verbal memory, in which the subject is asked to recall information from two prose passages. Memory Span is a digit recall task, and Visual Reproduction requires the subject to draw from simple geometric figures from memory after having seen them for 10 s. Associate Learning is a paired-associate learning task. Performance on the WMS varies with age, and age-based norms are available (Hulika, 1966).
Also, intelligence is highly correlated with WMS performance (Key-Colwell, 1973). In spite of these observations, only Cauthen (1977) has systematically examined the influence of intellectual functioning. In that study, the subjects were 60 years of age and older, and most lived in institutions. They were divided into four age groups (60 - 69, 70 - 69, 80 - 89, and 90 - 94). The first three age groups were further subdivided into three IQ groups (80 - 106, 107 - 118, and 119 - 140). When IQ groups were compared, the results indicated that with the exception of the Personal and Current Information subtest, performance decreased with lower IQ scores across all age groups.
In the same study, Cauthen (1977) administered the immediate and delayed versions of the Logical Memory subtest to 51 volunteers who were less than 60 years of age (ages 20 - 59 years). They were divided into age groups (20 - 29, 30 - 39, 40 - 49, and 50 - 59) and IQ groups (100 - 106, 107 - 118, 119 - 135). No age-related differences in performance were found. However, recall of the second passage of the Logical Memory subtest in both the immediate and delayed conditions was better for those with higher IQs. Russell (1975) produced a revision of the WMS that uses only the Visual Reproduction and Logical Memory subtests and includes the repetition of these two subtests after a 30 -min delay. However, there are no data on how individuals with different IQs perform on the delays.
Finally, as previously noted, the WMS and the RWMS include a measure of visual memory. The task requires the subject to draw figures from memory, but in neither version is the individual required to copy the figures. It is conceivable that a subjects poor performance on the visual memory task may be a function of deficient graphomotor skills rather than of a memory deficit. Therefore, a copying task was included in the present study. In addition, subjects were administered a visual recognition test based on the Visual Reproduction subtest. This is important because information is not stored in memory on an all-or-none basis (Butters & Miliotis, 1979).
Hence, by comparing a subjects performance on design reproduction, which is a free recall task, with that on recognition, which is a cued task, one may obtain information that could be helpful in identifying the nature of a deficit. As previously noted, the RWMS (Russell, 1975) involved adding a 30 -rain delay condition for the Logical Memory and Visual Reproduction sub-tests. The RWMS yields a total of six scores: Logical Memory-immediate recall, Logical Memory-delayed recall, Logical Memory-percent retained, Visual Reproduction-immediate recall, Visual Reproduction-delayed recall, and Visual Reproduction-percent retained. The immediate and delayed recall scores of the Logical Memory and Visual Reproduction subtests were computed in the same manner as those of the respective WMS subtests. The percent retained scores were obtained by dividing the delayed recall scores by the immediate recall scores. The results underscore the importance of considering IQ when interpreting WMS and RWMS results.
Significant F ratios were found on all dependent measures except the Orientation subtest, indicating a positive relationship between intellectual ability and subtest performance. The results support those of Cauthen (1977), who examined the scores of a sample of older individuals. He reported that, with the exception of Information scores, performance improved with intelligence. With respect to the Information subtest, his findings and this studys Orientation subtest results, neither of which varied with intelligence, may be explained by differences among the subjects in the two studies. Cauthen's subjects were older, and he used a more restricted range of intelligence (IQ, 106 - 135). With the exception of the Orientation subtest, the scores of the MR subjects were consistently lower than those of the higher IQ groups.
Also, the higher IQ groups did not differ on the following subtests, Information, Orientation, Logical Memory-percent retained, and Visual Reproduction-per-cent retained and Copy. The absence of group differences among the percent-retained scores may be explained by the fact that those scores are ratios based on performance on the immediate and delayed recall procedures. The remaining measures, Information, Orientation, and Copy, are fairly simple procedures requiring less ability than the other subtests. These results are consistent with those of Seidenberg et al. (1983), who found that, among a sample of children, IQ affected performance on tasks that required higher degrees of problem-solving skills and efficiency; intellectual ability did not influence scores on simpler tasks.
