Purdue Pegboard Test

The Purdue Pegboard has been used extensively to aid in the selection of employees for jobs that require fine and gross motor dexterity and coordination by measuring gross movements of hands, fingers and arms, and fingertip dexterity as necessary in assembly tasks.

Test Background

The Purdue Pegboard Test was first developed by Joseph Tiffin, Ph.D., an Industrial Psychologist at Purdue University in 1948. Since that time, this device has been used extensively to aid in the selection of employees for jobs that require fine and gross motor dexterity and coordination. It measures gross movements of hands, fingers and arms, and fingertip dexterity as necessary in assembly tasks.

The Purdue Pegboard can be used for many testing applications, such as Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Vocational Evaluation, and Pre-employment Screening. Other applications for the test can be found by doing a bibliography search.

The pegboard comes complete with pins, collars and washers, as well as an examiner's manual.

Who uses the Purdue Pegboard

Physical and Occupational therapists use the Purdue Pegboard for injury rehabilitation. They use the test as a tool to obtain baseline data on a patient. They also use it to document patient progress and / or degree of disability.

Vocational Evaluators use the Purdue Pegboard to determine a subject's ability and aptitude for certain work-related applications and for recommending placement in jobs that require manual dexterity. The Purdue Pegboard is also used to develop a specific training program that will give an individual the skills to complete a job task that requires manual dexterity.

Human Resource Directors and Temporary Staffing Agencies use the Purdue Pegboard as a pre-employment screening and selection tool. An applicant's performance on the Purdue Pegboard can indicate their ability to perform in a job/task that requires manual dexterity.