WAIS-R DIGIT SYMBOL PATTERNS FOR PERSONS 75 YEARS AND OLDER

This study addressed the hypothesis that elderly individuals display a ''warm-up'' pattern on the Digit Symbol subtest when performance is recorded at 30, 60, and 90 seconds (Kaplan, Fein, Morris, & Delis, 1991). Patterns of performance for the three intervals were explored in a sample of 221 normal persons 75 years and older. Means for age, education, and Full Scale IQ were 80.54 years (SD = 4, 85), 10.94 years (SD = 2.89), and 103.73 (SD = 14.27), respectively. Two methods were used to derive patterns of Digit Symbol performance: (1) Ward's hierarchical duster analysis and (2) simple difference scores between the three time periods. The ''warm-up'' pattern emerged infrequently and cannot be considered characteristic of persons 75 years and older.