The embedded figures test: internal structure and development of a short form

Although the Embedded Figures Test (EFT) has a long history of use as a measure of cognitive style, its internal factorial structure in normal adults has received little attention. Factor analysis of the 12 EFT items in a sample of 151 undergraduates yielded two intercorrelated factors: an inspection time factor related to the number of distracting lines present and a color continuity factor involving breaking perceptual continuity created by color to find the simple form. A short form which retains six items (Items 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, and 11) tapping primarily into both factors was developed and cross-validated. The short form, which eliminates the two most difficult items and reduces administration time by about 67%, yielded internal consistencies comparable to those for the original EFT in both samples (alpha = 0.78 to 0.86), with scores highly predictive of the original EFT (r > 0.91).