Age, education and gender effects on Wisconsin card sorting test: standardization, reliability and validity in healthy Argentinian adults

ABSTRACT

The Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) is a widely used neuropsychological assessment of executive functioning. The aim of this study was to provide norm values and analyze the psychometric properties of WCST in healthy Argentinian adults aged from 18 to 89 years old (N = 235). Descriptive statistics are reported as means, standard deviations and percentiles, with the effects of age, education and gender being investigated by ANOVA, and with the effect sizes being calculated. The psychometrics were studied using the WCST structure, reliability, convergent validity, and discriminant validity, and WCST norms adjusted for age and educational level are proposed. This instrument is a reliable and valid tool for the assessment of executive functions. However, as the age- and educational-related effects were demonstrated, these characteristics need to be considered before interpreting WCST scores. Regarding gender, no differences were found. Our results expand the geographical and sociocultural applicability of WCST.

KEYWORDS:

• Normative data
• Wisconsin card sorting test
• executive function
• assessment
• neuropsychology

Acknowledgments

The work of Agustin Ramiro Miranda was supported by a fellowship provided by the Secretaría de Ciencia y Tecnología, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Luisina Rivadero was supported by the Consejo Interuniversitario Nacional. The authors gratefully acknowledge all participants, as well as neuropsychologist Jorge Ángel Bruera for providing support in collecting the data. We thank Paul Hobson Ph.D., a native English speaker, who revised the language of this article.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

Funding was provided by Secretaría de Ciencia y Tecnología, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba (grants numbers SECYT-UNC 411/2018, SECYT-UNC 472/2018); Universidad Nacional de Córdoba.