The Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test : normative data for the Xhosa-speaking population and analysis of the influence of the quality of education

Objective. The aim of this study was to develop and establish norms for the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT) for Xhosa speaking adults with a grade 11 or 12 qualification obtained from a previously disadvantaged educational background in the Eastern Cape. Method. The sampleconsisted of a non-clinical group of South African Eastern Cape Xhosa speaking adults (N = 40), aged 19-40, with Grade 11 or 12 level of education received in former Department of Education and Training (DET) schools. Independent t-test analyses were used to compare test performance ofmale and female research subjects; to compare young adults versus older adult age categories and to compare performance between rural and urban research subjects. In addition, differences between the SA RAVLT norms imitative from this study compared to the Australian standardisation on the young adult category was measured. Results. The findings revealed no statistical significant influence of age; sex or rural and urban schooling among the disadvantaged population of the Eastern Cape on RAVLT performance. Additionally, differences on test performance between research-subjects from South Africa compared to Australian research subjects was evident with Australian research subjects performing better on all the sub-components of the RAVLT measure. Conclusions. It is concluded that clinicians will be able to use the RAVLT with more confidence with this educationally disadvantaged Xhosa speaking population. These RAVLT normative data should not be generalised to other languages; other race groups, or other age categories of individuals other than the ones represented in this study