Abstract

The present study was conducted to explore the reliability and the validity of a newly constructed verbal memory test for children, the Seoul Verbal Learning Test-Children's version (SVLT-C). To develop the Korean category norms in children, 161 elementary school children were asked to say as many exemplars of a given category as they could. Three categories and 4 words from each category were selected to construct the SVLT-C based on these norms. The structure and testing procedure of SVLT-C were based on the cognitive process approach so that various processes and parameters of verbal memory could be assessed. The SVLT-C was administered to 419 (214 men, 205 women) children or adolescents living in Seoul aged between 5 and 15. The age-and sex-specific norms were developed on the 13 memory indices measured by SVLT-C. The test-retest correlations for most indices of the SVLT-C were statistically significant. The estimate of split-half reliability using the Spearman-Brown formula was .82. The construct validity of the SVLT-C was investigated by factor-analyzing the SVLT-C indices, yielding 4 factors of general verbal learning ability, response discriminability, serial position effect, and forgetting rate. It suggests that the SVLT-C is a useful tool for qualitatively assessing various verbal memory processes. It is expected that the normative data on the various indices of SVLT-C will be widely used in many fields, not only clinical situation but also school situations.