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),

l@ith.er 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