Ten experimental and 10 control subjects in elementary special education were exposed to a semester of contingency management procedures for up to 6 1/2 hours per day. The experimental group was taught by teachers who were exceptionally well trained and qualified behavior analysts, while the control group was instructed by teachers with varying degrees of expertise in behavioral techniques. Both groups were given the Bender Gestalt as a pretest and posttest to determine the effect of such treatment on the diagnostic indicators of "acting out" tendencies. Furthermore, the rate of actual "acting out" was measured for all subjects by counting the number of verbal corrections resulting in placement in time out and/ or warning of forthcoming time out during 20 class days of baseline and the last 20 days of treatment.

This study was designed to investigate the relationship between 15 emotional indicators on the Bender-Gestalt Test and acting-out behavior in young children. The subjects were 93 children ranging in age from 5 to 12 years. Each was administered the Bender. A measure of each subject's overt acting-out behavior was then obtained by having teachers rate each student on a Behavioral Rating Scale. Subjects' records were then divided into groups on the basis of both sex and age. Results indicated that neither the total number of Bender indicators nor any of the individual Bender indicators were significantly correlated with total scores on the rating scale. Use of the Bender as a projective device to measure acting-out behavior was seriously questioned.

The Embree/Butler scoring system served as criterion for ascertaining brain dysfunction on the protocols of 100 subjects--50 had been diagnosed by health professionals as having brain dysfunction, and 50 had been diagnosed as having no brain dysfunction. In comparing the hospital's diagnoses with those of the Embree/Butler method, the data strongly supported the hypothesis that the Embree/Butler scoring system did effectively discriminate (chi square of 77.99 < .01) between those with organic brain syndrome (or cerebral dysfunction) and those with psychiatric classification. A point-biserial correlation was used to distinguish the relationship between diagnosis and the score. A cutoff score of above 14 produced the least false-negative or false-positive evaluations.

The purpose of the present study is to investigate the differences in performance of a sample of children with organically based test behavior and learning disabilities and those children whose disorders are functional in origin. It is the purpose of this paper to determine if there exists a particular profile on the Bender Gestalt and the WISC that would help to differentiate these two diagnostic categories which at some levels of behavior are quite similar. The present study is an attempt to compare the WISC and the BGT of emotionally disturbed children with the WISC and the BGT of those children who have been diagnosed as neurologically impaired. It is more important today than ever before to ascertain a correct estimate of ability, the reasons for difficulties in learning and behavioral problems of young school age children, while at the same time taking into consideration the global intelligence and potentials of the individual. This eminates from the growing interest in, and work with, the different diagnostic categories of children by clinics and schools. This increased interest is evident in the larger number of diagnostic personnel associated with the school systems and more individualized types of instruction for the child with unusual difficulties or abilities.

<p>Sammanfattning</p><p>Barns utveckling under de sista förskoleåren är nyckeln till en bra skolstart. Visuomotorik är en av de faktorer som krävs för att tillägna sig skolans basfärdigheter. För tidigt födda barn är en grupp som enligt tidigare forskning löper risk för en sämre visuomotorisk utveckling. I den här studien mättes visuomotorik med Bender Gestalt Test med utvärderingssytem utvecklade av främst Elizabeth Koppitz (1963, 1975). I studien jämfördes för tidigt födda barns (n=175) och matchade fullgångna barns (n=125) Bender-resultat vid 5½ års ålder. Resultat visar att Bender-testet och Koppitz poängsystem har god validitet som ett visuomotoriskt mått och instrument i utvecklingsbedömningar. Det visar också att för tidigt födda har en mindre välutvecklad visuomotorik än fullgångna barn. Visuomotorik och högre kognitiv förmåga (främst IQ) uppvisar ett starkt positivt samband i båda grupperna. Resultaten visar även att hyperaktivitet utgjorde en extra riskfaktor hos de för tidigt födda barnen, vilket kan indikera att hyperaktiviteten har en annan dynamik än hos fullgångna barn.</p>

Sammanfattning Barns utveckling under de sista förskoleåren är nyckeln till en bra skolstart. Visuomotorik är en av de faktorer som krävs för att tillägna sig skolans basfärdigheter. För tidigt födda barn är en grupp som enligt tidigare forskning löper risk för en sämre visuomotorisk utveckling. I den här studien mättes visuomotorik med Bender Gestalt Test med utvärderingssytem utvecklade av främst Elizabeth Koppitz (1963, 1975). I studien jämfördes för tidigt födda barns (n=175) och matchade fullgångna barns (n=125) Bender-resultat vid 5½ års ålder. Resultat visar att Bender-testet och Koppitz poängsystem har god validitet som ett visuomotoriskt mått och instrument i utvecklingsbedömningar. Det visar också att för tidigt födda har en mindre välutvecklad visuomotorik än fullgångna barn. Visuomotorik och högre kognitiv förmåga (främst IQ) uppvisar ett starkt positivt samband i båda grupperna. Resultaten visar även att hyperaktivitet utgjorde en extra riskfaktor hos de för tidigt födda barnen, vilket kan indikera att hyperaktiviteten har en annan dynamik än hos fullgångna barn.

The Bender-Gestalt test is one of the most widely used psychological tests in clinical practice. However, very few empirical studies have investigated its projective use with adults. The purpose of the present study was to replicate a study conducted by Sellbom et al. (2001), which examined distortions of the Bender-Gestalt hypothesized to measure antisocial, impulsive, and depressive characteristics. It was found that the findings in Sellbom et al. (2001) were partially replicated, indicating that certain distortions, especially in conjunction, were significantly related to antisocial characteristics. The author suggests that the Bender-Gestalt could potentially be used as a screening measure for antisocial characteristics, but not to measure impulsive and depressive characteristics. / Department of Psychological Science

Thesis (M. Ed.)--University of Hong Kong, 1997. / Includes bibliographical references (leaf 131-143).

Thesis (M.Ed.)--University of Hong Kong, 1997. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 131-143). Also available in print.

The problem of this study was to isolate a constellation of "signs" or items of behavior of individuals on the Bender-Gestalt test and to determine if these signs will discriminate significantly between one patient category, paranoid schizophrenia, and three other major diagnostic categories.