What kind of task it is
This task asks you to judge Yes or No for whether either of two target symbols appears in a search area of five symbols.
Within the time limit, the goal is to answer as many items as possible accurately. The symbols are abstract figures, not letters or numbers. The format is designed to rely little on language knowledge.
The faster you move, the easier it is for checking to become rough. The more cautiously you move, the fewer items you answer. Within this balance between speed and accuracy, the task asks for the ability to distinguish and judge visual information in a short time.
Symbol Search is a task that repeats visual matching and judgment in a short time, rather than asking for complex reasoning.
What it measures
Within the five domains of BrainTypeIQ, this is the task that measures Gs (processing speed).
Processing speed is the ability to look at visual information in a short time, compare it, and judge it. In BrainTypeIQ, Symbol Search is the only Gs task.
Symbol Search does not require understanding the meaning of the symbols. The person compares the targets with the search area and judges whether there is a match. The central load is repeating simple visual matching quickly and accurately.
Reading processing speed separately is also useful when reading reasoning and memory scores. In timed tasks, not only the content being thought through, but also the speed of looking and judging can affect the result.
For Gs overall, see what processing speed (Gs) is.
When the score is higher
When the Symbol Search score is higher, it is easier to compare symbols and judge accurately in a short time.
The flow of comparing the target and the search area tends to be stable. Even when symbols are similar, the necessary differences are easier to notice. Even when moving quickly, checking accuracy is less likely to break down sharply.
This process is closer to the efficiency of repeated seeing, comparing, and judging than to complex thought.
When the score is lower
Even when the Symbol Search score is lower, it cannot by itself judge cognitive ability as a whole. Several factors overlap in the score.
- Visual comparison load is high - The targets and search area must be matched within a short time
- Speed and accuracy are hard to balance - Rushing can increase mistakes, while caution can reduce the number of responses
- Similar symbols take longer to discriminate - The closer the shapes are, the more time checking can take
Symbol Search makes Gs easier to see, but it needs to be read separately from other domains. The ability to find rules in new problems is more likely to appear in Matrix Reasoning and Figure Weights, while the load of processing while holding information also appears in Computation Span and Visual Reversal.
BrainTypeIQ is a 9-task online IQ test that includes Symbol Search and shows overall IQ and the five-domain cognitive profile. Reading several tasks together, rather than one task alone, makes the meaning of the result easier to see.
For reading the report, see How to read the report.