The Performance of Australian Children and Adolescents on Rey's Tangled Lines Test

Abstract

Objective

The study aimed to generate preliminary Australian normative data for the performance of individuals aged 8–15 years on the Rey Tangled Lines Test (Rey TLT), and to chronicle age‐related trends in the acquisition of processing speed and accuracy. The Rey TLT is a neuropsychometric test that queries processing speed and was intended to assist in the differentiation of problems in fine eye tracking from wider cognitive disorders. This instrument does not require verbal or motor responses and may be administered in less than 10 min. To date, it has been unavailable for inclusion in a child or adolescent cognitive assessment battery due to the absence of normative data for this population.

Methods

N = 120 children aged 8–15 years (68 females and 52 males) were recruited to establish four, 2‐year chronological age groups (i.e., 8–9, 10–11, 12–13, and 14–15 years) with n = 30 participants per group. The Rey TLT was administered to each participant in a single session. Response time and accuracy were documented.

Results

Sets of normative data for Australian children's performance on the Rey TLT were collected. Completion time decreased and task accuracy increased with age; younger children generally performed more slowly and less accurately than older children.

Conclusions

The Rey TLT appears to be sensitive to changes in age of children and is quick and simple to administer. It holds promise for inclusion in a battery of psychological tests to examine processing speed and fine eye tracking.

Key words:

• cognitive assessment
• cognitive functioning
• eye tracking
• neuropsychometric test
• processing speed
• Rey Tangled Lines Test

Acknowledgements

The authors thank Associate Professor Graeme Senior of the University of Southern Queensland for his generosity in providing extensive background information on the Rey Tangled Lines Test and for his translation from Rey's French original. We also thank Jo Brown and the staff at Baringa Hospital, and Alan Ball and the students of Bishop Druitt College for assistance with the recruitment of participants.