Design Recall Test (DRT)

Abstract

The Design Recall Test (DRT), developed by Kagan et al. in 1964, is a specialized instrument utilized to evaluate analytic performance in children. The methodology involves presenting a complex geometric design to the subject for study. Following a brief retention interval, typically 15 seconds, the original design is removed and then presented again alongside several similar variants (stimuli).

The core task requires the subject to accurately identify the design that is identical to the initial standard from the array of similar stimuli. The measure of analytic performance is strictly defined by the absence of incorrect initial guesses, reflecting the child’s ability to select the correct answer efficiently and on the first attempt, minimizing impulsive errors.

Keywords

Analytic Performance, Design Recall Test, Information Processing, Geometric Designs, Cognitive Assessment, Delayed Recognition, Child Psychology, Perceptual Discrimination.

Authors

Kagan, Jerome, Rosman, Bernice L., Day, Deborah, Albert, Joseph, Phillips, William.

Purpose

The primary purpose of the Design Recall Test (DRT) is the objective assessment of analytic performance capabilities within a child population. This instrument was conceived as a method to empirically differentiate between children who approach perceptual and cognitive tasks analytically versus those who rely on more global or impulsive strategies.

By focusing on the accuracy of the first response following a short delay, the DRT aims to capture the efficiency and precision of visual memory and discrimination skills, which are crucial components of analytic performance in early development.

Construct

The central psychological construct measured by the DRT is Analytic Performance. Within the theoretical framework established by Kagan and colleagues, analytic performance is characterized by the ability to systematically process visual information, attend to defining details, and resist the interference of highly similar distractors.

Operationally, this construct is measured by the subject’s capacity to correctly select the standard stimulus from a field of variants immediately after the retention period, specifically minimizing incorrect attempts or impulsive responding. This construct is closely related to early theories of information processing and cognitive style.

Validity

Specific empirical data regarding the formal validity (e.g., construct, criterion, or predictive validity) of the Design Recall Test were not detailed in the primary source documentation (Kagan et al., 1964). Researchers intending to utilize the DRT should consult subsequent literature that may have established its external correlates or internal structure since its initial publication.

Reliability

Formal statistics for the reliability (e.g., internal consistency, test-retest reliability) of the Design Recall Test were not explicitly reported in the foundational study by Kagan and colleagues in 1964. The utility of the test relies heavily on the consistency of administration and scoring, particularly the precise measurement of the first correct response.

Factor Analysis

No formal factor analysis or psychometric studies detailing the underlying latent structure of the Design Recall Test have been indicated or reported in the initial publication. The scale is treated as a single measure designed to capture the singular construct of analytic performance.

Instrument

Test Type: Test

Format: The test utilizes a pictorial format, consisting of visual presentation and recognition tasks involving geometric designs.

Language Available: English

Population Group: Human; Male; Female

Age Group: Primarily used with children of elementary school age, specifically second-grade level, based on the original sample.

Population Details: Sample utilized in the foundational research consisted of Second Grade Children residing in the United States.

Test Methodology: The administration method involves a delayed recognition task. Subjects are shown a standard stimulus, followed by a 15-second delay (retention interval), and then asked to select the original design from an array of foils. The administration method is classified as “Other” due to its specific experimental nature.

Keywords

Delayed Recognition, Cognitive Style, Child Development, Visual Memory, Kagan, 1964, Perceptual Discrimination, Analytic Performance.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Not indicated in source material.

Affiliation Email addresses: Not indicated in source material.

Correspondence Address: Correspondence should be directed to the primary author, Jerome Kagan, or the original publisher of Psychological Monographs.

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

Permissions: The Design Recall Test may be used for academic purposes, specifically research and teaching, based on the original source permissions.

Commercial Status and Fee: The instrument is non-commercial, and no fee is associated with its use for research or teaching purposes.

Test Year: 1964.

Reference’s

Kagan, J., Rosman, B. L., Day, D., Albert, J., & Phillips, W. (1964). Information processing in the child: Significance of analytic and reflective attitudes. Psychological Monographs: General and Applied, 78(1), 1–37. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0093830

Items of the Design Recall Test (DRT)

IMPORTANT: The following scale items must be preserved in their original language and must not be changed in any way.

Test items are not available in the provided source material. To obtain the specific test items used in the Design Recall Test, researchers are advised to contact the original author or the journal publisher directly.