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TRANSCRIPT
AM ANALYSIS OP THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PERFORMANCE OH THE
REVISED BENDER VISUAL-MOTOR GESTALT TEST AMD SCORES
QM THE WBCHSLBR INTELLIGENCE SCALE FOR CHILBRIM
APPROVED:
i L f
Majir 'Processor
/ Qrz Minor Professor
1*3-
^ Q-
Director of "tJfc'e JJepa^tment of Psychology
<71 Dean of the Graduate School
AN ANALYSIS OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PERFORMANCE ON THE
REVISED BENDER YISUAL-MOTOR GESTALT TEST AND SCORES
ON THE WECHSLER INTELLIGENCE SCALE FOR CHILDREN
THESIS
Presented to the Graduate Council of the
North Texas State University in Partial
Fulfillment of the Requirements
For the Dsgree of
MASTER OF SCIENCE
By
John William Porter, B. A.
Denton, Texas
August, 1966
TABLE OP CONTENT3
Page
LIST OF TABLES . iv
Chapter
I. INTRODUCTION 1
Statement of the Problem and Hypotheses Significance of the Study Basic Assumptions Definition of Terms Related Research
i i , piocioyiis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Procedures for Collecting Data Procedure for Treating Data
III. RESULTS 20
Presentation of Data
IV. DISCUSSION AND SUMMARY . 2?
Discussion Summary
BIBLIOGRAPHY 35
iii
LIST OF TABLES
Table Page
I. Mean Scores and Standard Deviations for Verbal Scale, Performance Seal#, and Full Seal® IQ*a m tbe VISC 21
IX* Correlation Between Bender Scores and ¥©rbal Scales Performance Scale, and Full Scale VISC Scores 22
III. Mean Scores and Standard Deviations of WISC Subtest Scores and Bender Scores • . , • 23
IV. Correlations Between Bender Scores and WISC Subtest Scores 24
iv
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
One of the most widely used techniques in the area of
psychodiagnostics is the Bender Visual-Motor Gestalt Test
(Bender, 193S). It has been applied to a variety of diagnostic
problems ranging from detection of neurological dysfunction
to delineation of personality factors and defense mechanisms.
The test consists of a series of stimulus patterns called
gestalten which were adapted from Wertfaeimer*s original
patterns. Wertheiraer, one of the first proponents of Gestalt
Psychology, used visual-motor stimulus patterns to demonstrate
the principles of perceptual organization which have become
extensively used psychological concepts. Bender indicates the
major thesis upon which the test was constructed:
The gestalt function nay be defined as that function of the integrated organism whereby it1 responds to a given constellation of stimuli as a whole, the re-sponse itself being a constellation, or pattern, or gestalt. All integrative processes within the nervous system occur in constellations, or patterns, or gestalten (2).
Bender found that the gestalt function in humans in-
volves maturational patterns, and that Wertheiraer*s gestalt
principles did not hold for young children, psyehoties, and
brain injured subjects. Bender (10) states that the gestalt
function "matures from global primitive abstract phenomena by
endogenous differentiation into the construction of a pattern
on a background.« Consequently, the subject's responses to a
technique such as the Bender Visual-Motor Gestalt feat (here-
afters BGT) gives an indication of the larel of maturation of
the gestalt function in the subject# Bender (2) discusses
various levels of maturation of gestalt functioning with ref-
erence to the chronological age of the subject. From age two
years, sax months to age four years Werthei®er*s gestalt prin-
ciples have limited applicability to the genesis of gestalt
in the maturation of the child's visual-motor patterns* Within
this age range perseveration is common and responses are often
det©mined primarily by motor features of the organism. Be-
tween ages four and seven there appears to be a rapid differ-
entiation of form. From studies with young children Bender
(2) concludes that "visual motor patterns arise from motor be-
havior that is modified by the characteristics of the visual
field#* The general theoretical orientation upon which classical
interpretation of the BGT is based involves the principle
that modes of perception and motoric response are progres-
sively modified through maturational development of the organism.
The final form of these perceptual modes in the normally func-
tioning adult is held to be in accordance with the principles
of gestalt proposed by Wertheimer.
The ten major principles of maturation of gestalten are
explicated by Bender as follows!
1# Vortical movement gives rise to the most prim-itive Gestalt formations and their derivatives, such as circles and loops# It is biologically determined in the optic field. Movement is directional# clockwise or counter-clockwise and related to left-right orientation,
2, Foreground-background differentiation is the first step in the construction of the perceived object#
3. Horizontal plane or direction is an early or primitive experience# It is a vector and has direction* dextrad or sinistrad#
4* Control or inhibition of the above three action
fatterns constructs a concrete globe, circle, in®, organizing the visual field into foreground and background, delineating objects and separating parts from each other#
5# Masses and sequences are primary to concrete form or specific number.
