Assessing Age-related Changes in Perceptual Organization among Children Using the Common Region Test

Description

Urvashi Chittodiya¹ and Snehlata Jaswal² (Chaudhary Charan Singh University, Meerut¹ and Department of Psychology, School of Human Sciences, Sikkim University, Gangtok, Sikkim²)

Perceptual organization is basic to information processing and higher cognitive functions. The Common Region Test is a simple paper and pencil tool that assesses perceptual organization. It relies on the participant drawing circles around dots which s/he thinks belong together. With minimal use of language, the test can be used across different cultures and subcultures. The present researchers used the Common Region Test on an Indian sample from Meerut, a part of the National Capital Region, comprising 492 boys and 351 girls (Total N = 843) ranging in age from 3 to 11 years. On the basis of this sample, age-related norms for the whole group as well as separately for males and females are presented. Very few and inconsistent differences were observed between boys and girls at the younger age levels, with significant differences emerging at 10.5 years and 11 years of age with the girls at an advantage. The regression equation defining the linear regression of test scores on age is also presented to enable prediction of scores from age, for typically developing children. This simple, interesting, paper and pencil test can be used as a screening tool with children to identify their perceptual organization abilities, especially among children with special needs, and may thus be useful in a variety of psychological and educational settings.