Tests measuring visuospatial abilities have shown that these abilities increase during adolescence. Unfortunately, the Block Design test and other such tests are complicated and time-consuming to administer, making them unsuitable for use with large groups of restless adolescents. The results of the Design Organization Test (DOT), a quick pen-and-paper test, have been shown to correlate with those of the Block Design test. A group of 198 healthy adolescents (110 male and 88 female) aged 12 to 19 years old participated in this study. A slightly modified version of the DOT has been used in which we shortened the administration time to avoid a ceiling effect in the score. Scores show a linear increase with age (on average 2.0 points per year, r = .61) independent of sex. Scores did not differ between individual setting and group setting. Thus, the DOT is a simple and effective way to assess visuospatial ability in large groups, such as in schools, and it can be easily administered year after year to follow the development of students.

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doi.org/10.1080/21622965.2014.945114, hdl.handle.net/1765/87745
Applied Neuropsychology: Child
Erasmus University Rotterdam

Burggraaf, R., Frens, M., Hooge, I., & van der Geest, J. (2016). A Quick Assessment of Visuospatial Abilities in Adolescents Using the Design Organization Test (DOT). Applied Neuropsychology: Child, 5(1), 44–49. doi:10.1080/21622965.2014.945114