New research undermines the predictive value of non-verbal reasoning tests in school-entrance exams. Photo by Areipa.lt/Shutterstock

LONDON, Nov. 4 (UPI) -- It turns out you can teach an old dog new tricks -- if that dog is a human and the tricks are non-verbal reasoning skills.

When researchers tried to teach a variety of thinking and non-verbal reasoning skills to adolescents, adults and those in between, adults and older adolescents responded better to training than did younger participants.


"Although adults and older adolescents benefitted most from training in non-verbal reasoning, the average test score for adolescents aged 11 to 13 improved from 60 percent to 70 percent following three weeks of ten-minute online training sessions," Sarah-Jayne Blakemore, a professor at the University College London's Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, explained in a news release. "This calls into question the claim that entry tests for selective schools that include non-verbal reasoning 'assess the true potential of every child.'"

Blakemore and her colleagues issued reasoning tests to 558 students between the ages of 11 and 18, as well as to 105 adults. Initial tests were followed by 20 days of online training. After the training, participants were re-tested.

One of the non-verbal tests asked participants to fill-in the final blank square in a three-by-three grid of shapes. The shapes, which varied in color, size, shape and position, formed predictive patterns.

Another test revealed a quick succession of colored dots to participants and then asked them to determine which color group featured the greatest number of dots.

Both tests are similar to those used in IQ tests and school entrance exams.

The researchers found older adolescents and adults showed greater post-training performance improvement than did younger test-takers.

"These findings highlight the relevance of this late developmental stage for education and challenge the assumption that earlier is always better for learning," said researcher Lisa Knoll.

While the research -- detailed in the journal Psychological Science -- suggests non-verbal skills can be learned, the benefits of training appear to be specific and not broadly beneficial to overall cognition. Participants trained in only dot interpretation did improve their grid test performance.

"All we can say for sure is that training to spot patterns in a three-by-three grid of abstract shapes improves your ability to spot patterns in a three-by-three grid of abstract shapes," said researcher Delia Fuhrmann.