Reliability and validity of the rey visual design learning test in primary school children

The Rey Visual Design Learning Test (Rey, 1964, in Spreen & Strauss, 1991) assesses immediate memory span, new learning and recognition for non-verbal material. Three studies are presented that focused on the reliability and validity of the RVDLT in primary school children. Test-retest reliability and the reliability of the scoring protocol proved satisfactory. A verbalization strategy training improved test performance, which indicates that test items are sensitive to verbalization. Further research, especially with clinical samples, is needed to assess its validity and more normative data needs to be gathered. Suggestions for improvements in the test administration are discussed. It is concluded that the RVDLT is a potentially useful instrument to measure different aspects of visual memory in children.