| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Description | The Three-Buttons Test, developed by Schucman (1960), was created to assess brightness discrimination in children with severe mental retardation. The test involves sorting white, gray, and black buttons into three transparent containers. The examiner drops a sample button into each container, and the subject is then asked to identify the container corresponding to each presented button. The test contains six items, with the number of buttons presented progressively increasing. In the transfer condition, the sample buttons are reversed in position, and the participant must place the buttons in accordance with the new pattern. The Three-Buttons Test demonstrated a high degree of stability and consistency in a sample of severely mentally retarded subjects, and exhibited both predictive and construct validity. |
| Author | Schucman, H. |
| Purpose | The purpose of the Three-Buttons Test is to assess brightness discrimination in individuals with mental retardation. |
| Construct | Brightness Discrimination; Color Discrimination; Mental Retardation; Intellectual Disability |
| Instrument Type | Test |
| Reliability | Test-retest comparisons demonstrated a high degree of stability for the Three-Buttons Test. |
| Validity | The results consistently confirm the construct validity of the Three-Buttons Test. |
| Test Year | 1960 |
| Test Format | Participants manually place differently colored buttons into the appropriate containers according to the examiner’s instructions. |
| Number of Items | 6 items |
| Test Methodology | The test includes assessments of test validity, including both construct validity and test-retest reliability. |
| Population Group | Children with Intellectual Disabilities, ages 3-14 |
| Age Group | Childhood (birth-12 years), Preschool Age (2-5 years), School Age (6-12 years), Adolescence (13-17 years) |
| Location | United States |
| Keywords | Intellectual Development Disorder, Mental Retardation, Test Development, Test Reliability, Test Validity, Three-Buttons Test, Brightness Discrimination, Color Discrimination |
| Classification | 7100 Perceptual, Motor, and Sensory Processing |
| Source Reference | Schucman, H. (1960). Evaluating the educability of the severely mentally retarded child. Psychological Monographs: General and Applied, 74(14), 1–32. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0093762 |
Cite this article
Mohammed looti (2026). Three-Buttons Test. PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES. Retrieved from https://scales.arabpsychology.com/s/three-buttons-test/
Mohammed looti. "Three-Buttons Test." PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES, 4 Apr. 2026, https://scales.arabpsychology.com/s/three-buttons-test/.
Mohammed looti. "Three-Buttons Test." PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES, 2026. https://scales.arabpsychology.com/s/three-buttons-test/.
Mohammed looti (2026) 'Three-Buttons Test', PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES. Available at: https://scales.arabpsychology.com/s/three-buttons-test/.
[1] Mohammed looti, "Three-Buttons Test," PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES, vol. X, no. Y, ص Z-Z, April, 2026.
Mohammed looti. Three-Buttons Test. PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES. 2026;vol(issue):pages.