The role of socio-demographic variables on human cognition, particularly education, has been studied in healthy individuals. This research aimed to verify if there are differences among educational groups regarding the visual attentional processing assessed by means of Bells Test. The sample was comprised of 124 young adults, divided into three groups, 5-8, 9-11 and 12 or more years of formal education, matched by age. Accuracy and time data were analyzed by one-way ANCOVA and the qualitative results on strategies were compared between groups by Chi-square. The results showed a discrepancy between the quantitative and qualitative analysis. There were no quantitative differences among educational groups regarding accuracy and time variables. However, significant differences were found in the distribution of participants by chosen column where the first bell was canceled and the used strategies of cancellation. Further studies are relevant including different age groups and clinical samples with neurological and/or psychiatric disorders.
Bells Test; education; neuropsychological assessment; attention; hemineglect
