Does strategy instruction on the Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure task lead to transferred performance improvement on the Modified Taylor Complex Figure task? A randomized controlled trial in school-aged children

Figures & data

Figure 1. Modified Complex Taylor Figure.

Notes: Copyright © 1996, 1998 Anita M. Hubley. All rights reserved. Reproduced by permission from Anita M. Hubley.

Table 1. Characteristics of the participants per instruction group.

	Stepwise instruction (n = 45)	Standard administration (n = 53)	df	F/χ	p
Age, M (SD)	10.65 (.66)	10.56 (.74)	1.96	.43	.52
Male, N (%)	19 (42)	26 (49)	1	.46	.50
LPE, M (SD)	5.80 (1.24)	5.90 (1.54)	1.96	.13	.72
IQ, M (SD)	101.07 (12.84)	103.34 (13.10)	1.96	.75	.39
Days, M (SD)	28.69 (10.11)	28.45 (7.39)	1.96	.02	.89

Notes:

M = mean, SD = standard deviation, LPE = Highest level of parental education, IQ = Estimated IQ score, Days = number of days between pretest and posttest.

Figure 2. Overview of the assessment procedure.

Figure 3. Stepwise instruction format for the Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure.

Notes: The complete Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure as presented in step 3 was derived from Le Test de Copie d’Une Figure Complexe (Osterrieth, 1944); in the public domain. Elements added in step 1, 2, and 3 were colored red, blue, and green, respectively.

Table 2. Correlations between complex figure outcomes (i.e. RCF-OSS, accuracy score, and completion time) during pretest and posttest for the standard administration group (n = 45).

			Pretest						Posttest
			Copy			Recall			Copy			Recall
			RCF-OSS	Accuracy score	Completion time	RCF-OSS	Accuracy score	Completion time	RCF-OSS	Accuracy score	Completion time	RCF-OSS	Accuracy score	Completion time
Pretest	Copy	RCF-OSS	–
		Accuracy score	.421^**	–
		Completion time	−.109	.067	–
	Recall	RCF-OSS	.609^***	.512^***	−.026	–
		Accuracy score	.465^**	.550^***	.058	.717^***	–
		Completion time	.208	.228	.521^***	.202	.301^*	–
Posttest	Copy	RCF-OSS	.381^**	.187	−.199	.314^*	.207	−.065	–
		Accuracy score	.173	.500^***	.331^*	.368^**	.517^***	.449^**	.151	–
		Completion time	−.031	−.045	.649^***	−.147	−.192	.504^***	−.150	.136	–
	Recall	RCF-OSS	.276^*	.387^**	−.086	.515^***	.348^*	.167	.444^**	.408^**	−.213	–
		Accuracy score	.275^*	.359^**	.193	.513^***	.583^***	.369^**	.246	.528^***	−.135	.613^***	–
		Completion time	.028	.067	.570^***	−.103	.009	.590^***	−.169	.383^**	.611^***	−.050	.103	–

Notes:

RCF-OSS = Rey Complex Figure Organizational Strategy Score.

^* p < .05.

^** p < .01.

^*** p < .001.

Figure 4. Graphic representation of the influence of strategy instruction on organizational recall performance.

Notes: Organizational level was assessed with the Rey Complex Figure Organizational Strategy Score (Anderson et al., 2001). Scores could range van 1 to 7. The difference between standard and the stepwise administration was significant at posttest.

Table 3. Complex figure task performance for the stepwise instruction and the standard administration group.