6# V«rticallsation arises concurrent with body schema maturation or the postural model derived from the shift from the prone to the upright posture of the body*
7. Form complexities arise from parts of circles (arcs) and concentric circles and the directional movement of circles*
6* Crossed lines, diagonal relations and corner for-mations are the last level of maturation, occurring at about six to eight years# This is the age also of "readiness* in acquiring reading and writing#
9# There is, of course, a continuous interplay be-tween all of these feature®#
10# The plasticity or lack of stabilization of bound-aries in a living organism always permits of variability and changes including regression# The younger or more primitive the organism the more
flastic and facile is the Gestalt function # # # # 10, p# xiii)#
The normal child becomes progressively aiore able to exe-
cute correct visual-motor patterns in the perceptiondand
reproduction of a gestalt as he matures, and Bender (2) gives
examples of the ability to reproduce stimulus figures which
are characteristic of various age groups of children# Perhaps
because of the similarity between Bender*s maturational level
of gestalt function and the mental age concept involved in
intelligence testing, there have been attempts to apply the
BGT to the estimation of intelligence# Much of the literature
about the BGT posits the assumption that intelligence is a
significant factor influencing performance on the BGT* Given
such an assumption, and the similarity between Bender*a
raaturational levels and mental age, it is a natural step to
propose the estimation of intellectual functioning from BGT
protocols# There i3 some question concerning the applicability
of the BGT in the determination of intellectual functioning,
and it was the primary purpose of this study to investigate
several aspects of the problem#
Many of the ideas concerning the development of gestalt
functioning which were proposed by Bender as necessary to the
proper interpretation of the BGT seem to have been abandoned
by modern clinician!?. Specific aspects of gestalt en repro-
duction, such as rotation of the stimulus figure, have been
investigated in isolation from the original gestalt principles
upon 'which the test is .based. One of the major current trends
in the interpretation of BGT protocols involves the develop-
ment of objective scoring systems which allow a numerical
score to be assigned to the subject*s responses# Even though
such objective scoring systems may exclude recognition of
some interpretable aspects of a BGT protocol, they have the
advantage of allowing statistical studies to be made of the
relationships obtaining between BGT performance and other
aspects of human behavior, fhe scoring system with which
this study is concerned is the Developmental Scoring System
devised by Koppitz 17)*
The Developmental Scoring System, which is a somewhat
modified version of the Initial Scoring System, contains thirty
mutually exclusive scoring items which are scored as either
present or absent. Using the Developmental Scoring System as
an index of BGT performance and the Wechsler Intelligence
Scale for Children (Wechsler, 1949) as a generally accepted
criterior measure for intellectual functioning, an attempt was
made through an analysis of the relationships between these
scored tests to determine the extent of applicability of the
BGT to the estimation of intelligence*
Koppitz (3, p* 46) reports statistically significant
negative correlations between BGT error scores and scores on
Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children {hereafters WISC)
for several age groups for children, and concludes that. Bit
appears that the Bender Test can serve as a crude measure of
intelligence for all children age five to ten years*n In an
earlier study, Koppitz {&) explored the relationship between
the WISC subtest scores and BGT performance, as indexed by
the Initial Scoring System, and found significant relation-
ships except for the Information, Comprehension, Similarities,
and Coding subtests# The subjects for this study were ninety
elementary school children. Koppitz does not report any study
of til© relationships between BGT performance, as indexed by
the Developmental Scoring System, and WISC subtest scores,
and one purpose of this study involv@3 the determination of
such relationships with a group of 100 elementary school
children.
One of the difficulties involved in interpreting the
results of BGT performance is the lack ©f explicitness about
what the teat is measuring. Frequent mention is made of per-
ceptual-motor or visual-motor coordination as that aspect of
behavior measured by the BGT. but as Griffith and Taylor (k)
point out, some aspsscts of visual-motor coordination may be
more highly related to intelligence than other aspects# Per-
haps the subject-predicate structure of our language leads
to the interpretation of such nominative phrases as "gestalt
functioning1* and "visual-motor coordination" as unitary
entities which are relatively homogeneous* It is likely that
visual-motor functioning may not be assumed to be a single
"variable* to be correlated with intellectual functioning,
but may be a complex cluster of subvariables having varying
degrees of relatedneaa to intellectual functioning# It is
beyond the scope of this study to investigate the possibility
mentioned above concerning the complexity of visual-motor
functioning, but such possibilities may eventually lead to
more exacting studies of the relationships involved.
When the entire range of behavior which may be either
facilitated or inhibited by varying degrees of visual-motor
development is considered, it become® apparent that a mod-
erately pur# test of visual-motor coordination would correlate
significantly with an almost unlimited number of measurable
human abilities. Any form of human behavior requiring per-
ceptual "acuity* and/or fine motor coordination depends, to
some extent, on the development of an appropriate level of
visual-motor skill and coordination, IQ tests for children
rely heavily upon manipulative tasks and primary perceptual
abilities and therefore should be greatly influenced by the
child*a lev®! of visual-motor development. However, Pascal
and Suttell (9), using a sample of forty-six children who were
not considered maladjusted, found an insignificant correlation
between Bender score and Stanford-Binat IQ# Even though
measures of visual-motor coordination would appear to have a a §. Priori relationship to IQ tests for children because of
th® pervasive influence of perceptual development on these
tests, significant relationships between Bender performance
and IQ appear to be restricted to clinic populations and other
groups with Mego impairments."
