Kohs block design test

The test was developed in 1920 by psychologist Samuel C. Kohs (1890–1984), a student of Lewis Terman,{{cite book |last=Terman |first=Lewis |chapter=Autobiography of Lewis M. Terman |editor-last=Murchison |editor-first=Carl |title=History of Psychology in Autobiography |volume=2 |date=1930 |publisher=Clark University Press |location=Worcester, MA |pages=1–2 |chapter-url=http://psychclassics.yorku.ca/Terman/murchison.htm |access-date=27 April 2014 }} building on earlier and similar designs (such as Francis N. Maxfield's Color Cube Test).{{cite book|last1=Bettcher|first1=Brianne|last2=Libon|first2=David|last3=Kaplan|first3=Edith|last4=Swenson|first4=Rod|last5=Penney|first5=Dana|title=Encyclopedia of Clinical Neuropsychology|date=2011|pages=419–422|doi=10.1007/978-0-387-79948-3_1347|chapter=Block Design|isbn=978-0-387-79948-3|publisher=Springer}}

Kohs described the 1920s version of the test as a series of 17 cards which increase in complexity as the test progressed.{{cite book|last1=Kohs|first1=S. C.|title=Intelligence measurement: A psychological and statistical study based upon the block-design tests|url=https://archive.org/details/00530970R.nlm.nih.gov|date=1923|publisher=MacMillan Co.|pages=[https://archive.org/details/00530970R.nlm.nih.gov/page/n83 64]–77|doi=10.1037/11201-002|chapter=The test material}} Test takers replicated the designs with painted blocks (each side was a single color or two colors divided by a diagonal line). The initial scores were based on completion time and number of moves.{{Cite journal|last1=Hutt|first1=M. L.|title=The Kohs block-design tests. A revision for clinical practice.|journal=Journal of Applied Psychology|date=1932|pages=298–307|volume=16|issue=3|doi=10.1037/h0074559}} Hutt amended the scoring method to only score completion time. The test was given to both children and adults.

As early as the 1930s, the Kohs Block Test was administered at the Ohio School for the Deaf,{{cite news|title=Degree of Master of Arts Won by Mis Jean McDonald|date=1931-03-15|work=The Zanesville Signal|page=6, section 2|location=Zanesville, OH}} and at other schools with special needs students.

The Kohs Block Design Test has been adapted into sections in several current IQ tests.{{cite book |title=APA Dictionary of Psychology |author=American Psychological Association |author-link=American Psychological Association |date=2007 |publisher=American Psychological Association |location=Washington (DC) |isbn=978-1-59147-380-0 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/apadictionaryofp00vand }} The Kohs Test continues to be used in research extensively to measure executive functioning and learning, consistent with the original design of the test.{{Cite journal|year=2009|title=Learning effects in the block design task: A stimulus parameter-based approach|journal=Psychological Assessment|volume=21 |issue=4|pages=570–577|doi=10.1037/a0016762|pmid=19947790|last1=Miller|first1=J. C.|last2=Ruthig|first2=J. C.|last3=Bradley|first3=A. R.|last4=Wise|first4=R. A.|last5=Pedersen|first5=H. A.|last6=Ellison|first6=J. M.}}{{Cite journal|last1=Rozencwajg|first1=Paulette|last2=Corroyer|first2=Denis|title=Strategy development in a block design task|journal=Intelligence|volume=30|issue=1|pages=1–25|doi=10.1016/s0160-2896(01)00063-0|year=2001|citeseerx=10.1.1.484.2291}} This has made the Kohs Block Test useful for assessing the effects of aging,{{Cite journal|last1=Wetherell|first1=J. L.|last2=Reynolds|first2=C. A.|last3=Gatz|first3=M.|last4=Pedersen|first4=N. L.|title=Anxiety, Cognitive Performance, and Cognitive Decline in Normal Aging|journal=The Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences|volume=57|issue=3|pages=P246–P255|doi=10.1093/geronb/57.3.p246|year=2002|pmid=11983736|doi-access=free}} drug use,{{cite journal | last1 = Bagga | first1 = D. | last2 = Modi | first2 = S. | last3 = Poonia | first3 = M. | last4 = Kaur | first4 = P. | last5 = Bhattacharya | first5 = D. | last6 = Garg | first6 = M. L. | last7 = Singh | first7 = N. | year = 2015 | title = T2 relaxation time alterations underlying neurocognitive deficits in alcohol-use disorders (AUD) in an Indian population: A combined conventional ROI and voxel-based relaxometry analysis | journal = Alcohol | volume = 49 | issue = 7| pages = 639–646 | doi=10.1016/j.alcohol.2015.07.002| pmid = 26537482 }} and in brain research,{{cite journal | last1 = Arja | first1 = S. K. | last2 = Feng | first2 = Z. | last3 = Chen | first3 = Z. | last4 = Caprihan | first4 = A. | last5 = Kiehl | first5 = K. A. | last6 = Adali | first6 = T. | last7 = Calhoun | first7 = V. D. | year = 2010 | title = Changes in fMRI magnitude data and phase data observed in block-design and event-related tasks | journal = NeuroImage | volume = 49 | issue = 4| pages = 3149–3160 | doi=10.1016/j.neuroimage.2009.10.087| pmid = 19900561 | pmc = 2848493 }} among other areas. In particular, that the Kohs is a relatively non-verbal test lends it to be used effectively in assessment of those with language issues and in multicultural research settings to reduce the impact of language on assessment of functioning.

