Perceptualand Motor Skills, 1991, 73, 792-794.
O Perceptual and Motor Skills 1991
VISUAL MEMORY DEVELOPMENT I N PRESCHOOL CHILDREN ' NICHOLAS C. ALIOTTI AND DAVID ALI RAJABIUN
Family Enrichment Center La Mesa, California Mesa Vista Hospiial, Sun Diego, California Summary.-113 3-, 4-, 5-, and 6-yc-old preschool children were administered the Bannatyne Visuospatial Memory test to obtain cross-sectional data on a downward extension of the test instrument. Means, standard deviations, and correlation coefficients for the sample as well as estimates of validity and reliability are reported. Analysis of variance for the number of correct matches indicated significant differences for age but not for sex. Results were consistent with previous findings and support the efficacy of this test in assessing motor-free visuospatial memory of preschool children as young as three.
The current study extends previous research on the development of visuospatial form recognition as measured by the Bannatyne Visuospatial Memory test. The test sample included children at three and four years and represents a downward extension of the norming sample. Previous studies (Aliotti, 1974, 1 9 8 0 ) yielded a linear developmental trend of improved visuospatial memory with increasing age. For various perceptual processes a linear developmental trend is often typical. Koppitz ( 1 9 7 3 ) , for example, observed that errors were significantly related to age, as most children showed a decrease in errors to none by 12 years of age. The Bannatyne Visuospatial Memory test is sensitive to age. The original design was conceptualized so the average child's would be approximately equal to his chronological age. The revised Bannatyne test has 1.5 designs in a booklet which are individually presented for 5 sec., then a blank blue page is turned, which takes 1 sec., and six multiple-choice designs are shown from which the subject is required to select one thought to be the same as the original. The six designs which are randomly placed on the page are, with exception of the original, slight variants of the originaI design: Mirror Reversal (literally a mirrorimage reversal), Rotation ( 9 0 ° clockwise rotation), Fragmentation (a small piece is missing from the design), Simplification (a small piece is deleted), and Complication (a small piece is added). The subjects were 113 preschool children residing in New York, Texas, and California. The test sample included the Toyland Preschool in AIbany, New York (n = 12), the Saratoga Preschool in Saratoga, New York (n = 7), the
'Address correspondence to N. C. Aliotti, Ph.D., Family Enrichment Center, 5232 Jackson Drive, Suite 204, La Mesa, CA 91941.
793
PRESCHOOL CHILDREN'S VISUAL MEMORY
Jefferson Preschool in Schenectady, New York (n = 21), the Montessori Preschool in Lubbock, Texas (n = 16), and preschool children in various San Diego schools (n = 57). There were 15 3-yr.-old children, 24 4-yr.-old children, 43 5-yr.-old children, and 31 6-yr.-old children. There were 47 boys and 66 girls. Scores increased with age, except those of the 3- and 4-yt-old children. The means (and standard deviations) of the original score (the number correct) for the 3-, 4-, 5-, and 6-yr.-old children were 3.7 (.7), 2.9 (1.2), 5.1 (3.0), and 7.0 (2.3), respectively. The over-all mean and standard deviation were 5.0 and 2.7, respectively. The current study supports the generahation that, on the average, children tend to recall as correct the number of items which approximate their chronological ages (Aliotti, 1974, 1980). TABLE 1
MEANS, STANDARDDEVIATIONS, AND UNNARLATEF RATIOS FORNUMBEROP CORRECTMATCHES(ORIGINAL) BY AGEAND SEX
Source Sex Age
Interaction
F
df
P
.07 14.80 4.58
1,105 3,105 3,105
ns < ,001 < .001
4 yr.
3 yr.
Boys Girls Total
5 yr.
6 yr.
