Which test is commonly used to assess planning and sequencing in executive function?

• A. Tower of Hanoi
• B. Stroop
• C. Wisconsin Card Sorting
• D. Bechara's Gambling Task

Answer: (A)

Planning and sequencing rely on forethought, organization, and monitoring of steps. The Tower of Hanoi directly taps these abilities because you must conceive a multi-step sequence to move all disks to the target peg while following strict rules. Success depends on formulating a plan ahead of time, ordering the moves correctly, and adjusting the plan if a move doesn’t go as planned. This focus on arranging actions in the correct order makes it a classic measure of planning and sequencing within executive function. In contrast, Stroop mainly probes inhibition of automatic responses, Wisconsin Card Sorting tests cognitive flexibility and rule discovery, and Bechara's Gambling Task assesses decision making under risk and reward processing.