Thinking about one of my DDs 3 dimensional puzzles reminded me of her behavior doing the harder block design sections and reminded me that the tester watched her working on the first one that she didn't complete successfully, said "That doesn't usually work" and moved her along to the next one before she had given up on her own. The tester then did the same on the next one (though DD was looking somewhat defeated after the previous one by then anyway and not trying nearly so hard) and then that was the end of the block design test.
Was the tester obliged to move on due to the block design being timed, or could she have let DD keep trying? I don't remember her having a stop watch, as I do for at least one other test, but that doesn't mean there wasn't one.
DD scored 16 on the block design, so she did quite well, but this is one of a few issues that leaves me wondering how much the tester's expectations interfered with DDs performance. Just because DDs approach "doesn't usually work" for other 4 yr olds does not mean it would not have worked for her. I wouldn't approach normal jigsaws the way that DD does either, but that doesn't stop her doing it her own way quite successfully.
Given this was the first test and she felt bad about how it ended it was not a great way to get going either.
