Tweezer Dexterity

By Saima Khan
Aim: To assess the tweezer dexterity of the participants with the help of O’ Connor tweezer
dexterity apparatus.

Introduction
Dexterity: Dexterity is a term referring primarily to the ability of a person to "gracefully"
coordinate their movements. It specifically refers to adroitness in using the hands. In this
context, dexterity is a motor skill. The term can also refer to intelligence and
"mental dexterity." Dexterity (or fine motor skills) is the coordination of small muscles, in
movements-usually involving the synchronization of hands and fingers- with the eyes. There
are two types of Dexterity- Gross motor skills and Fine motor skills. Gross motor
skills pertain to skills involving large muscle movements, such as independent sitting,
crawling, walking, or running. Fine motor skills involve use of smaller muscles, such as
grasping, object manipulation, or drawing.
In easier words, dexterity refers to the ability of a person to use the fingers, hands and arms
to perform a task.
Factors affecting Dexterity
In a study by Yogi Tri Prasetyo in 2020, the aim of this study being to investigate factors
affecting fine dexterity. Gender, age, hand length, grip strength, hand skin temperature,
room temperature, and room humidity were analysed simultaneously to predict fine
dexterity. The results showed that hand skin temperature was the most predicting factor for
fine dexterity followed by gender, age, and hand length. Female was found to have better
fine dexterity and participants with smaller hand size were also found to have better fine
dexterity. In addition, grip strength, room temperature, and room humidity were found not
significant predictors for fine dexterity. Interestingly, participants with older age were found
had better fine dexterity.
Dexterity Tests
Dexterity tests measure the accuracy of hand and finger movements under
controlled conditions. They help physical therapists to develop rehabilitation plans for
patients and to measure the effectiveness of their programs.
Types of Dexterity Test
1. Occupational skills assessment test battery: This battery is used to measure the
progress in rehabilitation and return-to-work capability of individuals performing
jobs / tasks that require manual dexterity, hand-eye coordination, etc.
2. Purdue Pegboard Test: 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. The pegboard comes complete with pins, collars and
washers, as well as an examiner's manual.
3. Grooved Pegboard Test: The Grooved Pegboard Test (GPT) is used primarily as
a measure of motor functioning, but some research indicates that performance on
this test my also reflect cognitive factors, particularly attention and executive
functioning. It has 25 holes with randomly positioned slots and it requires more
complex visual –motor coordination.
4. Minnesota Manual Dexterity test: The Minnesota Manual Dexterity Test (MMDT) is
used to measure a subject’s simple but rapid eye-hand coordination as well as arm-
hand dexterity. In general, the MMDT measures gross motor skills.
5. Hand Tool Dexterity test: The Hand Tool Dexterity Test can be used as a general
assessment of an individual’s skill in using ordinary mechanics tools. Results of the
test have been used to determine vocational interest and as an indicator of success
where job/tasks require the use of these or similar tools.
Places where the Purdue Pegboard Test is used
• 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.
Dexterity is very important for occupations such as those of dentists, surgeons, data entry,
jewelers, upholsters, aircraft mechanics and service technicians, musical instrument
repairers and tuners, sewers, hand, plumbers, farm equipment mechanist, hairdressers,
hairstylists etc.

Tweezer Dexterity Test

The O’Connor tweezer dexterity Test has been used successfully, wherever rapid
manipulation of objects, especially the picking up and placing of small parts, is important.
This is best illustrated in assembly line work such as the setting of pivots, registering of gear
train assemblies and many other operations required in the production of meters. It has also
been found useful in predicting success in instrument work which requires the assembling of
armatures, miniature parts, assembling of clocks and watches, rapid hand work in the filling
of vials, small lathe work and machine winding.

Finger Dexterity Instrument

The O’Connor Tweezer Dexterity Test consists of 5 7/8” W x 11 5/8” L board. Located in the
upper half of the board is a pin well measuring 4 ¾” in diameter arranged in 10 rows of 10
holes each spaced ½” apart. Into these holes, the subject can insert one pin 1” long and
1/16” in diameter.

