The Construct Validity of the Hooper Visual Organization Test

Although the Hooper Visual Organization Test (VOT) is commonly described as a measure of “visual-spatial integration,” face validity suggests it measures global visual-spatial intelligence similar to the revised edition of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS-R) performance IQ (PIQ) subtests. The present study investigated the construct validity of the VOT by comparing it to conceptually similar and dissimilar cognitive abilities in a principal components factor analysis of 240 participants with cognitive impairment. Results indicated that the VOT falls within a global visual-spatial factor and shares the following variance with the other tests that loaded on this factor: WAIS-R PIQ subtests, 12% to 23%; Category Test, 11%; the revised edition of the Wechsler Memory Scale Visual Reproduction I subtest, 10%; and the Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure, 9%. Previous studies, current results, and face validity suggest the VOT is best considered a measure of global visual-spatial intelligence. Clinical implications are discussed.