Incidental learning from the coding subtest of the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status

Incidental learning (IL) measures provide complementary assessment data reflecting subconscious encoding of information using methods that differ from the procedures of many traditional memory tests. We examined the concurrent validity of an IL measure based on the coding subtest of the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS). Participants included veterans referred for outpatient neuropsychological testing. Performance on the IL procedures correlated more strongly with memory indices than other indices on the RBANS. Patients with at least four correct responses very rarely had significant memory impairments. Thus, IL appears to contribute to the overall assessment of memory and requires little administration time.