NOVA Online | Everest | Test Yourself

Test Yourself

Below are three examples of the battery of neuro-behavioral tests that the climbers will be taking en route to the summit to measure their mental abilities. The tests may not pose much of a challenge for you at sea level, but they can be fun to take, and will give you greater insight into the testing the climbers are undergoing.

The climbers will have the tests administered to them by Dr. Howard Donner at Base Camp; you will need to find another person to help you take the tests. Print out the tests, and find a stopwatch and pen so that your partner can time you and write down results. If you plan to take the tests, do not look at them ahead of time, as that will allow you to respond from memory and invalidate the results.

The Stroop Test
(demonstration created with the help of Rick Mahurin)

The climbers will be taking one version of the Stroop test, and we have made available for you a similar interactive Shockwave version. You will see words with the names of colors, but the actual words will be different from the color in which they are written. For example, the word 'blue' will be written in green ink. You will have to say the color you see, and disregard the word you read.

Verbal Puzzles
(created by Gail Rosenbaum)

This tests your ability to solve problems, which psychologists refer to as "cognitive flexibility." Your partner should read each question aloud to you. Answer the questions as quickly as you can, but think about your answers before you respond. Don't just guess. Give yourself no more than 60 seconds to answer each question. Your partner should start the stopwatch as soon as he or she has finished reading the question aloud, and stop it when you have finished responding. Your partner will need to write down the time elapsed and whether or not you made a mistake.

Test 1 | Test 2 | Test 3 | Test 4 | Test 5 | Test 6

Remembering Sentences
(created by Gail Rosenbaum)

This tests how well you concentrate and remember. Each of the tests below has five questions, which are listed in order of increasing length and complexity. Your partner should read each sentence out loud to you, one by one. You should try to repeat each sentence word for word. Your partner should write down how long it took you to begin repeating the sentence, how long it took you to complete it, and whether you made any mistakes.

Test 1 | Test 2 | Test 3 | Test 4 | Test 5 | Test 6