A comparison of Turkish and Anglo-American normative data on the Wechsler memory scale

Abstract

This study compared the performance of 200 Turkish adults, divided by educational status and age (20‐39; 40‐59), with published data based upon similar‐aged American and British normative samples. Results highlighted the major influence of educational background in determining performance on the WMS and the implications of this effect in interpreting normative performance.

Normative Indicators for Xhosa Speaking Unskilled Workers on the Wechsler Memory Scale Associate Learning and Visual Reproduction Subtests

“…In terms of educational effects, while it is known that level of education tends to impact to a greater degree on language than on visuographic tests, it is yet influential on both of these functional modalities as has been demonstrated on cognitive tests generally (Lezak et al, 2004;Mitrushina et al, 2005), as well as specifically in respect of the targeted Associate Learning and Visual Reproduction subtests on the Wechsler Memory Scale (Gilleard & Gilleard, 1989;Lezak, 1983). In particular, for both the Associate Learning 'easy' and 'hard' pairs, it has been shown that participants with a higher level of education outperform those with lower levels of education (Ivnik et al, 1992).…”

“…Further, it is noteworthy that the score of 12.63 for the present study is lower than the obtained scores of around 15 to 16 for the Kear-Colwell and Heller study for their 35 to 64 year old group, and the Bigler et al data for their 36 to 50 year old group, despite the age disadvantage of these groups that include much older adults than the present study into the 50s and 60s (both cited in Mitrushina et al, 2005). Again the norms for the present study were somewhat higher than those for the Gilleard and Gilleard (1989) study on a Turkish group with nil to elementary level that spans the 20 to 39 age group (present study Mean = 12.63 versus the comparative study mean of 11.22).…”

“…For the 18-29 year old age group in the present study, the Visual Reproduction Immediate Recall score is lower than those of all broadly age-equivalent studies including the Wechsler (1945) Mitrushina et al, 2005), the Trahan et al (1988) study on a group with 13.70 years of education, the Gilleard and Gilleard (1989) Turkish study on a group with secondary level education, and the South African Shuttleworth-Jordan (1996) study for both English and Xhosa first language groups with at least 13 years of education (present study Mean = 8.35 versus other comparative study means ranging from around 10 to 13). The only exception was the somewhat higher score for the present study compared with that of the Gilleard and Gilleard (1989) study spanning the wider age range 20 to 39 years on Turkish participants with nil to elementary level education (present study Mean = 8.35 compared with the comparative study mean of 6.25).…”

“…For the Associate Learning Immediate Recall task, the 18-29 year old age group of the present study scored lower than most of the cited broadly age-equivalent studies that report total scores, including Kear-Colwell and Heller's 1978 study for a group of unknown educational level, the 1981 study of Bigler, Steinman and Newton for a group with 13.9 years of education (both cited in Mitrushina et al, 2005), the 1989 Spreen and Strauss study for a group of healthy volunteers with unspecified educational level (in Spreen & Strauss, 1998), and the South African Shuttleworth-Jordan (1996) study on an English first language group with at least 13 years of education (present study Mean = 15.32, compared with the comparative study means ranging between 17 and 18, in all instances). However, the original Wechsler (1945) study of unknown educational level, the Gilleard and Gilleard (1989) study on a Turkish group with secondary level education, and the South African Shuttleworth-Jordan (1996) Mitrushina et al, 2005), and the Spreen and Strauss study of 1989 on a group of unknown educational level (Spreen & Strauss, 1998) (present study Mean = 12.63, compared with the comparative study means of 15.48 and 18.21, respectively). Further, it is noteworthy that the score of 12.63 for the present study is lower than the obtained scores of around 15 to 16 for the Kear-Colwell and Heller study for their 35 to 64 year old group, and the Bigler et al data for their 36 to 50 year old group, despite the age disadvantage of these groups that include much older adults than the present study into the 50s and 60s (both cited in Mitrushina et al, 2005).…”

“…Again, the only exception was the somewhat higher score for the present study of 8.35 compared with that of the Gilleard and Gilleard (1989) study spanning the wider age range 20 to 39 years on Turkish participants with nil to elementary level education (present study Mean = 8.35 compared with the comparative study mean of 6.25).…”