Tolor and Sehulberg {10, p. 166} hypothesize that "severe
ego impairment similarly affects children's visual-motor func-
tioning and intellectual efficiency, but in the absence of
such impairment visual-motor functioning is generally unrelated
to intellectual efficiency in children," In summary, there
are conflicting ideas about the applicability of th® BGT to
the estimation of intellectual functioning and a paucity of
8
information concerning the relationship of the Developmental
Scoring System of Koppitz to the WISC and its various subtests.
This study deals with these two problems simultaneously
through a correlational analysis of the Developmental Scoring
System and WISC scores#
Statement of the Problem and Hypotheses
The primary problem of this study was to determine the
relationship between BGT performance, as indexed by the De-
velopmental Scoring System of Koppitz, and performance on the
Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children* BGT scores were
compared to Verbal Scale, Performance Scale, Full Scale and
individual subtest scores on the WISC. The hypotheses to be
tested in the study follow:
I. It was hypothesized that Verbal Scale, Performance
Scale, and Full Scale VISG IQ*s would have .significant nega-
tive correlations with BGT scores#
II* It was hypothesized that the Picture Completion,
Block Design, and Object Assembly subtests of the WISC would
have significant negative correlations with BGT scores.
It was hoped that the degree of relationship found to
exist between BGT scores and WISC scores would allow for a
determination of the applicability of the BGT as an estimator
of intellectual functioning. An additional aspect of the
primary problem was the determination of the relationship
between each WISC subtest score and the BGT score.
Significance of the Study
Because of the many claims made for the BGT in the area
of psychodiagnostics there may be a tendency among clinicians
to feel that the BGT is an "all purpose" test which will allow
inferences to be made concerning every aspect of their client*s
behavior* Max Hutt and Gerald Briskin (5, pp. 7~3) list
thirteen uses for the BGT which include "differential diagnosis
of mental retardation," "differential diagnosis of inter-
cranial pathology," and "problems of fixation at the oral and
anal period." As mentioned above, Koppitz (7, p. 46) invites
the use of the BQf as a "crude measure of intelligence," Con-
fronted with such a variety of possible uses for the instru-
ment, a clinician may validly question the degree of useful-
ness in these various areas. How crude a measure of intelli-
gence is the BGT? Can it replace the longer standardised
tests of intelligence? These question® point to an important
problem in the area of statistical inference; namely, "sta-
tistical significance" may be interpreted by a clinician as
a sanction to assume that two tests which are significantly
correlated are highly similar# When new tests of intelligence
appear on the market the authors of these tests usually present
statistically significant correlations between their test and
long accepted tests such as the tfISC as an argument for the
validity of their instrument as a measure of intellectual
functioning. The clinician is familiar with this use of
statistics, and when he sees studies which find statistically
10
significant correlations between the BGT and the WI3C he may
begin to think in terms of using the BQT as an intelligence
test and may wonder about replacing the long and tedious VI3C
with a short nonverbal test like the BGT.
The preceding argument is admittedly speculative, but it
emphasizes one of the central issues of this study* In
attempt will be made to assess the value of the BGT as an
estimator of intelligence through its relationships with the
WI3C, but it will not be assumed that a "statistically sig-
nificant* correlation between the two tests is a necessary
and sufficient argument for using the BOp. as an IQ test#
Basic Assumptions
Certain assumptions are necessary to formalize the
structure of the study. These basic assumptions follows
1. Similar procedures of test administration were used
by the various clinicians involved.
2. Rapport was adequate for testing ia each case,
3« Children in the study were taken from a specific
clinic population and may, as a group, have aspects which would
distinguish them from a "normal* population. Consequently,
generalizations from the data may be inapplicable to "normal*
samples or other kinds of clinic samples.
4. There are no important sex differences in BGT
performances,
11
Definition of Terms
BQ£.--This terra refers to the Bender Visual-Motor Gestalt
lS£& which is composed of nine stimulus cards. The child is
given a sheet of unruled paper and asked to copy the figure
on each card la turn. The form of the BGT used in this study
i s ^ Hutt-Brjskin Revised leader Gestalt Test. With this
form of the test the sane testing procedures are used, and the
designs and stimulus cards are almost identical to the original
2S£ cards# The test is untimed, and the child may use as much
paper as he wishes. Subjects were asked not to rotate stimulus
cards, but were permitted to rotate their paper slightly. The
test can be used at any age with little verbal communication
between the subject and the examiner.
Initial Scoring System*--This is the original scoring
system devised by Koppitz (7), and consists of a list of
twenty deviations and distortions found on the Bender protocols
of young children.
Developmental Scoring System.—This tern refers to the
finished form of Koppita's scoring system, and it consists of
thirty mutually exclusive scoring items which are scored as
either present or absent. The composite Bender scores used
in this study are the sum of the scored deviations for a given
child on the Bender test, and this sum has a theoretical
range of zero to thirty.
