Does size matter? An investigation into the Rey Complex Figure in a pediatric clinical sample.

The Rey Complex Figure Test (RCF) copy requires visuoconstructional skills and significant attentional, organizational, and problem-solving skills. Most scoring schemes codify a subset of the details involved in figure construction. Research is unclear regarding the meaning of figure size. The research hypothesis of our inquiry is that size of the RCF copy will have neuropsychological significance. Data from 95 children (43 girls, 52 boys; ages 6-18 years) with behavioral and academic issues revealed that larger figure drawings were associated with higher RCF total scores and significantly higher scores across many neuropsychological tests including the Wechsler Individual Achievement Test-Second Edition (WIAT-II) Word Reading (F = 5.448, p = .022), WIAT-II Math Reasoning (F = 6.365, p = .013), Children's Memory Scale Visual Delay (F = 4.015, p = .048), Trail-Making Test-Part A (F = 5.448, p = .022), and RCF Recognition (F = 4.862, p = .030). Results indicated that wider figures were associated with higher cognitive functioning, which may be part of an adaptive strategy in helping facilitate accurate and relative proportions of the complex details presented in the RCF. Overall, this study initiates the investigation of the RCF size and the relationship between size and a child's neuropsychological profile.