A new procedure for administering the taylor complex figure: Normative data over a 60-year age span

Abstract

A revised method for administering and scoring the Taylor Complex Figure (TCF) is described and norms are presented for ages 20 to 79. Prior to the first exposure of the TCF, 407 participants were informed that they would be shown a design that they would have to draw from memory (intentional learning procedure). On each of four learning trials participants observed the TCF for 30 s. Then the figure was removed and individuals were given a maximum of 2 min to reproduce it from memory. Approximately 15 min after the last learning trial a retention trial was administered. This was followed by a copy trial where subjects were given 4 min to draw the TCF with the model present. Extensive norms that control for age are presented. Other variables, such as gender, depression, education and performance on the Vocabulary and Block Design subtests of the WAIS-R were shown to be sufficiently independent of the TCF scores to negate their need to be controlled in the norms.