Differences and changes with age in the Benton visual retention test

Abstract

The relation of adult age and performance on memory for designs (Benton Revised Visual Retention Test) was determined for men by analyzing: (a) three cross-sectional samples (Ns = 402, 162, and 293); (b) two longitudinal samples (repeated measures at least 6 years apart, Ns = 268 and 82); and (c) within-cohort comparisons of men born in the same period, but tested at different times. The results were essentially the same for the age differences, age changes, and estimates of age changes based upon within-cohort differences. Increases in errors were small for the young groups, moderate for the men in their 50s and 60s, and substantial for the men over 70. WAIS Vocabulary measures for these same samples showed small cross-sectional differences favoring the older men, no overall longitudinal change but small relative deficits for the older participants, and small declines in estimates of age changes based upon comparisons of independent samples born during the same period. In general, the results indicate age declines in memory-for-designs performance for men particularly late in life, but only small (if any) age declines in vocabulary for the same samples. No correlation was found in either longitudinal sample between change in memory performance and change in vocabularly score.