Block design test
Encyclopedia
Block design is a subtest on many intelligence tests that measures visuospatial and motor skill
s. The testee is required to take blocks that have all white sides, all red sides, and red and white sides and arrange them according to a pattern. They are timed on this task and compared to a normative
sample
.
into the WAIS (Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale
) from the Kohs Block Design test
developed in 1923 at Stanford University
by Samuel Calmin Kohs (1890–1984). In a later revision by Hutt, scoring of the test incorporated the time taken to complete each trial.
and frontal lobe
s. Head injury
, Alzheimer's disease
, and stroke
can severely reduce the performance of an individual on the block design test. Additional evidence suggests impairment in block design performance among schizophrenic
and bipolar disorder
patient populations, though this represents only preliminary findings.
used in daily life.
The Block Design test is considered one of the best measures of spatial ability, although it is subject to certain problems of administration, such as testee anxiety or over-cautious responding. Linda Kreger Silverman has proposed the block design subtest as the best putative measure of spatial ability among the Wechsler subtests.
, in her book Autism: Explaining the Enigma, addresses the superior performance of autistic individuals on the block design test. This was also addressed in this earlier paper. A particularly interesting article demonstrates the differences in construction time in the performance of the block design task by individuals with and without Asperger syndrome
. An essential point here is that in an unsegmented version of the task, people with Asperger syndrome performed significantly faster than neurotypical
individuals.
has shown the grandfathers and fathers of autistics were more likely to be engineers, and since it is known that autistics have an ability peak in block design, it is possible that an inherited ability for block design performance may be responsible for the increased number of engineers and scientists among the relatives of autistic individuals.
, has developed a learning style questionnaire that attempts to assess spatial ability in an educational context.
Motor skill
A motor skill is a learned sequence of movements that combine to produce a smooth, efficient action in order to master a particular task. The development of motor skill occurs in the motor cortex, the region of the cerebral cortex that controls voluntary muscle groups.- Development of motor skills...
s. The testee is required to take blocks that have all white sides, all red sides, and red and white sides and arrange them according to a pattern. They are timed on this task and compared to a normative
Normative
Normative has specialized contextual meanings in several academic disciplines. Generically, it means relating to an ideal standard or model. In practice, it has strong connotations of relating to a typical standard or model ....
sample
Sample (statistics)
In statistics, a sample is a subset of a population. Typically, the population is very large, making a census or a complete enumeration of all the values in the population impractical or impossible. The sample represents a subset of manageable size...
.
Historical background
The Block Design test was adapted by David WechslerDavid Wechsler
David "Wex" Wechsler was a leading American psychologist. He developed well-known intelligence scales, such as the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale and the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children .-Biography:...
into the WAIS (Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale
Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale
The Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale intelligence quotient tests are the primary clinical instruments used to measure adult and adolescent intelligence. The original WAIS was published in February 1955 by David Wechsler, as a revision of the Wechsler-Bellevue Intelligence Scale...
) from the Kohs Block Design test
Kohs block
The Kohs Block test, also known as the Kohs Block Design Test, is a performance test designed to measure intelligence. The test taker must, using 16 colored cubes, replicate the patterns displayed on a series of test cards...
developed in 1923 at Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
by Samuel Calmin Kohs (1890–1984). In a later revision by Hutt, scoring of the test incorporated the time taken to complete each trial.
Neuropsychological assessment and illness
Good performance on the block design test is indicative of appropriate functioning of the parietalParietal lobe
The parietal lobe is a part of the Brain positioned above the occipital lobe and behind the frontal lobe.The parietal lobe integrates sensory information from different modalities, particularly determining spatial sense and navigation. For example, it comprises somatosensory cortex and the...
and frontal lobe
Frontal lobe
The frontal lobe is an area in the brain of humans and other mammals, located at the front of each cerebral hemisphere and positioned anterior to the parietal lobe and superior and anterior to the temporal lobes...
s. Head injury
Head injury
Head injury refers to trauma of the head. This may or may not include injury to the brain. However, the terms traumatic brain injury and head injury are often used interchangeably in medical literature....
, Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease also known in medical literature as Alzheimer disease is the most common form of dementia. There is no cure for the disease, which worsens as it progresses, and eventually leads to death...
, and stroke
Stroke
A stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...
can severely reduce the performance of an individual on the block design test. Additional evidence suggests impairment in block design performance among schizophrenic
Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by a disintegration of thought processes and of emotional responsiveness. It most commonly manifests itself as auditory hallucinations, paranoid or bizarre delusions, or disorganized speech and thinking, and it is accompanied by significant social...
and bipolar disorder
Bipolar disorder
Bipolar disorder or bipolar affective disorder, historically known as manic–depressive disorder, is a psychiatric diagnosis that describes a category of mood disorders defined by the presence of one or more episodes of abnormally elevated energy levels, cognition, and mood with or without one or...
patient populations, though this represents only preliminary findings.
Spatial ability
The Block Design test is also a relatively accurate measure of spatial ability and Spatial Visualization AbilitySpatial Visualization Ability
Spatial visualization ability or Visual-spatial ability is the ability to mentally manipulate 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional figures. It is typically measured with simple cognitive tests and is predictive of user performance with some kinds of user interfaces.-Measurement:The cognitive tests used...
used in daily life.
The Block Design test is considered one of the best measures of spatial ability, although it is subject to certain problems of administration, such as testee anxiety or over-cautious responding. Linda Kreger Silverman has proposed the block design subtest as the best putative measure of spatial ability among the Wechsler subtests.
Autism spectrum disorders
Uta FrithUta Frith
Uta Frith FRS FBA is a leading developmental psychologist working at the Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience at University College London. She has pioneered much of the current research in autism and dyslexia, and has written several books on these issues. Her book 'Autism: Explaining the Enigma'...
, in her book Autism: Explaining the Enigma, addresses the superior performance of autistic individuals on the block design test. This was also addressed in this earlier paper. A particularly interesting article demonstrates the differences in construction time in the performance of the block design task by individuals with and without Asperger syndrome
Asperger syndrome
Asperger's syndrome that is characterized by significant difficulties in social interaction, alongside restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior and interests. It differs from other autism spectrum disorders by its relative preservation of linguistic and cognitive development...
. An essential point here is that in an unsegmented version of the task, people with Asperger syndrome performed significantly faster than neurotypical
Neurotypical
Neurotypical is a term that was coined in the autistic community as a label for people who are not on the autism spectrum: specifically, neurotypical people have neurological development and states that are consistent with what most people would perceive as normal, particularly with respect to...
individuals.
Science and engineering aptitude
Recent research has demonstrated a connection between spatial ability and math and science proficiency at the highest levels. Of particular interest, a recent study in the Lancet (2002) demonstrated that high spatial ability was related to the performance of surgery. Additionally, although this is somewhat speculative, Simon Baron-CohenSimon Baron-Cohen
Simon Baron-Cohen FBA is professor of Developmental Psychopathology in the Departments of Psychiatry and Experimental Psychology at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom. He is the Director of the University's Autism Research Centre, and a Fellow of Trinity College...
has shown the grandfathers and fathers of autistics were more likely to be engineers, and since it is known that autistics have an ability peak in block design, it is possible that an inherited ability for block design performance may be responsible for the increased number of engineers and scientists among the relatives of autistic individuals.
Spatial ability in pilots
Dror et al., 1993 found that pilots' performance was superior to non-pilots on a test of the speed of mental rotation. Although the block design test is characterized as a test of spatial visualization, not mental rotation, spatial visualization ability as measured by the block design test is highly correlated to mental rotation ability.Research in an Educational context
As performance on the Block Design test has been suggested as a predictive measure for performance in fields such as engineering and physics, Felder, at North Carolina State UniversityNorth Carolina State University
North Carolina State University at Raleigh is a public, coeducational, extensive research university located in Raleigh, North Carolina, United States. Commonly known as NC State, the university is part of the University of North Carolina system and is a land, sea, and space grant institution...
, has developed a learning style questionnaire that attempts to assess spatial ability in an educational context.