Wechaler Intelligence Scale for Children.—This term
refers to a children's test of intelligence devised by
12
Weehsler (Wechsler, 194-9) • Results may be obtained in terms
of a Verbal Seal® IQ, Performance Seal# IQ, and Full Scale
IQ with scale scores for each subtest. Eleven of the possible
twelve subtests were used in this study# The following is a
brief description of each of the subtests used*
1# Information! This is a verbal test of general infor-
mation and attempts to assess long tern retention of knowledge.
2* Comprehension: This subtest is assumed to be a measure
of verbal social intelligence and requires verbal knowledge
of appropriate responses in social situations.
3. Arithmetic! This subtest measures the subject*s ability
to deal with orally presented numerical problems.
4* Similarities! This is assumed to be a test of the
ability to generalise on a conceptual level, and requires
dealing with verbal concepts and the relationships between thea.
5* Vocabulary* This subtest assesses language development
in terms of word definitions and the ability to express thoughts
and ideas on a verbal level.
6. Digit Span: This test involves a recall of orally
presented digits and assesses immediate auditory memory and
attention span.
7. Picture Completion: In this test missing parts of
pictures must be identified# The test measures visual con-
centration.
$* Picture Arrangements In this subtest the subject must
arrange cartoon-like pictures to produce a sensible story,
13
and the teat Is assumed to assess nonverbal social intel-
ligence.
9* Block Design: The subject must duplicate abstract
visual designs with colored blocks. Perceptual-motor skills
are assessed.
10. Object Assembly* This is a pussle«like task requiring
the manipulation of pieces to form a complete whole. Motor
coordination and visual-motor integration are measured.
11. Codings This subtest is a routinised perceptual-motor
task assessing psychomotor speed and accuracy.
Subject3.—-The children whose test scores were used in
this study range in age from six to twelve years. They were
children referred to the Educational Clinic of a large school
system, and they include Caucasians, Hegroes, and Latin Amer-
icans whose W1SC IQ's range from 46 to 125.
Related Research
This review of related research will be restricted to
studies concerned with the relationship of Bender performance
to intelligence in children. It may be mentioned however
that Tolor and Schulberg (10, p. 169) find that studies with
adults generally suggest that "severe ego impairment will
similarly affect both intellectual functioning and visual-
motor coordination, leading to substantial relationships be-
tween the two variables." This statement by Tolor and
Schulberg reflects the general trend of most of the studies
reviewed.
14
Two studies which used children who were well adjusted
and within the normal rang® of intelligence were conducted by
Pascal and Suttell (9) and Sullivan and Welsh (10, p. 166),
[email protected] of these studies found significant relationships
between Bender performance and intelligence scores* Pascal
and Suttell report an insignificant correlation of -.05 be-
tween Stanford-Binet IQ*s and Bender scores# Sullivan and
Welsh report an insignificant correlation of .24 between Bender
performance, as indexed by their own scoring method, and
Stanford-Binet IQ*s. Koppitz (7, pp. 47-4$) found significant
Ghi-squares in relating Bender scores to Verbal Scale, Per-
formance Scale and full Scale WISC IQ*s of ninety children.
The children used in the Koppitz study had been seen for
psychological evaluation because of emotional difficulties,
learning problems, or both. In asstudy with high-grade re-
tardates, Keller (6) obtained a correlation of .77 between his
Bender performance score and the Grace-Arthur Scale. Keller
also found a correlation of .63 between lender scores and
the Stanford-Biaet. Both of the correlations reported by
Keller are statistically significant. Goldberg (3), in a
study using fifteen white male boy® diagnosed as familial
retardates, found a significant correlation of -.66 between
WISC lQ*s and Pascal-Suttell scores.
In the present study children were not divided on the
basis of sex in determining the relation of Bender performance
to !Q because it was assumed that sex differences in Bender
15
performance were not significant# In support of this as-
sumption is a study by Abramson, Waxenberg, Levine, Kaufman,
and Kornetsky (li in which no sex difference in the ability
to reproduce Bender designs was found for a sample of thir-
teen men and thirteen women whose mean age was twenty-six and
twenty-eight respectively, Koppitz (7, p. 35) finds that "at
no age level were the differences between the Bender mean
scores for boys and girls statistically significant•* Although
this study usee children whose ages might be slightly higher
than the group used by Koppitz, there seems to be no tenable
argument for considering the sexes separately#
In summary, studies using children referred to clinics,
retardates, and others with significant Impairments of ego
functioning find statistically significant relationships be-
tween Bender performance and IQ, while studies using "normal"
children find no significant relationship between these two
variables# Also, sex differences do not appear to be signif-
icant i. Since the present study used a clinic sample, signif-
icant correlation between Bender score and IQ would tend to
support the hypothesis that this relationship may be generated
by a factor which similarly affects intellectual and visual-
motor functioning.
CHAPTER I BIBLIOGRAPHY
1. Abramson, H. A., Waxenberg, S. E., Levin©, A#, Kaufman, M. E.. and Kornetaky, C., "Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD 25)l XIII. Effect on Bender Gestalt Teat Per-formance,* Journal of Psychology (1955), pp. 341-349.
