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Cognitive abilities measured in the 1958 National Child Development Study

Explore what cognitive ability domains were measured in the 1958 National Child Development Study (NCDS) cohort by age and test used.

For background guidance on the table below, see the main harmonisation feasibility page in this guide.

Test7 yrs11 yrs16 yrs50 yrs
Southgate Group Reading TestGc/Grw
Problem Arithmetic Test (NFER Devised)Gq
Copying Designs Test (CDT)GcGc
Human Figure Drawing (HFD)Gv
General Ability Test (Verbal and Non-Verbal)G/Gc/Gf
Reading Comprehension Test (NFER)GcGc 
Arithmetic- Mathematics Test (NFER)Gq 
Mathematics Test (NFER)Gq
Verbal Fluency (Animal Naming) TestGlr
Verbal Learning/Word List RecallGlr
Timed Letter Search/Letter CancellationGv/Gs

Notes.

Gf=Fluid reasoning/fluid intelligence; Glr=Long-term storage & retrieval; Gs=Processing speed; Gc=Acquired knowledge/crystallised intelligence; Grw=Reading and writing; Gq=Quantitative knowledge; Gv=Visual processing; G=General/multi-domain cognitive ability factor.

Explanations of the individual ability domains are provided in the introductory section of this guide.

Find out more about each of the cognitive tests administered to the NCDS cohort in our searchable overview of measures.


Explore what cognitive abilities have been measured by the other cohort studies in this guide:

Explore where similar cognitive abilities have been measured across the studies at different ages:


This page is part of CLOSER’s ‘A guide to the cognitive measures in five British birth cohort studies’.