This study provides initial data on the Recognition and Copy procedures. The two subtests take a very short time to administer and may provide diagnostically useful information. For example, if an individual does poorly on the Visual Reproduction subtest but receives high Recognition and Copy scores, a retrieval problem may be indicated. In addition, an individuals Copy scores can be compared with Visual Reproduction performance.
Poor performance on both subtests may suggest vasomotor or visuospatial impairment, which must be ruled out before any hypotheses can be tested about visual memory. As previously noted, the size of the IQ-MQ discrepancy was quite marked in the borderline, low average, and average groups but decreased in the high average and superior groups. Also, the discrepancies were in a negative direction; that is, with the exception of the mentally retarded group, MQ was larger than IQ in all groups. Wechsler (1945) constructed MQ to be comparable to IQ, and in a review article, Prigatano (1978) reported that IQ minus MQ discrepancy scores greater than 12 may indicate short-term memory deficits. Lezak (1983) criticized the use of MQ scores on the grounds that (a) MQ is based on the assumption that memory is a uni-dimensional function, (b) it includes such factors as personal orientation and drawing skills in a formula that addresses the status of an individuals memory, and (c) MQ is insensitive to patterns of memory deficits that may occur in neurological conditions. Despite these criticisms, MQ and MQ-minus-IQ scores continue to be reported in the literature (e.
g. , Solomon, Greene, Farr, & Kelly, 1986) and used in clinical practice. Several possible explanations may account for the IQ-MQ discrepancy. Specifically, previous researchers used the WAIS (Wechsler, 1945) to compute IQ. In the present study, IQ was measured using the S-M WAIS-R. Wechsler (1981) found the WAIS full-scale IQs of a sample of average subjects to be approximately 8 points higher than WAIS-R full-scale scores for the same group. In summary, the results underscore the importance of considering IQ when interpreting WMS and RWMS results.
Scores increased with IQ and reached a plateau among the higher IQ groups; moreover, striking group differences emerged on the complex subtests. The results also support the contention that interpretation of WMS performance is facilitated by a subtest analysis. Bibliography: Hulika, I. M. (1966).
Age differences in Wechsler Memory Scale scores. Journal of Genetic Psychology, 109, 135 - 145. Cauthen, N. R. (1977). Extension of the Wechsler Memory Scale norms to older age groups. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 33, 208 - 211.
Lezak, M. D. (1983). Neuropsychological assessment (2 nd Ed. ). New York: Oxford. Solomon, G. W. , Greene, R.
L. , Farr, S. P. , & Kelly, M. P. (1986). Relationships among Wechsler Intelligence and Memory Scale quotients in adult closed head injured patients. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 42, 318 - 323.
Prigatano, G. P. (1978). Wechsler Memory Scale: A selective review of the literature. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 34, 816 - 832. Seidenberg, M. , Giordani, B. , Been, S. , & Boll, T. (1983). IQ level and performance on the Halstead-Reiten Neuropsychological Test Battery for Older Children.
Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 51, 406 - 413. Russell, E. W. (1975). A multiple scoring method for the assessment of complex memory functions. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 43, 800 - 809. Butters, N. , & Miliotis, J. (1979).
Amnesic disorders. In K. M. Heilman & E. Valenstein (Eds. ), Clinical neuropsychology (2 nd ed. , pp. 403 - 452). New York: Oxford.
Wechsler, D. (1945). A standardized memory scale for clinical use. Journal of Psychology, 19, 87 - 95. Wechsler, D. (1974). Manual for the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised. New York: Psychological Corporation.
Wechsler, D. (1981). Manual for the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised. New York: Psychological Corporation.
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