Normative study of the Stroop Color and Word Test in an educationally diverse elderly population

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of demographic variables on Stroop Color and Word Test (SCWT) performance in an educationally diverse elderly population and to provide normative information. METHODS: SCWT was administered to 564 community-dwelling volunteers aged 60-90 years with an educational history of from zero to 25 years of full-time education. People with serious neurological, medical and psychiatric disorders (including dementia) were excluded. RESULTS: Age, education and gender were found to be significantly associated with performance on all three pages of the SCWT. Based on the results obtained, SCWT norms were stratified by age (four overlapping tables), education (three strata), and gender. CONCLUSIONS: In the present study, normative information on SCWT was obtained from an educationally diverse elderly population. SCWT would appear to be more useful in poorly educated elderly, and could be used in future cross-cultural comparisons of geriatric populations.