Procedures
CONCURRENT VALIDITY OF THE PSYMARK SHAPES TEST AND THE VMI
Randy Fall, Azusa Pacific University
CASP, 2025
Abstract
Background
The Problem
The Developmental Test of Visual Motor Integration (VMI) was a critical step forward in visual-motor assessment in its time, adding developmentally relevant scoring criteria and standardization.
Current visual-motor measures have significant scoring limitations
For example, the Developmental Test of Visual Motor Integration (VMI) scores each item 1 or 0, based on 3-7 criteria. The test produces only a single overall score.
Some of the scoring requires precise measurements that practitioners often estimate (e.g., angle 60 degrees or less, horizontal axis between 170 degrees and 190 degrees)
Objectives
Bernstein study (2025)
Conclusion
Concurrent Validity – Younger Sample
Current Progress
Standardization has been completed for 4-8 year olds.
Standardization is underway for 9-12 year olds
Psymark Shapes is currently being studied in doctoral dissertation studies at two universities
Psymark Shapes is in use by teachers at several districts as a screener for 4-6 year olds
Occupational Therapists and teachers have found it particularly useful, even before standardization, for progress monitoring.
Using a smaller subset of the overall sample limited to14 children ages 4-6 years old, the overall accuracy score of the Shapes test was found to have a Pearson correlation of .64 with the VMI raw score.
Traditional paper-and-pencil measures of visual-motor functioning have significant limitations in reliability of scoring, construct validity and interpretability of scores. This study reports results of an investigation of a concurrent validity study of visual-motor assessment on the iPad, the Psymark Shapes Test, to the Developmental Test of Visual-Motor Integration, 6th Edition (VMI).
Findings of this study and one other current study indicate moderate correlations between the VMI and the Shapes test. Ceiling issues on both tests, a low ceiling on the VMI and high ceiling on the Shapes test appeared to affect the results.
Current study (2025)
The Psymark Shapes accuracy score is a combinations of component scores. Each item is scored for:
Rotation
Scale
Line consistency
Noise
The Accuracy score is a combination of these four component scores, averaged across items.
The VMI score is a raw score count, a sum of 1 or 0 scoring of each item.
Concurrent Validity - Correlation
Using a combined sample of 65 young children and adults, the Shapes overall accuracy score of the Shapes test was found to have a Pearson correlation of .76 with the VMI raw score.
Concurrent Validity – Ceiling Effects
The VMI has a significant ceiling for adults.
80% of adults in our sample earned raw scores between 27 and 30, that is, within three points of the highest possible score.
This ceiling clearly limits the variance within the VMI, limiting the meaning of criterion-related validity measures for adult populations
Moderate correlations between the Psymark Shapes test and the VMI. Some of the difference in the tests outcomes appears to be due to differences in the approach to scoring.
The VMI scores items 1 or 0, and produces a single summary score. Items are scored zero for particular errors
The Psymark Shapes test scores each item for rotation, line precision, scale, and noise. It also collects data on lifts, contact time, speed and line consistency
Ceiling effects on both tests. The VMI has a low ceiling for adults. 80% of adults in the sample scored 27-30 out of 30 possible.
The Psymark Shapes test has some very difficult items that are beyond the ceiling for children.
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