Examination of everyday memory in an elderly New Zealand population : improving the utility of the Rivermead Behavioural Memory Test : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Science in Psychology at Massey University

Abstract

With the increase in the numbers of elderly in the population and the recent identification of diverse dementias, a need has arisen for improved assessment of memory for this population. The Rivermead Behavioural Memory Test (RBMT) is one of the major tests for working memory and is well suited for use with the elderly. However, normative data for the elderly is limited and the measure has not been assessed for use with a New Zealand population. This study reports RBMT normative data for 138 elderly, non-dementing, community dwelling volunteers in New Zealand, in 3 age specific groups; 60-69, 70-79, 80-89 years. Results showed significant differences (p=0.05) between the data collected in Oxford and New Zealand, with New Zealand results generally higher on most sub-tests. This was considered to be due to a combination of factors including; cultural differences, screening methods for dementia and attention to test anxiety. In addition, a significant difference (p=0.05) was observed on 1 of the sub-tests (Appointment) when comparing test scores across the age groups.