Speed of Performance on the WAIS-R among Persons 75 Years of Age and Older

Abstract

The role of response time on WAIS-R subtest scores was investigated in a sample of 213 normals 75 years or older. Means for age, education, and Full Scale IQ were 80.6 years (SD = 4.97), 10.9 years (SD = 2.97), and 97.6 (SD = 12.9). A total response time score was gleaned from each of the Picture Arrangement (PAT), Block Design (BDT), and Object Assembly (OAT) subtests. A principal components analysis on the 11 subtest scores, response time measures, and age yielded three robust factors. Factors 1 and 2 represented the well-known Verbal-Comprehension and Perceptual-Organization constructs, respectively. Factor 3 consisted of BDT, PAT, and Picture Arrangement and was designated as a measure of response time. A second principal components analysis was run after time effects on the Block Design and Object Assembly subtest scores were eliminated. Results were ambiguous and judged to be inferior to those of the initial analysis.