Skip to main content
Log in

Verbal and spatial immediate memory span: Normative data from 1355 adults and 1112 children

  • Original Article
  • Published:
The Italian Journal of Neurological Sciences Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Norms are provided for verbal and visuo-spatial immediate memory span, two tasks widely used in the clinical assessment of short-term memory and its neurological disorders. Data have been collected from 1355 male and female adult subjects, with various educational backgrounds and a 20–99 years age range. Span shows a major decrement after the late sixties and is affected by educational level. Male subjects score better on the spatial task. Data collected from 1112 male and female children, 4-to-10 year-old, show that span increases with age and boys score better on the spatial test.

Sommario

Il lavoro fornisce dati normativi per due test, span di memoria immediata verbale e spaziale, ampiamente usati nella pratica clinica per indagare i disordini neurologici della memoria a breve termine. L'analisi dei dati raccolti su 1355 adulti, di vario livello culturale e di età compresa tra i 20 e i 99 anni, mostra che lo span è influenzato dal livello di scolarità e declina in modo netto oltre i 65 anni. Inoltre i maschi hanno una prestazione migliore delle femmine nello span spaziale. Dati evolutivi, raccolti in 1112 bambini di età compresa tra i 4 e i 10 anni, mostrano che lo span aumenta con l'età e che nella prova spaziale la prestazione dei maschi è migliore di quella delle femmine.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Cantone G., Orsini A., Grossi D., De Michele G.: Verbal and spatial memory in dementia.Acta Neurologica 33, 175–183, 1978.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Capitani E., Della Sala S., Spinnler H.: Neuropsychological approach to dementia. In: K. Poeck et al. (Eds.)Neurology, Springer, Berlin, 61–69, 1986.

    Google Scholar 

  3. Case R., Kurland M.D., Goldberg J.: Operational efficiency and the growth of short-term memory span.J. Exp. Child. Psychol 33, 386–404, 1982.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Corsi P.M. Human memory and the medial temporal region of the brain Ph. D. Thesis, McGill University, Montreal, 1972.

    Google Scholar 

  5. Craik F.I.M.: Short-term memory and the aging process. In: G.A. Talland (Ed.)Human aging and behavior, New York, Academic Press, pp. 131–168, 1968.

    Google Scholar 

  6. De Renzi E., Nichelli P.: Verbal and nonverbal short-term memory impairment following hemispheric damage.Cortex 11, 341–354, 1975.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Drachman D., Leavitt J.: Memory impairment in the aged: storage versus retrieval deficit.J. Exp. Psychol. 93, 302–308, 1972.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Friedman H.: Interrelation of two types of immediate memory in the aged.J. Psychol. 87, 177–181, 1974.

    Google Scholar 

  9. Grossi D., Matarese V., Orsini A.: Sex differences in adults' spatial and verbal memory span.Cortex 16, 339–340, 1980.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Grossi D., Orsini A., Monetti C., De Michele G.: Sex differences in children's spatial and verbal memory span.Cortex 15, 667–670, 1979.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Hulicka I.M.: Age differences in Wechsler Memory Scale Scores.J. Gen. Psychol. 109, 135–145, 1966.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Kaszniak A.W., Garron D.C. &Fox J.: Differential effects of age and cerebral atrophy upon span of immediate recall and paired-associate learning in older patients suspected of dementia.Cortex 15, 285–295, 1979.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Jacobs J.: Experiments on “prehension”Mind 12, 75–79, 1887.

    Google Scholar 

  14. Milner B.: Interhemispheric differences in the localization of psychological processes in man.Br. Med. Bull. 27, 272–277, 1971.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Orsini A., Chiacchio L., Cinoue M., Cocchiaro C., Schiappa O., Grossi D.: Effects of age, educational level and sex on two tests of immediate memory. A study in normal subjects from 20s up to 99s.Perceptual and Motor Skills, 63, 727–732, 1986.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Orsini A., Schiappa O., Grossi D.: Sex and cultural differences in children's spatial and verbal memory span.Perceptual and Motor Skills 53, 39–42, 1981.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Newcombe F.:Missile wounds of the brain. Oxford University Press, London, 1969.

    Google Scholar 

  18. Risse G.L., Rubens A.B., Jordan L.S.: Disturbances of long-term memory in aphasic patients.Brain 107, 605–617, 1984.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Taub H.A.: A comparison of young adult and old groups on various digit span tasks.Dev. Psychol, 6, 60–65, 1972.

    Google Scholar 

  20. Talland G.A.:Deranged memory. Academic Press, New York, 1965.

    Google Scholar 

  21. Vallar G., Baddeley A.D.: Fractionation of working memory: neuropsychological evidence for a phonological short-term store.J. Verb. Learn. Verb. Behav. 23, 151–161, 1984.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Vallar G., Papagno C.: Phonological short-term store and the nature of the recency effect. Evidence from neuropsychology.Brain and Cognition 5, 428–442, 1986.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Weinberg J., Diller L., Gerstman L., Schulman P.: Digit span in right and left hemiplegics.J. Clin. Psychol. 28, 361, 1972.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Wilks S.S.: Determination of sample size for setting tolerance limits.Ann. Math. Stat. 12, 91–96, 1941.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Orsini, A., Grossi, D., Capitani, E. et al. Verbal and spatial immediate memory span: Normative data from 1355 adults and 1112 children. Ital J Neuro Sci 8, 537–548 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02333660

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02333660

Key-Words

Navigation