M
SD
M
SD
M
SD
M
SD
3.14 4.25 3.73
.38 .16
3.14 2.60 2.92
1.29 1.08
6.31 4.37 5.09
.50 3.26
5.80 7.66 7.02
.65 2.24
Univariate analysis of variance for the correct original match indicated no significant effect for sex (F,,,,, = .07) but significant effects for age (F,,,,, = 14.80, p < ,001) and a significant interaction (F,,,,,= 4.58, p < .01). The 4- and 5-yr.-old boys performed better than the girls, but the 3- and 6-yr.-old girls performed better than the boys. Means for 3-, 4-, 5-, and 6-yr.-old boys were 3.1, 3.1, 6.3, and 5.8, respectively. Means for 3-, 4-, 5-, and 6-yr.-old girls were 4.3, 2.6, 4.4, and 7.7, respectively. Finally, consistent with Aliotti's report (1980), the most frequent error was the mirrorimage choice (M = 2.7, SD = 1.5; percent of erroneous choices = 27%). This tendency to choose the rnirror-image error was observed for both boys and girls (Mboyr = 2.6 and SD = 1.4; Mgi,,,= 2.7 and SD = 1.6). To assess the internal consistency of the Bannatyne test, the odd and even scores for the original matches were analyzed. The mean and standard deviation for the eight odd items were 2.9 and 1.7, respectively. The mean and standard deviation for the seven even items were 2.1 and 1.4, respectively. The standard errors for the odd and even scores were .16 and .14, respectively. The Pearson correlation for the odd and even scores was .47
794
N. C. ALIOTTI & D. A. RAJABIUN
( p < .001). The standard error for the total original score was .26. I n general, the Bannatyne Visuospatial Memory test has the psychometric properties required for the test to be useful in evaluating young preschool children. The present study extends the lower age range to 3-yr.-old children. REFERENCES A ~ l o r n N. , C. Note on validity and reliability of the Bannatyne Visuospatial Memory test. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 1974, 38, 963-966. Auo~n,N. C. Tendency to mirror image on a visual memory test. Academic Therapy, 1980, 15, 261-267. KOPPITZ,E. M. The Bender Geskalt test for young children. New York: Gmne & Stratton, 1973. Accepted Noumber 2, 1991.
O Perceptual and Motor Skills 1991
VISUAL MEMORY DEVELOPMENT I N PRESCHOOL CHILDREN ' NICHOLAS C. ALIOTTI AND DAVID ALI RAJABIUN
Family Enrichment Center La Mesa, California Mesa Vista Hospiial, Sun Diego, California Summary.-113 3-, 4-, 5-, and 6-yc-old preschool children were administered the Bannatyne Visuospatial Memory test to obtain cross-sectional data on a downward extension of the test instrument. Means, standard deviations, and correlation coefficients for the sample as well as estimates of validity and reliability are reported. Analysis of variance for the number of correct matches indicated significant differences for age but not for sex. Results were consistent with previous findings and support the efficacy of this test in assessing motor-free visuospatial memory of preschool children as young as three.
The current study extends previous research on the development of visuospatial form recognition as measured by the Bannatyne Visuospatial Memory test. The test sample included children at three and four years and represents a downward extension of the norming sample. Previous studies (Aliotti, 1974, 1 9 8 0 ) yielded a linear developmental trend of improved visuospatial memory with increasing age. For various perceptual processes a linear developmental trend is often typical. Koppitz ( 1 9 7 3 ) , for example, observed that errors were significantly related to age, as most children showed a decrease in errors to none by 12 years of age. The Bannatyne Visuospatial Memory test is sensitive to age. The original design was conceptualized so the average child's would be approximately equal to his chronological age. The revised Bannatyne test has 1.5 designs in a booklet which are individually presented for 5 sec., then a blank blue page is turned, which takes 1 sec., and six multiple-choice designs are shown from which the subject is required to select one thought to be the same as the original. The six designs which are randomly placed on the page are, with exception of the original, slight variants of the originaI design: Mirror Reversal (literally a mirrorimage reversal), Rotation ( 9 0 ° clockwise rotation), Fragmentation (a small piece is missing from the design), Simplification (a small piece is deleted), and Complication (a small piece is added). The subjects were 113 preschool children residing in New York, Texas, and California. The test sample included the Toyland Preschool in AIbany, New York (n = 12), the Saratoga Preschool in Saratoga, New York (n = 7), the
'Address correspondence to N. C. Aliotti, Ph.D., Family Enrichment Center, 5232 Jackson Drive, Suite 204, La Mesa, CA 91941.
