Digit Span Changes From Puberty to Old Age Under Different Levels of Education

Abstract

The goal of this study is to demonstrate the age-related changes in multimodality digit span under a research design in which level of education is controlled. Volunteer participants (n 5 1183) were distributed over levels of age (13-98 years) and education (5-8, 9-11, and 121 years). Digit span was measured through 11 scores of the Visual Aural Digit Span Test-Revised on aural or visual stimulation and oral or written response execution, thus allowing for the measurement of intra- and intersensory integration. The increase in digit span scores reversed to a decrease with early adulthood. The slope of the regression line was small but significant. A 4 3 3 3 2 multivariate analysis of variance showed a significant effect of age and education on a combined score comprising the 11 digit span scores. Differences of age and education were predicted by the auditory and visual input scores. The article discusses the cognitive correlates and the age-related changes in digit span from the biological standpoint.