Visual Pattern Test
Remember which tiles lit up
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What is the Visual Pattern Test?
The Visual Pattern Test asks you to look at a grid in which some of the cells are filled, then reproduce the pattern from memory once it disappears. The Visual Patterns Test was published by Sergio Della Sala and colleagues in 1997. Patterns start small and grow until the person can no longer recall them accurately, and the largest pattern they can reproduce is their visual pattern span.
Researchers use visual pattern span to study the visual side of working memory: how much static, spatial information we can hold at a glance. It is often paired with sequence tasks such as the Corsi Block Test, which measure memory for order rather than for a whole layout. Neuroptimize turns the Visual Pattern Test into a quick ten-round game that you can play on any phone or computer.
How to play the Visual Pattern Test
- A square grid of tiles appears and some of them light up for a moment. The prompt above the grid tells you how many tiles to memorise.
- When the lit tiles go dark, tap every tile that was part of the pattern. You can tap them in any order, and a counter shows how many are left.
- Tapping a tile that was not in the pattern ends the round straight away. The tiles you missed are then shown faintly so you can see the full pattern.
- Each session has ten rounds. After a correct round the next pattern has one more tile, and after a mistake it has one fewer, so the game settles near your current limit.
- Higher levels start with more tiles, use a bigger grid (from 3 by 3 up to 6 by 6) and show the pattern for a shorter time.
- At the end you see your largest correct pattern. Climbing well past your starting size during a session moves your level up faster.
Strategies and tips
See shapes, not tiles
Try to read the lit tiles as one picture, such as an L, a zigzag or a diagonal line. A single shape is far easier to hold than a list of separate squares.
Split the grid into zones
On larger grids, mentally divide the board into halves or corners and note how many tiles are in each. Recall one zone at a time so you do not lose track of a quiet corner.
Tap the easy tiles first
Order does not matter, so start with the tiles you are most sure about. That frees up attention for the one or two tiles you are less certain of.
Only tap when you are sure
A single wrong tile ends the round, while taking a moment longer costs nothing. If you are unsure about the last tile, pause and picture the pattern again before you tap.
Use the tile count
The prompt tells you how many tiles are lit before they vanish. Check your mental picture against that number so you know whether you have captured the whole pattern.
The science behind the Visual Pattern Test
Visual pattern span is the number of cells in a briefly shown grid pattern that a person can remember. The Visual Patterns Test, published by Sergio Della Sala and colleagues in 1997, uses this measure to assess the visual component of working memory.
Frequently asked questions
What does the Visual Patterns Test measure?
It measures visual pattern span, the number of filled cells in a briefly shown grid that a person can reproduce. Researchers use it to study the visual component of working memory, as distinct from memory for sequences or words.
How is the Visual Pattern Test different from the Corsi Block Test?
In a visual pattern test the whole pattern is shown at once and can be recalled in any order. In the Corsi Block Test blocks are shown one after another and must be repeated in the same order, so it focuses on memory for sequences and movement through space.
Why does the pattern get bigger or smaller during a game?
The Neuroptimize game adjusts within each session: a correct round adds a tile and a mistake removes one. This keeps each round close to the edge of what you can remember, which makes the game a steady challenge.
Is the Visual Pattern Test free?
Yes. The Visual Pattern Test is one of the free games in Neuroptimize and is available from the start.