THE EFFECT OF PRE-TEST PRACTICE AND SEX ON EMBEDDED FIGURE TEST PERFORMANCE
JOSH BREHM, ASHLEY JAMESON, MAT LAMBOURN
07JJBREH@ALMA.EDU, 07AMJAME@ALMA.EDU, LAMBORGINI02@YAHOO.COM
Alma College Department of Psychology
The Embedded Figure Test is a measure of both cognitive method and analytical ability and involves detecting simple objects embedded in larger, more elaborate figures. After the developement of a standard embedded figure test by Witkin in 1950, many researchers began to look at why perfomances can vary so greatly on these tests (Huss and Kayson, 1985). Many experiments focus on differences in sex in relation to performance on embedded figure tests (Schaeffer and Thomas, 1998; Huss and Kayson, 1985). Huss and Kayson looked at both age and sex as variables of performance. They found that sex has an effect on performance. The males in their study found the embedded figures more quickly than the females. Another study found no significant difference between males and females who were given practice before being tested for speed on an embedded figure test (Schaeffer and Thomas, 1998). The inconsistent findings make it hard to hypothesize an outcome. Thus, our experiment separates male and female results simply to observe any differences, but our main hypothesis was that practice will increase performance on embedded figure tests.
METHODS
The subjects were 61 Alma College students ranging in ages from 18 to 22. They were selected on a volunteer basis and assigned randomly to three test groups, each divided equally between males and females. The materials included were an embedded figure test (Fig. 1), a reverse image booklet, a Where's Waldo book, a stopwatch, a pointing tool, and lists of objects to find within the embedded figure test. The subjects were divided into three groups. Each group had ten to eleven males and ten females. the first group was given the embedded figure test with no practice. The second group was given two minutes to view the Reverse Image booklet (which included various Ambigous Figures and their descriptions) to enhance the ability the see mulitiple images in one picture. The third group was given two minutes to view the Where's Waldo book to enhance the ability to search for hidden objects in a picture. The embedded figure test included picture with multiple hidden images. Each subject was given a list of four items to find and could only move on to the next list after they had found each item. They were to point out the image witht he pointing tool to increase specificity of identification. We recorded the amount of time it took each subject for each list. The test included three lists of four items. the times for each list of four words for each test group was averaged and counted as as an individual assessment. Each of the averages from each group under the male or female category was averaged to find the three averages per sex.
Click here for example of an Ambiguous Figure
Click here for another example of an Ambiguous Figure
Fig. 1 Embedded Figure Test
RESULTS
The males with no practice completed the three lists in an average time of 60.8 seconds; with the ambiguous figure review the males took an average of 68.2 seconds to identify all the items in the three lists; males that were given the hidden figure review found the items in the three lists in an average of 52.8 seconds. Females with no practice were able to find the items in an average time of 58.8 seconds; with the ambiguous figure review the females took an average of 49.4 seconds to identify the items in the three lists; females that were given the figure review found the items in the three lists in an average of 49.0 seconds. Both males and females performed better when they were given the hidden figure review. Males decreased their time by 8 seconds while females decreased their time by 9.8 seconds. The females benefited nearly as much with the ambiguous figure review while the males showed an increase in time needed to complete the embedded figure test.
DISCUSSION
The results that were obtained from this experiment show that both female and male participants benefit from the hidden figure review. The decrease in time for males and females is nearly identical. This information was found by Schaefer when he did his study on how practice affects performance on embedded figure tests. However, the hidden figure review only decreased the female's average time on the embedded figure test while increasing the male's average time, which came as a complete surprise. If these same results could be replicated at a larger level a biological or cultural difference among men and women's abilities to perform better on embedded figure test than males after being given an ambiguous figure review could be discovered. Women may have benefited more from this type of review because they may have paid more attention to it and; therefore, benefited from it more than the males.
REFERENCES
Block, Richard J. (1989) Can you believe your eyes? New York: Gardner Press, Inc. (pp. 16-17)
Debnam, Betty. (1993) Mini Spy. Unversal Press Syndicate. Mini Pages.
Handford, Martin. (1989) Where's Waldo?: The Fantastic Journey. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Candlewick Press.
Huss, Eric T., & Kayson, Wesley A. (1985) Effects of Age and Sex On Speed of Finding Embedded Figures. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 61. 591-594.
Schaefer, Paul D., & Thomas, Jocelyn. (1998) Difficulty of a Spatial Task and Sex Differences in Gains From Practice. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 87. 56-58.
Shepard, Roger N. (1990) Mind Sights. New York: W.H. Freeman & Co. (pp. 61, 73-74)
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