The "Guinea Pig" Formboard: its construction and some learning norms

A formboard test was presented to 51 male (age 20-45) and 47 female (age 18-36) Ss having a college level education. The test attempted to follow a definite principle of construction in the six figures which comprise it. Each S was presented with a set of randomly arranged blocks and asked to put them where they belonged as quickly as possible. Three successively timed trials were given. Results indicate no significant sex differences in mean time on any of the trials; a trial-to-trail improvement that is almost identical for males and females; and virtually no differences when reversals of the first order in succeeding trials over previous trials are considered. The author suggests that the task offers promise for further study of the qualitative nature of formboard response and merits standardization on a group through various age levels.