Review of Literature
Berger et al. (2009) researched task specificity of finger dexterity tests. Finger dexterity
tests are generally used to assess performance decrease due to gloves, cold and pathology.
It is generally assumed that the O’Connor and Purdue Pegboard test yield similar results. In
this experiment we compared these two tests for dry conditions without gloves, and for dry
and wet conditions with two types of Nytril gloves. In line with previous observations,
wearing gloves caused a decrease in performance of about 12% for the O’Connor test and
9% for the Purdue test. Wetting the gloves prior to the test had no effect on the Purdue
score. However, wetting the gloves increased the O’Connor performance significantly by
11%. The results show that the O’Connor and Purdue tests do not yield similar results and
should be used selectively for specific tasks.
Mathiowetz et al. (1985) studied adult norms for the Nine Hole Peg Test of Finger Dexterity.
The purposes of this study were to establish standardized procedures for the Nine Hole Peg
Test of finger dexterity, to evaluate its reliability and validity, and to establish new clinical
norms based on these standardized procedures. For the reliability and validity study, 26
female occupational therapy students were tested Very high interrater reliability (right r = .
97, left r = .99) was found Test-retest reliability was reported to be moderate to high
(right r = .69, left r = .43) and a significant practice effect was found between the test and
retest occasions. Possible variables that may have affected these results are discussed to
evaluate concurrent validity; the Nine Hole Peg Test was compared to the Purdue Pegboard.
The observed correlations (right r = −.61, left r = −.53) indicated that the tests are similar but
not equivalent tests of finger dexterity. For the normative data study, 628 normal subjects
from 20 to 94 years were tested Data were stratified by sex and by 12 age groups to allow
the therapist to easily compare patients' scores to a normative population Data showed that
females scored slightly better than males, finger dexterity decreased with age, and right-
hand and left-hand dominant subjects demonstrated minimal differences in performance.
Nishimura et al. (2007) studied time-dependent central compensatory mechanisms of
finger dexterity after spinal cord injury. Transection of the direct cortico-motoneuronal
pathway at the mid-cervical segment of the spinal cord in the macaque monkey results in a
transient impairment of finger movements. Finger dexterity recovers within a few months.
Combined brain imaging and reversible pharmacological inactivation of motor cortical
regions suggest that the recovery involves the bilateral primary motor cortex during the
early recovery stage and more extensive regions of the contralesional primary motor cortex
and bilateral premotor cortex during the late recovery stage. These changes in the
activation pattern of frontal motor-related areas represent an adaptive strategy for
functional compensation after spinal cord injury.

Method:
Hypothesis: There will be negative relationship between finger dexterity and the time taken
by the subject to put the pin in the holes.
Subject Preliminaries:
• Name
• Age
• Gender
• Education
• Material Required
• Apparatus: O’Connor tweezer Dexterity Test 
• Recording sheet
• Stopwatch
• Pen/Pencil
• Rapport Information
The participant was made to sit comfortably. The participant was engaged in an informal
conversation to make them feel relaxed. Once it was ensured that they are comfortable, the
experiment was introduced. The instructions for the experiment were given to the
participant. The participant was assured that their results would be kept confidential and
not shared with anyone. If the participant had any query, it was addressed, and the
procedure was started.
Precautions
• The subject should be seated comfortably at a table about 30 inches in height. The
Tweezer Dexterity Test is placed before him about one foot from the edge of the
table with the tray at the right, if the right hand is to be used, and at the left if the
left hand is preferred. It should be at an angle of about 90 degrees with the subjects
working hand, but may be changed if so desired. 
• Note down time taken carefully.
 • The subject with the left hand as a preferred hand will begin from the right side of
the board.
• Allow the subject to fill in two rows for practice before the proper test begins.
Procedure:
Make sure that the subject is seated comfortably and all the instruction is clear to them.
Give two practice trials. Subject is allowed to fill in two rows for practice. Allow neither
more or less than the prescribed practice of filling the top ten holes, since this affects the
performance on the test. Tip the pins out, allow a moment’s test. Instruct the subject to
start when you say BEGIN. 
References
Berger, M. A., Krul, A. J., & Daanen, H. A. (2009). Task specificity of finger dexterity
tests. Applied ergonomics, 40(1), 145-147.
Mathiowetz, V., Weber, K., Kashman, N., & Volland, G. (1985). Adult norms for the nine-hole
peg test of finger dexterity. The Occupational Therapy Journal of Research, 5(1), 24-38.
Nishimura, Y., Onoe, H., Morichika, Y., Perfiliev, S., Tsukada, H., & Isa, T. (2007). Time-
dependent central compensatory mechanisms of finger dexterity after spinal cord
injury. Science, 318(5853), 1150-1155.