WHICH ABILITIES DOES THE PASAT TEST

The relationships between PASAT test scores and intelligence, memory and information processing abilities were examined in ninety-four healthy young adult patients with type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetes. PASAT scores correlated significantly with all WAIS-R subtests. Factor analysis revealed that PASAT performance loaded on the 1st principal component (the 'general intelligence' factor) at about the same level as some WAIS-R performance subtests. Varimax rotation showed that PASAT scores had very low loadings on verbal and performance factors, but had high loadings on the third rotated factor, which was tentatively identified as the 'freedom from distraction' factor found in recent factor analyses of the WAIS-R. Scores from the 4 second PASAT presentation correlated better than 2 second PASAT scores with indices derived from the Rey auditory verbal learning test, whereas the faster PASAT test correlated at higher levels with test of Inspection Time and Reaction Time. The PASAT test was developed to measure attention and concentration but, while this appears to have been realised to some extent, general intellectual ability is also tapped by the test. Different speeds of presentation might index other abilities to different degrees, but this finding might be explained by order effects which cannot be excluded by the present study. © 1991.