2. Bender, Lauretta, A Visual Motor Gestalt Test and Its Clinical Use, New lork. The American Qrthopsycniatric Association, Inc., 193§«
3. Goldberg, F. H., "The Performance of Schizophrenic, Retarded, and Moraal Children on th© Bender-Gaatalt Test," American Journal of Mental Deficiency, LXI (1957). 543-555.
4. Griffith, R. M. and Taylor, Vivian H., "Incidence of Bender-Gestalt Figure Rotation,8 Journal of Consulting Psychology. XXIV (I960), 139-190.
5. Hutt, Max L. and Briakin, Gerald J., The Clinical Use of the Revised Bender Gestalt Test. New York, Grune and Stratton, X&SSI
6. Keller, J. E., "The Use of the Bender Gestalt Maturational Level Scoring System with Mentally Handicapped Children," American Journal of Orthopsychiatry. XXV (1955), 563-573*
7. Koppitz, Elisabeth Munsterberg, The Bender Gestalt Test for Young Children. New York, Grune and Stratton, 19&4.
d* Koppitz, Elizabeth Munsterberg, "Relationships Between the Bender Gestalt Test and the Wechaler Intelligence Test for^Children."^Journal of Clinical Psychology. XIV
9. Pascal, G. R« and Buttell, Barbara J., The Bender' Gestalt Tests Its Qualification and Validity for Aciu.lta. 'Hew" forK, tJrune and Stratton7~l9Tn
10. Tolor, Alexander and Schulberg, Herbert C., An Evaluation of the Bender-Gestalt Test, Springfield, Charles C. fHomas, 19S3. ~
16
CHAPTER II
PROCEDURES
Procedures for Collecting Data
The children whose teat data were selected for this study
ware children referred to the educational clinic of a large
Southwestern school. The children were referred to the clinic
for problems in the areas of learning, behavior, retardation,
and emotional adjustment* In the actual selection of case
folders to be used, several file drawers were randomly selected
and all case folders of children who met the criteria for the
study were used* Since the filing system in this clinic is
based on the date of referral, consecutively filed case
folders have only temporal proximity to referral date in com-
mon* The sample of cases thus obtained was assumed to random-
sample the total number of cases recorded at the clinic. Of
those case folders examined no ease folder of a child who met
the study's criteria was rejected* Criteria for the selection
of a child*s case were as follows:
1* fhe child's chronological age must b© between six
years, no months, and twelve years, no months*
2* The child must have taken the WISC. and must have been
given all of the WISC subtests with the exception of Masses*
3/ The child must have taken the Bender*
17
10
4# The clinician who administered the tests must have
reported that rapport was adequate for testing.
Using these selected criteria, a sample of 1G0 cases was
compiled which included Caucasians, Negroes, and Latin Amer-
icans, with Full Scale WISC IQ»s ranging from 46 to 125*
Procedure for Treating Data
The data were treated statistically by using the Pearson
product moment correlation coefficient to determine the degree
of relationship between BGT scores and WISC scores- Koppltz
error scores for the BGT were correlated with WISC Full Scale,
Verbal Scale, and Performance Scale IQfs, m well as with
VI3C subtest acale scores. Further treatment was obtained
by uaing a t test to determine the significance of the cor-
relation coefficients* The 1 per cent level of significance
was chosen as the lower limit for determining significance of
the correlation coefficients* The formulae for the Pearson
product moment correlation coefficient and for the t test are
given in McNemar {1)•
CHAPTER XI BIBLIOGRAPHY
McMa&ar', Quinn. Psycholoj&c&l Statistics, Wiley and Bom, inc., Kfei.
1# McMa&ar', Quinn. Psycholoj&c&l Statistics, New York. John Wiley and Sons. Inc.? B63.
19
CHAPTER III
RESULTS
Presentation of Data
Til® treated data from the computer center include the
mean scores and standard deviations of all sets of scores
used, as well as the correlation coefficients obtained between
each BQT score and the fourteen scores on the W1SC• The
fourteen WI3G scores include the ?®rbalf Performance, and Full
Scale IQfs and the eleven subtest scores#• Correlations be-
tween the BQT scores and the WISO scores were considered to
be significant when they reached values at the 1 per cent
level of confidence# The statistical significance of each
Pearson product moment correlation coefficient was tested by
use of a | teat# The degrees of freedom of the t test, which
are a function of the number of cases, were determined by the
formula given in McNemar (2).
