Description:
In this task, an individual views a series of three balls on a peg in a start position that must be moved to a pre-specified goal configuration on three other pegs, one of which can support one ball, one of which can support two balls, and one of which can support three balls. The subject is instructed to replicate the goal configuration using the smallest number of moves. The number of moves and time required to reach the goal position is the dependent measure. The task measures not only how well an individual can organize sequential behavior to reach a goal but also whether one can inhibit acting before a plan is fully formed.
Reference(s)
Berg, W. K. & Byrd, D. L. (2002) The Tower of London Spatial Problem Solving Task: Enhancing Clinical and Research Implementation. Journal of Experimental and Clinical Neuropsychology, 25(5), 586-604.
Publication(s)
Duell, N., Steinberg, L., Chein, J., Al-Hassan, S. M., Bacchini, D., Chang, L., Chaudhary, N., Di Giunta, L., Dodge, K. A., Fanti, K. A., Lansford, J. E., Malone, P. S., Oburu, P., Pastorelli, C., Skinner, A. T., Sorbring, E., Tapanya, S., Uribe Tirado, L. M., & Alampay, L. P. (2016). Interaction of reward seeking and self-regulation in the prediction of risk taking: A cross-national test of the dual systems model. Developmental Psychology.
Folker, A., Bertrand, C., Hong, Y., Steinberg, L., Duell, N., Chang, L., Di Giunta, L., Dodge, K. A., Gurdal, S., Junla, D., Lansford, J. E., Oburu, P., Pastorelli, C., Skinner, A. T., Sorbring, E., Bornstein, M. H., Uribe Tirado, L. M., Yotanyamaneewong, S., Alampay, L. P., Al-Hassan, S. M., Bacchini, D., & Deater-Deckard, K. (2025). A longitudinal study of adolescent-to-young adult executive function development in seven countries. Developmental Science, 28(4), e70040.
Hong, Y., Deater-Deckard, K., Steinberg, L., Bornstein, M. H., Dodge, K. A., Lansford, J. E., & Skinner, A. T. (2025). Do child and household regulation moderate the bidirectional relation between harsh parenting and externalizing problems in the transition to adolescence? Development and Psychopathology.
Hong, Y., Folker, A., Deater-Deckard, K., Skinner, A. T., Steinberg, L., Bornstein, M. H., Dodge, K. A., & Lansford, J. E. (2025). The interaction among household chaos, parental rejection, and parental control in predicting adolescent executive function. Developmental Psychology, 61, 2331-2343.
Icenogle, G., Steinberg, L., Duell, N., Chein, J., Chang, L., Chaudhary, N., Di Giunta, L., Dodge, K. A., Fanti, K. A., Lansford, J. E., Oburu, P., Pastorelli, C., Skinner, A. T., Sorbring, E., Tapanya, S., Uribe Tirado, L. M., Alampay, L. P., Al-Hassan, S. M., Takash, H. M. S., & Bacchini, D. (2019). Adolescents’ cognitive capacity reaches adult levels prior to their psychosocial maturity: Evidence for a “maturity gap” in a multinational, cross-sectional sample. Law and Human Behavior, 43(1), 69.
Icenogle, G., Steinberg, L., Olino, T. M., Shulman, E. P., Chein, J., Alampay, L. P., Al-Hassan, S. M., Takash, H. M. S., Bacchini, D., Chang, L., Chaudhary, N., Di Giunta, L., Dodge, K. A., Fanti, K. A., Lansford, J. E., Malone, P. S., Oburu, P., Pastorelli, C., Skinner, A. T., Sorbring, E., Tapanya, S., & Uribe Tirado, L. M. (2017). Puberty predicts approach but not avoidance behavior on the Iowa Gambling Task in a multinational sample. Child Development, 88(5), 1598-1614.
Lansford, J. E., Bizzego, A., Bermúdez Chinea, J. D., Esposito, G., Rothenberg, W. A., Clifton, J. D. W., Bacchini, D., Chang, L., Deater-Deckard, K., Di Giunta, L., Dodge, K. A., Gurdal, S., Junla, D., Oburu, P., Pastorelli, C., Skinner, A. T., Sorbring, E., Steinberg, L., Bornstein, M. H., Uribe Tirado, L. M., Yotanyamaneewong, S., Alampay, L. P., & Al-Hassan, S. M. (2025). Precursors of young adults’ world beliefs across cultures: A machine learning approach. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 100, 101858.
Lansford, J. E., Godwin, J., Bornstein, M. H., Chang, L., Deater-Deckard, K., Di Giunta, L., Dodge, K. A., Malone, P. S., Oburu, P., Pastorelli, C., Skinner, A. T., Sorbring, E., Steinberg, L., Tapanya, S., Alampay, L. P., Uribe Tirado, L. M., Al-Hassan, S. M., & Bacchini, D. (2017). Reward sensitivity, impulse control, and social cognition as mediators of the link between childhood family adversity and externalizing behavior in eight countries. Development and Psychopathology, 29, 1675-1688.
Steinberg, L., Icenogle, Shulman, E. P., Breiner, K., Chein, J. M., Bacchini, D., Chang, L., Chaudhary, N., Di Giunta, L., Dodge, K. A., Fanti, K. A., Lansford, J. E., Malone, P. S., Oburu, P., Pastorelli, C., Skinner, A. T., Sorbring, E., Tapanya, S., Uribe Tirado, L. M., Alampay, L. P., Al-Hassan, S. M., & Takash, H. M. S. (2018). Around the world, adolescence is a time of heightened reward seeking and immature self-regulation. Developmental Science, 21(2).
Waves Used
- YCT 3
- YCT 6
- YCT 9
- YCT 12