title: The Multidimensional Influence of Acculturation on Digit Symbol-Coding and Wisconsin Card Sorting Test in Hispanics.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the relative contribution of acculturation to two tests of nonverbal test performance in Hispanics.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study compared 40 Hispanic and 20 non-Hispanic whites on Digit Symbol-Coding (DSC) and the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) and evaluated the relative contribution of the various acculturation components to cognitive test performance in the Hispanic group.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Hispanics performed significantly worse on DSC and WCST relative to non-Hispanic whites. Multiple regressions conducted within the Hispanic group revealed that language use uniquely accounted for 11.0% of the variance on the DSC, 18.8% of the variance on WCST categories completed, and 13.0% of the variance in perseverative errors on the WCST. Additionally, years of education in the United States uniquely accounted for 14.9% of the variance in DSC.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The significant impact of acculturation on DSC and WCST lends support that nonverbal cognitive tests are not necessarily culture free. The differential contribution of acculturation proxies highlights the importance of considering these separate components when interpreting performance on neuropsychological tests in clinical and research settings. Factors, such as the country where education was received, may in fact be more meaningful information than the years of education of education attained. Thus, acculturation should be considered an important factor in any cognitive evaluation of culturally diverse individuals.
authors.affiliation: a Traumatic Brain Injury Research , Kessler Foundation , West Orange , NJ , USA.|b Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation , Rutgers-New Jersey Medical School , Newark , NJ , USA.
authors.forename: Denise
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Krch
authors.affiliation: a Traumatic Brain Injury Research , Kessler Foundation , West Orange , NJ , USA.|b Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation , Rutgers-New Jersey Medical School , Newark , NJ , USA.
authors.forename: Anthony
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lequerica
authors.affiliation: c Department of Psychology , University of Deusto , Bilbao , Spain.|d Ikerbasque, Basque Foundation for Science , Bilbao , Spain.
authors.forename: Juan Carlos
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Arango-Lasprilla
authors.affiliation: c Department of Psychology , University of Deusto , Bilbao , Spain.
authors.forename: Heather L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Rogers
authors.affiliation: a Traumatic Brain Injury Research , Kessler Foundation , West Orange , NJ , USA.|b Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation , Rutgers-New Jersey Medical School , Newark , NJ , USA.|e Department of Neurology & Neurosciences , Rutgers New Jersey Medical School , Newark , NJ , USA.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: DeLuca
authors.affiliation: a Traumatic Brain Injury Research , Kessler Foundation , West Orange , NJ , USA.|b Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation , Rutgers-New Jersey Medical School , Newark , NJ , USA.|f Neuropsychology and Neuroscience Research , Kessler Foundation , West Orange , NJ , USA.
authors.forename: Nancy D
authors.initials: ND
authors.lastname: Chiaravalloti
mesh_terms: D000069:Acculturation; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006630:Hispanic or Latino; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D014481:United States; D014888:Wechsler Scales; D044465:White People; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Acculturation; Cognitive functioning.; Hispanics