[Semantic verbal fluency in Spanish-speaking people: a comparative analysis]

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Psycholinguistics
• Cognitive Psychology

Background:

• Semantic verbal fluency (SVF) is a widely used clinical and experimental test.
• Previous research indicates age, schooling, and culture influence SVF performance.
• No studies have compared SVF performance in speakers of the same language from different countries.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze Semantic Verbal Fluency (SVF) test data from adult Spanish speakers.
• To investigate the influence of culture, age, and schooling on SVF outcomes.
• To determine if cultural background affects SVF performance among Spanish speakers.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of 'animals' category data from the SVF test in adult Spanish speakers.
• Comparison of cultural, age, and schooling variables with existing research data.
• Evaluation of potential variations in test administration and scoring.

Main Results:

• SVF test results are comparable across Spanish-speaking countries when age and schooling are controlled.
• Observed differences are more likely attributable to test administration and scoring variations than cultural factors.
• A standardized method for test application is proposed to unify future variables.

Conclusions:

• Age and schooling are significant determinants of SVF performance.
• Cultural background does not appear to be a determining factor in SVF performance.
• Standardizing SVF test administration is recommended for cross-cultural comparability.