by Dr Margaret Lowenfeld

Experience during the last world war impressed many observers with the discrepancy between the abilities of people as shown when subjected to psychological tests and the use they were able to make of these abilities when confronted by practical situations.

At the same time some individuals produced abilities which had not been expected and search for which had not formed part of the testing procedures.

Taking both possibilities and their importance in the assessment of personality into account, it seemed worthwhile to devise a testing procedure which might throw light upon both possibilities, and at the same time give us some additional information concerning the abilities of subjects to deal with problems in space perception not tackled in testing procedures in general use.

Kaleidoblocs were therefore designed to provide opportunity for the study of spontaneous behaviour and imaginative ability as expressed in the particular field of the perception,
memorisation and manipulation of forms in space; and also for the study of the modes of thinking used by the subject in arriving at his conclusion.