793
PRESCHOOL CHILDREN'S VISUAL MEMORY
Jefferson Preschool in Schenectady, New York (n = 21), the Montessori Preschool in Lubbock, Texas (n = 16), and preschool children in various San Diego schools (n = 57). There were 15 3-yr.-old children, 24 4-yr.-old children, 43 5-yr.-old children, and 31 6-yr.-old children. There were 47 boys and 66 girls. Scores increased with age, except those of the 3- and 4-yt-old children. The means (and standard deviations) of the original score (the number correct) for the 3-, 4-, 5-, and 6-yr.-old children were 3.7 (.7), 2.9 (1.2), 5.1 (3.0), and 7.0 (2.3), respectively. The over-all mean and standard deviation were 5.0 and 2.7, respectively. The current study supports the generahation that, on the average, children tend to recall as correct the number of items which approximate their chronological ages (Aliotti, 1974, 1980). TABLE 1
MEANS, STANDARDDEVIATIONS, AND UNNARLATEF RATIOS FORNUMBEROP CORRECTMATCHES(ORIGINAL) BY AGEAND SEX
Source Sex Age
Interaction
F
df
P
.07 14.80 4.58
1,105 3,105 3,105
ns < ,001 < .001
4 yr.
3 yr.
Boys Girls Total
5 yr.
6 yr.
M
SD
M
SD
M
SD
M
SD
3.14 4.25 3.73
.38 .16
3.14 2.60 2.92
1.29 1.08
6.31 4.37 5.09
.50 3.26
5.80 7.66 7.02
.65 2.24
Univariate analysis of variance for the correct original match indicated no significant effect for sex (F,,,,, = .07) but significant effects for age (F,,,,, = 14.80, p < ,001) and a significant interaction (F,,,,,= 4.58, p < .01). The 4- and 5-yr.-old boys performed better than the girls, but the 3- and 6-yr.-old girls performed better than the boys. Means for 3-, 4-, 5-, and 6-yr.-old boys were 3.1, 3.1, 6.3, and 5.8, respectively. Means for 3-, 4-, 5-, and 6-yr.-old girls were 4.3, 2.6, 4.4, and 7.7, respectively. Finally, consistent with Aliotti's report (1980), the most frequent error was the mirrorimage choice (M = 2.7, SD = 1.5; percent of erroneous choices = 27%). This tendency to choose the rnirror-image error was observed for both boys and girls (Mboyr = 2.6 and SD = 1.4; Mgi,,,= 2.7 and SD = 1.6). To assess the internal consistency of the Bannatyne test, the odd and even scores for the original matches were analyzed. The mean and standard deviation for the eight odd items were 2.9 and 1.7, respectively. The mean and standard deviation for the seven even items were 2.1 and 1.4, respectively. The standard errors for the odd and even scores were .16 and .14, respectively. The Pearson correlation for the odd and even scores was .47
794
N. C. ALIOTTI & D. A. RAJABIUN
( p < .001). The standard error for the total original score was .26. I n general, the Bannatyne Visuospatial Memory test has the psychometric properties required for the test to be useful in evaluating young preschool children. The present study extends the lower age range to 3-yr.-old children. REFERENCES A ~ l o r n N. , C. Note on validity and reliability of the Bannatyne Visuospatial Memory test. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 1974, 38, 963-966. Auo~n,N. C. Tendency to mirror image on a visual memory test. Academic Therapy, 1980, 15, 261-267. KOPPITZ,E. M. The Bender Geskalt test for young children. New York: Gmne & Stratton, 1973. Accepted Noumber 2, 1991.
