AUDITORY AND VISUAL RECALL OF FORWARD AND BACKWARD DIGIT SPANS

Increasingly, clinicians obtain data from tests across modalities. Lit tle actual information, however, exists as to normal patterns. An exam ple is auditory and visual recall of digit span. The effects of modali ty on recall of digit span, sequence, and order were examined with 80 subjects (M age 24.3 yr.). Subjects were given the Wechsler Adult Inte lligence Scale-Revised, and a research version of MicroCog: Assessment of Cognitive Functioning. Both contain forward and backward digit spa ns. Recall for visual presentation was significantly stronger than for auditory presentation of backward digit span. Recall for visual backw ard digit span was also superior to auditory backward digit span when the sequence of presentation was controlled. The mean number of digits recalled was higher when visual digit span was preceded by auditory d igit span.