The results of the study will be evaluated according to
the hypotheses presented in Chapter I* The first hypothesis
was that Verbal Scale, Performance Scale, and Full Scale WISO
IQ*s would have significantly negative correlations with BGT
scores# Data relating to this hypothesis are presented in
Tables I and II# Table I is a presentation of the mean scores
and standard deviations for the ferbal Scale, Performance
20
21
Scale, and Full Scale IQ*s on the WI3C. From the data In this
table inferences may be drawn about the general Intellectual
functioning of the study sample and the similarity between
the various WISC Scale IQ*s. It should be mentioned that the
WISG is constructed in such a manner that 100 is the mean IQ
for the test, with a standard deviation of fifteen points#
Little differences between Verbal, Performance, and Full Scale
IQ*s would be expected in a normal sample*
TABLE I
MEAN SCORES AID STANDARD DEVIATIONS FOR VERBAL SCALE, PERFORMANCE SCALE AND FULL SCALE IQ'S
ON THE WISC
Scale Mean Score Standard Deviation
Verbal Scale 86.67 18.0072
Performance Scale 89*50 18.2994
Full Scale 86. ao 18.6751
The data in Table I indicate that the study sample had a
mean Full Scale IQ below that of the general population, with
a standard deviation for Full Scale IQfa somewhat larger than
that of the normative sample for the WISC. Since the study sam-
ple was comprised of children referred for various Intellectual
and emotional problems, it is not surprising that the general
level of intellectual functioning of such a sample is below
that of the normative group* The data in Table I reveal a
high similarity between Verbal Scale, Performance Scale, and
22
Seal® IQ'a and standard deviations# This similarity is to toe
expected, assuming valid administration of the WISC» The
variance of the IQ scores is somewhat higher than a normal
sample, and it is probable that the study sample was more
heterogeneous in terns of intellectual functioning than a
random sample of school children#
Table II presents the correlation coefficients between
BGT scores and scores on the Verbal Scale, Performance Scale,
and Full Scale of the WI3C«
TABLE II
CORRELATION BETWEEN BENDER SCORES AND VERBAL SCALE, PERFORMANCE SCALE, AND POLL SCALE WISC SCORES
Scale r P
Verbal Scale -.55* .01
Performance Scale -•.61 .01
Full Scale -•62 .01
*A11 correlations are negative since the BGT was scored for errors•
The data in Table II indicate that the BGT scores are
negatively correlated with WISC Verbal, Performance, and Pull
Scale IQ scores at the 1 per cent level of significance* The
hypothesis made concerning the relationship between BGT per*
formance and IQ .-is- supported by this data* Because of the
significant correlation between BGT and WISC. support is
evidenced for the applicability of the BGT as an estimator
23
of Intellectual functioning; however, these data are certainly
not conclusive evidence of such applicability# In fact, the
absolute size of the correlations in Table II is no larger
than correlations between certain WI30 subtests .and the Full
Scale IQ.
Table III presents the mean scores and standard deviations
of the WXSC subtest scores and the BGT scores.
fABLE III
MEAN SCORES AMD STANBAHD DEVIATIONS OF WISQ SUBTEST SC0RI3 AMD BENDER SCORES
Subtest Mean Score Standard Deviation
Inforiaation 7.96 3.4319 Comprehension 7.46 3.4334
Arithmetic a. 21 3*262$
Similarities a.37 3.7407
Vocabulary 7*12 2,813d
Digit Span $•18 3.0639
Picture Completion 0.66 3*3472
Picture Arrangement a .37 3.3960
Block Design a.73 3.4550
Object Assembly a.72 3.0564
Coding 7.97 3.014S
Bender Score 5.04 4.1615
The data in Table H I indicate that the.scores ©n the
various subtest® of the WISC have similar means and standard
24
deviations, as would be expected on the basis of the design
of the test. The mean Bender score i® below the mean score
reported by Koppitz for seven-year-old children, and this
suggests that scoring of Bender protocols in the present study
may have been more strict than such scoring in the studies by
Koppita,
Table IT presents the correlation coefficients between
BQT scores and tfISC subtest scores. The level of significance
for these correlations, as determined by t tests, is also given
in Table If.
TABLE IV
CORRELATIONS BETWEEN BENDER SCORES A W VISC SUBTEST SCORES
Subtest r P
Information -.52 ! .01
Comprehension -,40 .01
Arithmetic -.51 .01
Similarities -.50 .01
Vocabulary -•33 .01
Digit Span -•4$ .01
Picture Completion — • 56 .01
Picture Arrangement -•39 .01
Block Design -.55 .01
Object Assembly -•4^ .01
Coding -•50 .01
25
The data in Table If indicate that scores on WI3C sub-
tests are significantly correlated with BOf scores in a
negative direction. This result is somewhat unexpected, as
Koppitz {1) found insignificant relationships between BGT
scores and the Information, Comprehension, and Similarities
subtests. Again, t tests were used to determine the level of
significance of the correlation coefficients# Pata in Table
I? support the second hypothesis of the study concerning the
correlation between BGT scores and the Picture Completion,
Block Design, and Object Assembly subtests; and this hypothesis
was accepted#
CHAPTER III BIBLIOGRAPHY
1. Koppitz. Elizabeth Munsterberg, The Bender Gestalt Teat for Young Children. New fork, (irune and Stratton, 1^>4»
2. MeNemar. Quinn. Psychological Statistics, lew York, John Wiley and Sons, I n c . , f % 3 .
26
CHAPTER If
DISCUSSION AND SUMMARY
Discission
la attempting to evaluate the significance of this study
it must be remembered that a "statistically significant** cor-
relation coefficient between the scores of two tests is not
a sanction for assuming that the two tests ar© interchangeable.
In the manual for the W1SC. correlations are reported between
subtest scores and the Full Seal® IQ, and at age ten years,
six months, six of the eleven subtests used in this study
have higher correlations with the Full Scale IQ than the cor-
relation between BGT scores and IQ found in this study.