Patients with damage to the right hemisphere of the brain find successful completion of the task to be extremely difficult, so the test is often used to diagnose right hemisphere damage.{{cite book |title=The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind |author=Jaynes, Julian |author-link=Julian Jaynes |date=1976 |publisher=First Mariner Books|pages=118–119 |location=Boston/New York |isbn=978-0-618-05707-8 |title-link=The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind }}

• Block design test

{{Reflist}}

• {{cite book | title = The Measurement of Adult Intelligence | year = 1944 | url = https://archive.org/details/measurementofadu001469mbp |author= David Wechsler | pages = [https://archive.org/details/measurementofadu001469mbp/page/n104 91]–4 | publisher = THE WILLIAMS & WILKINS COMPANY }}
• {{cite book | title = Modern Clinical Psychology | url = https://archive.org/details/modernclinicalps033007mbp |author=Richards, T. W. | year = 1946 | page = [https://archive.org/details/modernclinicalps033007mbp/page/n71 54] | publisher = McGraw Hill Book Company }}
• {{cite book | title = Psychology And Practical Life |year=1948 |author1=Collins, Mary |author2=Drever, James | url = https://archive.org/details/psychologyandpra031944mbp |pages=[https://archive.org/details/psychologyandpra031944mbp/page/n109 96], 122|publisher=University Of London Press, Limited }}
• {{cite book |title=The Measurement and Appraisal of Adult Intelligence |last=Wechsler |first=David |author-link=David Wechsler |date=1958 |edition=fourth |publisher=Williams & Witkins |location=Baltimore (MD) |page=[https://archive.org/details/measurementandap001570mbp/page/n94 79] |url=https://archive.org/details/measurementandap001570mbp |access-date=4 June 2013}}
• {{cite book |editor1=D. J. Keyser |editor2=R. C. Sweetland |author=Stone, M. | year =1985 | chapter = Kohs Block Design Test | title = Test Critiques | volume = II | location = Kansas City | publisher = Test Corporation of America }}
• {{Cite book |title=IQ Testing 101 |url=https://archive.org/details/iqtestingpsych00phdd_038 |url-access=limited |last=Kaufman |first=Alan S. |author-link=Alan S. Kaufman |year=2009 |publisher=Springer Publishing |location=New York |isbn=978-0-8261-0629-2 |page=[https://archive.org/details/iqtestingpsych00phdd_038/page/n171 157] }}
• {{Cite book |title=Assessing Adolescent and Adult Intelligence |url=https://archive.org/details/assessingadolesc00kauf_721 |url-access=limited |last1=Kaufman |first1=Alan S. |last2=Lichtenberger |first2=Elizabeth |author-link1=Alan S. Kaufman |edition=3rd |year=2006 |publisher=Wiley |location=Hoboken (NJ) |isbn=978-0-471-73553-3 |page=[https://archive.org/details/assessingadolesc00kauf_721/page/n88 68]}}

{{Commons category|Kohs block design tests}}

{{Wikisource|Block-Design Tests}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Intelligence tests