Tower of Hanoi

The Tower of Hanoi is a classic cognitive assessment puzzle used in neuropsychology and educational research to measure multi-step planning and executive function abilities. The task requires moving a set of discs or objects from one position to another according to specific rules, demanding forward planning, working memory, and inhibition of impulsive moves. In accessibility and disability research, variants of the Tower of Hanoi (such as parking lot puzzles where vehicles must be rearranged) are commonly used to assess planning abilities in individuals with autism, intellectual disabilities, or acquired brain injuries, providing quantitative measures including number of moves, optimal solution adherence, illegal move attempts, and completion time.