While no clinician would consider using only one of these
subtests as a valid measure of intelligence, such a practice
might lead to better estimates of Full Scale IQ*s than using
the BGT scores as estimators# There is also soiae doubt about
the meaningfulness of a single numerical score as an index of
intellectual functioning. With the Developmental Scoring
System the score obtained for a given child is often a one
digit number, and it is difficult to imagine a useful repre-
sentation of complex cognitive functioning which is composed
of such a limited bit of raw data. While the degree of re-
lationship between BGT scores and WISC scores obtained in
27
2B
this study would allow one to predict WI3C scores with greater
accuracy than if no relationship had been found, errors of
estimate are still relatively large# Perhaps the degree of
relationship between the two tests is sufficient for using
the BGT as a very crude measure of intellectual functioning,
but great caution must be used if such a practice is followed*
Eather than relate the discussion of the results of this
study to specific previous investigations of the same general
area, the conclusions of Tolor and Schulberg concerning the
applicability of the BGT as an estimator of intelligence will
be presented# The conclusions of Tolor and Schulberg, after
an extensive review of the research on the BGT. are summarized mmm^mW
in the following statement.
In reviewing the scattered and rather meager evidence available regarding the effect of intelligence on Bender functioning, these reviewers have been led to conclusions somewhat contrary to those generally accepted until now. Billingslea's {in press) con-tention that the Bender-Qestalt Test is useful in estimating the intelligence of children ranging from four to twelve years has been found to be true solely when the childego functioning is at least moderately impaired# In the absence of any such ego impairment, however, visual-motor functioning has been found to be unrelated to intellectual ef-ficiency in children* It would therefore be invalid to estimate the Intellectual level of a normally adjusted child of average intelligence from the Bender-Gestalt Test (1)•
It was assumed in this study that the use of a clinic
population would lead to higher correlations between BGT
scores and WI8C scores than would the use of a "normal" sample#
However, Tolor and Schulberg assume that there ia no relation-
ship between visual-motor functioning and intellectual
29
functioning with normally adjusted children of average intel-
ligence# Although the present study provides no experimental
basis for disagreement with the conclusion of Tolor and
Schulberg, it seems likely that a relationship exists between
visual-motor ability and intelligence despite those studies
cited which seem to affirm no relationship# Since most of
the scoring systems used to assess BGT performance are error
scores, EOT protocols produced by subjects having well de-
veloped visual-motor skills cluster in a small range near
zero* Consequently, correlations between BGT scores and
measures of intelligence would necessarily be small for groups
with good visual-motor functioning due to the restriction in
range of one of the variables# The position taken in this
investigation is that there is less relationship between BGT
performance and intelligence with "normals'* than with clinic
groups, but the relationship is assumed to exist to some de-
gree in all groups#
It will be recalled that the first hypothesis of this
study concerned the relationship between WISC scale IQ and
BGT scores# One of the bases for this hypothesis was the
assumption that effectively rational behavior must be mediated
by a relatively accurate perception of external stimuli and
a concomitant organization or framework within which these
perceptions must be meaningfully related# It was assumed
that the successful resolution of problems, the completing
of tasks, and the obtaining of goals with which every
30
individual is faced demand progressively greater perceptual
discrimination and differentiation as the individual matures.
The individual is faced with the problem of distinguishing
between relatively similar aspects of his environment in
order to deal more effectively with the environment. There
is considerable prima facie justification for the assumption
that rational and effective manipulation of environmental
variables is dependent upon relatively accurate perception of
these variables by the individual. Rational and effective
behavior is then seen as partially dependent upon accurate
perceptual processes, and it is assumed that performance on
IQ tests such as WISC is an indication of the individual*s
ability to think rationally and act effectively* Consequently,
if the BGT score reflects perceptual accuracy, one would
expect that the capacity to score high on the WISC would be
concomitant with the capacity to perform well on the BGT.
