Memory for Digit Span

This subtest of the Wechsler (WISC-R) for children ages 7 through 11 measures short-term memory for a series of numbers, some presented in forward and some in reverse order; it is part of the Child Supplement.

Table 5.1. Digit Span: Total Raw Scores by Child Age and Race/Ethnicity (2004 Sample Cases)
Table 5.2. Digit Span: Total Standard Scores by Child Age and Race/Ethnicity (2004 Unweighted Distribution)
Table 5.3. Digit Span: Forward - Raw Scores by Child Age and Race/Ethnicity (2004 Weighted Scores)
Table 5.4. Digit Span: Backward - Raw Scores by Child Age and Race/Ethnicity (2004 Weighted Scores)

 

Table 5.1. Digit Span: Total Raw Scores by Child Age and Race/Ethnicity (2004 Sample Cases)

  0-4 5-7 8-10 11-13 14-16 17-28 Invalid Valid Total % Valid
AGE OF CHILD 8 29 71 33 10 4 19 155 174 89.1
7 Years
8 Years 5 31 60 52 13 6 18 167 185 90.3
9 Years 4 20 53 74 29 16 13 196 209 93.8
10 Years 2 12 79 76 41 20 22 230 252 91.3
11 Years 2 7 63 112 59 44 15 287 302 95.0
Total 21 99 326 347 152 90 87 1035 1122 92.2
RACE OF CHILD AGE OF CHILD 3 5 11 7     6 26 32 81.3
Hispanic 7 Years
8 Years 2 8 14 11 2   5 37 42 88.1
9 Years   4 13 11 4 3 5 35 40 87.5
10 Years 1 2 16 12 9   6 40 46 87.0
11 Years   1 13 20 11 6 6 51 57 89.5
Total 6 20 67 61 26 9 28 189 217 87.1
Black AGE OF CHILD 4 5 15 5 5   5 34 39 87.2
7 Years
8 Years 3 8 16 7 6 1 5 41 46 89.1
9 Years 2 7 16 17 6 3 2 51 53 96.2
10 Years   3 22 21 11 4 6 61 67 91.0
11 Years 2 3 18 28 16 6 2 73 75 97.3
Total 11 26 87 78 44 14 20 260 280 92.9
White AGE OF CHILD 1 19 45 21 5 4 8 95 103 92.2
7 Years
8 Years   15 30 34 5 5 8 89 97 91.8
9 Years 2 9 24 46 19 10 6 110 116 94.8
10 Years 1 7 41 43 21 16 10 129 139 92.8
11 Years   3 32 64 32 32 7 163 170 95.9
Total 4 53 172 208 82 67 39 586 625 93.8

 

 
Table 5.2. Digit Span: Total - Standard Scores by Child Age and Race/Ethnicity (2004 Unweighted Distribution)

  1-4 5-7 8-9 10-11 12-13 14-19 Total Mean Std Dev
AGE OF CHILD 3.9 5.8 31.6 21.9 18.1 18.7 100.0 10.6 3.3
7 Years
8 Years 3.0 18.6 25.1 23.4 16.8 13.2 100.0 10.0 3.4
9 Years 2.6 18.9 17.9 20.9 23.5 16.3 100.0 10.5 3.4
10 Years 1.3 25.7 13.5 20.4 24.8 14.3 100.0 10.3 3.3
11 Years 1.7 14.3 22.6 25.4 20.6 15.3 100.0 10.5 3.1
Total 2.3 17.1 21.4 22.6 21.1 15.5 100.0 10.4 3.3
RACE OF CHILD AGE OF CHILD 3.8 15.4 19.2 23.1 30.8 7.7 100.0 10.1 2.9
Hispanic 7 Years
8 Years 5.4 21.6 29.7 21.6 16.2 5.4 100.0 9.1 3.1
9 Years   20.0 28.6 20.0 17.1 14.3 100.0 10.3 3.3
10 Years 2.5 35.0 10.0 22.5 20.0 10.0 100.0 9.4 3.1
11 Years 2.0 17.6 19.6 27.5 21.6 11.8 100.0 10.3 3.1
Total 2.6 22.2 21.2 23.3 20.6 10.1 100.0 9.8 3.1
Black AGE OF CHILD 11.8 8.8 23.5 23.5 8.8 23.5 100.0 9.9 4.1
7 Years
8 Years 7.3 19.5 24.4 22.0 9.8 17.1 100.0 9.4 3.8
9 Years 3.9 27.5 17.6 17.6 23.5 9.8 100.0 9.6 3.5
10 Years   19.7 21.3 19.7 27.9 11.5 100.0 10.4 3.0
11 Years 2.7 20.5 19.2 27.4 21.9 8.2 100.0 9.8 3.1
Total 4.2 20.0 20.8 22.3 20.0 12.7 100.0 9.8 3.4
White AGE OF CHILD 1.1 2.1 37.9 21.1 17.9 20.0 100.0 11.1 3.0
7 Years
8 Years   16.9 23.6 24.7 20.2 14.6 100.0 10.6 3.1
9 Years 2.7 14.5 14.5 22.7 25.5 20.0 100.0 10.9 3.3
10 Years 1.6 25.6 10.9 20.2 24.8 17.1 100.0 10.5 3.5
11 Years 1.2 10.4 25.2 23.9 19.6 19.6 100.0 10.9 3.1
Total 1.4 14.2 21.8 22.5 21.7 18.4 100.0 10.8 3.2

