APA Dictionary of Psychology

a word-list learning test consisting of 16 items belonging to one of four categories. Currently in its second edition (CVLT–II), the test assesses immediate free recall following each of five learning trials as well as an interference trial. Free recall and cued recall are also assessed following a short-term delay (immediately after the interference trial) and a long-term (20-minute) delay. Finally, long-term recognition is assessed using distractors that vary in their likelihood of eliciting false positive errors. In addition to the adult version, a 9-item version has been developed for use with individuals with memory impairment (CVLT–II Short Form). There is also a 15-item version for children ages 5 to 16, the California Verbal Learning Test for Children (CVLT–C). See also recall score method. [originally published in 1987 by U.S. neuropsychologists Dean C. Delis (1951–  ), Joel H. Kramer, Edith Kaplan, and Beth A. Ober (1952–  )]