The above arguments lead to the conclusion that the
capacity to perform well on the BGT and similar tests measur-
ing perceptual and perceptual-motor development may be a
necessary but not a sufficient cause for high scores on IQ
tests. The data in this investigation lend some support to
this informal hypothesis. From the above arguments one would
expect to find low BGT error scores paired with both high and
low IQ scores, while high IQ scores would be paired only with
low BG£ error scores. Indeed, for the sample of children
used in this study, such was the situation. BGT protocols
31
haying no errors were paired, with IQ scores which ranged
from 66 to 125, while no child with a Full Scale IQ of more
than 110 made sore than three errors on the BGT»
The second hypothesis of the study concerned the relation-
ship between BQT scores and Picture Completion, Block Design,
and Object Assembly subtest scores# The primary theoretical
basis for this hypothesis involves the assumption that the
three subtests mentioned all require direct visual perception
of stimuli as does the BGT# The Block Design subtest involves
the reproduction of perceived visual patterns, and thus is
highly similar in structure to the BGT« Picture Completion
depends on visual concentration to a large extent and involves
the ability to visually perceive small details in a stimulus
configuration# Object Assembly involves both perceptual and
motor skills. Thus, these three subtests demand many of the
same perceptual and pareeptual~motor skills which are utilized
in BGT performance#
It is not immediately apparent why subtests such as In-
formation and Similarities would be significantly correlated
with BGT scores unless there is some "general intelligence"
factor which would affect both types of performance. There
is some evidence that aphasia is detectable on BQT protocols,
and it is possible that on a neurological level there is a
relationship between symbolic and associational processes and
gestalt functioning# Such a relationship might account for
the apparent relationship of the BGT scores to scores of sub-
tests requiring primarily verbal and conceptual abilities-
32
la summary, intelligence appears to fee a significant
factor in BGT performance, but much of the variance of the
BGT scores is not explainable on the basis of intellectual
functioning• Similarly, visual-motor coordination as assessed,
by the JSCS* is almost certainly a significant factor in perfor-
mance on IQ tests* The critical aspect of the problem to be
considered is the strength of association between the two types
of measures, and the data in this study lead to the tentative
conclusion that the degree of relationship, while found to be
statistically significant, is insufficient to warrant substi-
tution of the BGT for accepted measures of intellectual
functioning. It ia hoped that future research will add greater
clarification of the possible uses of the BGT in clinical
settings, and more explicitly delineate those aspects of human
behavior about which inferences may be made fro® BOX protocols*
Summary
A study was made to determine the relationship between
performance on the Bender Visual-Motor Qesta.lt Test and scores
on the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, The purpose
of the investigation was to assess the applicability of the
BGT as an estimator of intelligence. WISC scores were taken
as a criterion measure of intelligence, and correlations be-
tween WISC scores and BGT scores were computed. Gas© files
of 100 children referred to an educational clinic were used
for the raw data. The study was designed to determine whether
33
correlations between BGT scores and WISC scores were signif-
icant# Significance of the correlations obtained was deter-
mined by the use of the t technique, and the 1 per cent level
of significance was established as the lower limit for deter-
mining significant correlations#
The hypothesis that the Verbal, Performance, and Full
Seal© WISC XQ*a would have a significant negative correlation -
with 8GT scores was accepted# The correlation coefficients
between BGT scores and Verbal, Performance, and Full Scale
IQ scores was found to be significant at the 1 per cent level
of confidence# The hypothesis that the Picture Completion,
Block Design, and Object Assembly subtest scores would be
negatively correlated with BGT scores at a significant level
was also accepted, with the correlations found to be signifi-
cant at the 1 per cent level of confidence. The statistical
analysis revealed that all of the eleven subtests on the WISC
had significant negative correlations when correlated with
BGT scores» It was concluded that scores obtained with the
Developmental Scoring System for BGT protocols are significantly
related to IQ and subtest scale scores on the VX3C« However,
it was not felt that the degree of relationship between these
two tests necessarily warrants the assumption that the BGT
is applicable as an estimator of intelligence.
CHAPTER IV BIBLIOGRAPHY
1* Tolor, Alexander and Schulberg, Herbert C.t An Evaluation of the Bender-Gestalt Test. Springfield. cKarles C# wc*SiSr:j!i Tr'rr rL''" ",l "'ur -i,; u :ii rrj|
1 D.OMS * X7O 3 *
34
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Books
Bender, Lauretta, A Visual Motor Gestalt Test and Its Clinical Use, New York7 The American Qrthopsychiatric Association, Inc., 193S.
Hutt, Max L. and Briskin, Gerald J*, The Clinical Use of the Revised Bender Gestalt Test, flew York, Grune and Stratton, I960•
Koppits, Elisabeth Munsterberg, The Bender Gestalt Test for Young Children. New York, Grune and Stratton, 1964*
McNeaar, Quins, Psychological Statistics. lew York, John Wiley and Sons, Inc., 1963#
Pascal, G. R. and Suttell. Barbara J., The Bender Gestalt pg|f* III and Validity for Adults. New York, Grune and Stratton7x951.
Tolor, Alexander and Schulberg, Herbert C*, An Evaluation of the Bender-'Gestalt Teat. Springfield, cliaries C. 'Thomas,
>3*
Articles
Abramson, H. A., Waxenberg, S. £., Levin®, A., Kaufman, M» R., and Kornetsky, C., "Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD 25)J XIII* Effect on Bender Gestalt Test Performance,11 Journal of Psychology. XL (1955), 341-349•
Goldberg, F* M«, •The Performance of Schizophrenic, Retarded, and loraal Children on the Bender Gestalt Test," American Journal of Mental Beficieacy. LXI (1957)> 54^-555•
Griffith, E# M. and Taylor, Vivian H., "Incidence of Bender-Gestalt Figure Rotations." Journal of Consulting Psy-chology. XXIV (I960), 1^9-lWI ^
Keller, J. E., '"'The Use of the Bender Gestalt Maturations! Scoring system with Mentally Handicapped Children," American Journal of Orthoosychiatry. XX? (1955), 563-37JT
35
36
Koppita, Elizabeth Munsterberg, "Relationships Between the Bender-Geatalt feat and the• ITechsier Intelligence Test j or CMXAren.* Journal of Clinical Psychology. II? T B 5 W r w ~ 4 i K