 

 
Table 5.3. Digit Span: Forward - Raw Scores by Child Age and Race/Ethnicity (2004 Weighted Scores)

  0-4 5-7 8-9 10-11 12-14 Total Mean Std Dev
AGE OF CHILD 32.0 48.3 14.2 3.6 1.8 100.0 5.7 2.1
7 Years
8 Years 29.2 44.9 19.3 4.9 1.6 100.0 6.1 2.2
9 Years 18.6 41.1 30.7 8.4 1.2 100.0 6.8 2.3
10 Years 15.8 44.8 28.0 7.6 3.8 100.0 6.9 2.3
11 Years 10.0 41.2 28.7 17.0 3.1 100.0 7.5 2.2
Total 19.2 43.6 25.3 9.4 2.5 100.0 6.7 2.3
RACE OF CHILD AGE OF CHILD 44.7 51.6 3.8     100.0 4.9 1.9
Hispanic 7 Years
8 Years 46.2 37.8 12.6 3.5   100.0 5.0 2.1
9 Years 17.9 51.7 22.8   7.6 100.0 6.6 2.4
10 Years 19.1 53.8 17.3 9.9   100.0 6.2 2.1
11 Years 9.7 40.4 31.6 10.8 7.6 100.0 7.7 2.4
Total 24.1 46.7 19.8 5.8 3.6 100.0 6.3 2.5
Black AGE OF CHILD 30.7 44.6 20.2 4.5   100.0 5.8 2.3
7 Years
8 Years 37.6 38.4 21.8 2.2   100.0 5.5 2.1
9 Years 18.9 44.9 28.0 6.8 1.4 100.0 6.5 2.5
10 Years 19.4 46.9 17.4 11.7 4.6 100.0 7.1 2.5
11 Years 10.8 47.0 29.0 12.0 1.2 100.0 7.1 2.1
Total 21.0 45.0 23.7 8.6 1.7 100.0 6.6 2.4
White AGE OF CHILD 31.6 48.6 14.1 3.6 2.2 100.0 5.8 2.1
7 Years
8 Years 27.0 46.2 19.6 5.4 1.9 100.0 6.2 2.2
9 Years 18.6 39.9 31.6 9.2 0.7 100.0 6.9 2.3
10 Years 15.0 43.8 30.3 6.9 4.0 100.0 7.0 2.2
11 Years 9.9 40.5 28.4 18.0 3.1 100.0 7.5 2.2
Total 18.7 43.2 25.9 9.7 2.5 100.0 6.8 2.3

 

 
Table 5.4. Digit Span: Backward - Raw Scores by Child Age and Race/Ethnicity (2004 Weighted Scores)

  0-4 5-7 8-9 10-11 12-14 Total Mean Std Dev
AGE OF CHILD 69.9 29.2 0.9     100.0 3.9 1.4
7 Years
8 Years 65.1 31.7 3.2     100.0 4.2 1.5
9 Years 42.6 48.9 8.5     100.0 4.9 1.7
10 Years 43.3 45.1 8.5 3.0 0.2 100.0 5.0 1.9
11 Years 34.3 47.6 14.3 2.4 1.4 100.0 5.6 2.1
Total 48.0 42.1 8.2 1.3 0.4 100.0 4.9 1.9
RACE OF CHILD AGE OF CHILD 76.7 23.3       100.0 3.8 1.0
Hispanic 7 Years
8 Years 78.3 21.7       100.0 3.9 1.3
9 Years 31.6 63.1 5.3     100.0 5.1 1.5
10 Years 52.6 36.2 11.2     100.0 4.7 1.8
11 Years 40.7 51.3 3.3 1.7 3.0 100.0 5.0 2.0
Total 52.4 41.6 4.7 0.4 0.8 100.0 4.6 1.7
Black AGE OF CHILD 79.1 20.9       100.0 3.0 1.8
7 Years
8 Years 72.6 23.9 3.5     100.0 3.8 1.8
9 Years 70.0 24.5 5.4     100.0 4.1 1.6
10 Years 46.4 47.2 2.0 3.0 1.3 100.0 4.9 1.9
11 Years 47.2 46.7 4.9 1.2   100.0 4.9 1.8
Total 59.3 35.9 3.4 1.1 0.3 100.0 4.3 1.9
White AGE OF CHILD 68.5 30.5 1.1     100.0 4.0 1.4
7 Years
8 Years 63.2 33.3 3.4     100.0 4.2 1.5
9 Years 39.8 51.1 9.1     100.0 5.0 1.7
10 Years 42.1 45.4 9.3 3.2   100.0 5.1 1.9
11 Years 32.2 47.5 16.2 2.6 1.5 100.0 5.8 2.1
Total 46.2 42.9 9.0 1.4 0.4 100.0 5.0 1.9