A performance learning measure for the aged.

Abstract

The absence of a motor-perceptual learning measure which has a control or partialled out effect for age and general intellectual level has become obvious and the need for such a measure has been seen to be urgent in relation to the assessment of cognitive functioning in the elderly. Work by Savage and his colleagues (1971) has highlighted the fact that the measurement of intellectual levels and intellectual learning ability for both verbal and performance or motor-perceptual aspects of cognitive functioning is essential if the normal and abnormal structure and changes in cognitive functioning at any age is to be more fully understood. This paper reports on the development of the Block Design subtest of the WAIS as such a performance learning test. To our knowledge, there has so far been no measure of motor-perceptual or performance learning which has built into it an acceptable level or process of automatic control for general or performance intelligence and for age.