Renzi and Vignolo’s Token Test: what is it and how is it used in psychology?

A psychology test used to detect language disorders such as aphasia.

Language is a tool that allows us to communicate, to express our desires and opinions, as well as to describe reality. Therefore, its evaluation is of vital importance, especially in childhood and in those cases where it may be altered.

Here we will learn about the Token Test of Renzi and Vignoloa test that evaluates a very specific but fundamental function, verbal comprehension or receptive language. In addition, it also allows to evaluate other cognitive aspects, as we will see later.

Renzi and Vignolo's Token Test: features

The Token Test was developed by Ennio De Renzi and Luigi Vignolo in 1962. In 1979 it was adapted and standardized. On the other hand, De Renzi and Faglioni made a short version in 1978 of 36 items.

It is a test widely widely used in clinical practice and research to explore verbal comprehension of increasing to explore verbal comprehension of orders of increasing complexity. This is due to its easy administration, application, correction and analysis, and its high sensitivity to detect linguistic difficulties in various pathologies. In addition, its design is quite simple. It is applied in ages between 6 years and 11 years and 11 months.

Initially, in 1962, the Token Test was introduced in Italian by De Renzi and Vignolo as an instrument to detect mild language disorders. detects mild receptive language impairment in aphasics..

Structure

The De Renzi and Vignolo Token Test consists of 20 tokens or chips of five colors (red, blue, green, yellow, white), two shapes (circles, squares) and two sizes (big, small), that are manipulated by the subject in accordance with the examiner's verbal commands.. The examiner will read each order while the subject tries to fulfill it.

They are organized in 5 sections of instructions, arranged in an increasing degree of complexity according to the number of operations required to solve the task. In total there are 62 commands/instructions.

Functions evaluated

Its progressive application makes it possible to determine, based on the subject's responses, the presence or absence of certain cognitive functions, but fundamentally evaluates receptive language (comprehension).. It can also detect the presence of any functional or organic pathology (always according to the experience and knowledge of the evaluator).

On the other hand, the Renzi and Vignolo Token Test can be useful to assess aspects of other cognitive areas such as the integrity of working memory, or other functions such as immediate, short-term and remote memory, relational thinking, object stability and others.

The basic characteristic of Renzi and Vignolo's Token test is that the comprehension of each word of the verbal command is indispensable to accomplish the task.. That is, the progression is not repetitive, since each instruction needs to be decoded correctly in order to be executed.

Application

During the application of the test, the examined subject must not fix his eyes on the lips of the examiner. On the other hand, before passing the test, the examiner must determine whether the person knows the colors to be used, as well as the shapes.

The examiner should explain to the subject that he/she will ask him/her to perform different activities with the cards. In addition, he/she should listen well because he/she will ask him/her only once for each activity. Finally, he/she will ask him/her if he/she is ready to start.

As we have seen, the test is composed of 5 parts; if the examinee makes 8 errors in the first part, the test is failed. If he/she does not, all 5 parts are administered. All items receive a correct (+) or incorrect (-) score.

Material

The material that makes up the Renzi and Vignolo token test is as follows is: the application and interpretation manual, a set of 20 wooden tokens, a workbook, a block of protocols, sets of response and stimulus cards and note sheets.

Uses in clinical and educational practice

The De Renzi and Vignolo Token Test can be used as a general orientation test, but also, depending on the experience of the examiner, as a complementary use with other more specific and in-depth tests of language functions, as well as for other purposes (if the examiner is sufficiently experienced).

Bibliographical references:

• De Renzi, E. And Vignolo, L. (1962) The Token Test; a sensitive test to detect receptive disturbances in aphasics. Brain, 85, 665 - 678.
• Estay, G. Token Test. EDITORIAL BIOPSIQUEEL.
• Buela-Casal, G.; Sierra, J.C. (1997). Manual de evaluación psicológica. Ed. Siglo XXI. Madrid