A supplementary measure in the Rey AVLT for assessing incidental learning of temporal order

Temporal order judgment is considered an important aspect of memory, both clinically and theoretically. Theories treat temporal order variously as an example of automatic process, contextual information, or source memory. However, despite its significance, temporal order is not well represented in standard memory tests or batteries. The well-known Rey AVLT (Auditory-Verbal Learning Test) was judged suitable for incorporation of a temporal order measure because it already includes several measures of learning and memory. The measure was administered to 190 healthy subjects divided into four age groups, who then were given list A in random order and asked to rewrite the words in their original order. Memory for temporal order was found to be sensitive to age and gender. Although temporal order judgment was part of incidental learning, scoring was significantly higher than could be attributed to chance. The correlation pattern between temporal order and other Rey AVLT scores suggests that temporal order is related to retention rather than to acquisition.