		Copy		Recall
		Pretest	Posttest	Pretest	Posttest
		M (SD) [range]	M (SD) [range]	M (SD) [range]	M (SD) [range]
RCF-OSS	Stepwise	4.38^1 (.78)	4.80^1 (.50)	3.22^2 (1.36)	4.60^2 (.99)
		[3–6]	[3–6]	[2–6]	[2–6]
	Standard	4.15^1 (.94)	4.54^1 (.75)	3.42^2 (1.26)	3.96^2 (1.24)
		[2–6]	[3–6]	[1–6]	[2–5]
Accuracy	Stepwise	25.09 (3.96)	26.79 (3.47)	12.57^1 (5.93)	15.18^1 (5.22)
		[16.00–33.00]	[19.00–33.50]	[3.50–23.00]	[4.00–25.00]
	Standard	24.93 (6.00)	24.68 (4.11)	12.67^1 (6.12)	13.89^1 (5.92)
		[10.50–35.00]	[17.00–32.00]	[2.50–26.00]	[2.50–29.00]
Completion time (seconds)	Stepwise	223.27^1 (74.87)	137.20^1 (41.83)	130.96^1 (47.80)	90.71^1 (28.81)
		[62–421]	[72–255]	[48–243]	[46–185]
	Standard	228.60^1 (81.59)	151.71^1 (54.97)	154.65^1 (59.55)	102.96^1 (35.00)
		[121–478]	[72–310]	[54–285]	[36–183]

Notes:

The stepwise group consisted of 45 children. In the standard administration group, 53 children participated, of which one was removed from subsequent analyses due to its outlying scores.

Abbreviations: M = mean, SD = standard deviation, RCF-OSS = Rey Complex Figure Organizational Scoring System (see Anderson et al., 2001).

¹ Main effect of time of measurement: better performance at posttest than at pretest across administration groups.

² Interaction between administration group and time of measurement: more improvement from pretest to posttest for stepwise administration group than for standard administration group.

Figure 5. Examples of children’s drawings with commonly seen points of discussion regarding the ReyComplex Figure Organizational Strategy Score (RCF-OSS). Notes: (a) Centerline or not? Lines 14 and 28 together are here seen as the vertical centerline, but this might lead to discussion given the curving of line 28. (ROCF copy, level 5). (b) Piecemeal or not? Drawing has characteristics (e.g. left corner) of piecemeal but is rated level 5 due to presence of 2 complete centerlines. (ROCF, level 5). (c) Connecting or not? Lines 36 and 10 were not considered to be connecting (i.e. form a complete horizontal centerline together), since they were more than 3mm apart. (ROCF copy, level 4).

Table

Square	Refers to large square and is a configural component of the figure
Centerlines	Refers to vertical and horizontal bisectors of square. Centerlines are also configural components of figure, and separately drawn portions must connect
Contour	Refers to outline of figure. This may (or may not) include total outline, such as arrows, semi-circle including two dots, triangle, or small rectangle on top of the figure
Diagonals	Refers to diagonals of square. Diagonals do not have to be completed as single whole lines and sections of each diagonal do not have to connect
Outside attachments	Refers to all sections of figure external to square, includes arrows; large triangle attached on left side of the figure; small rectangle on top of the figure; semi-circle with two dots; triangle on the right
Internal sections	Refers to all internal sections of large square which could be divided into half, quarters or eights. This includes: short horizontal and short diagonal line in upper right quadrant; triangle on the ride with two vertical lines; horizontal line in lower right quadrant; wavy line with two short lines; horizontal and vertical lines in upper left quadrant; circle in upper left quadrant; four horizontal lines within triangle on the left
Alignment	Refers to an ‘attempt’ (i.e. perfect execution not necessary) to align or connect outside attachments and internal sections with centerlines. Alignment of diagonals refers to an ‘attempt’ to connect sections of each diagonal at midpoint junction of vertical and horizontal centerlines

Osterrieth, P. A. (1944). Le test de copie d’une figure complexe: Contribution a l’etude de la perception et de la memoire [Copying a complex figure: Contributions to the study of perception and memory]. Archives de Psychologie, 30, 206–356.

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Anderson, P., Anderson, V., & Garth, J. (2001). Assessment and development of organizational ability: The Rey complex figure organizational strategy score (RCF-OSS). The Clinical Neuropsychologist, 15(1), 81–94.10.1076/clin.15.1.81.1905

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