BENDER-GESTALT PROTOCOLS OF ADULT NEGRO MALE OFFENDERS NORMATIVE DATA

• NCJ Number: 49847
• Journal: Perceptual and Motor Skills Volume: 35 Issue: 1 Dated: (1972) Pages: 101-102
• Author(s): J T MATRANGA; D E JENSEN; J R PRANDONI
• Date Published: 1972
• Length: 2 pages
• Corporate Author: Perceptual and Motor Skills
• Publication Format: Article
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

THE BENDER-GESTALT REPRODUCTIONS OF THE SUBJECTS WERE SCORED ACCORDING TO KOPPITZ'S DEVELOPMENTAL SCORING SYSTEM AND DIVIDED INTO SEVEN INTELLIGENCE QUOTIENT (IQ) RANGES; AND NORMATIVE DATA ARE LISTED FOR EACH RANGE.

Abstract

THIS STUDY WAS UNDERTAKEN BECAUSE THE LACK OF ANY NORMS FOR ADULT NEGRO MALES AT VARIOUS LEVELS OF INTELLECTUAL FUNCTIONING MADE IT DIFFICULT FOR EXAMINERS TO INTERPRET BENDER-GESTALT RECORDS OF THE MAJORITY OF A CLINIC'S POPULATION. THE 224 SUBJECTS IN THE SAMPLE USED WERE ALL NEGRO MALE OFFENDERS, AGES 15 TO 65 YEARS, WHO WERE SEEN FOR PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTING AT THE FORENSIC PSYCHIATRY OFFICE BETWEEN 1967 AND 1971. THE MEAN AGE OF SUBJECTS WAS 26.84 YEARS, THE MEAN EDUCATION 8.55 YEARS, AND THE MEAN WECHSLER FULL SCALE IQ WAS 88.49. EXAMINERS WERE PRIMARILY INTERESTED IN THE VISUAL-MOTOR ASPECTS OF THE SUBJECTS' PERFORMANCE; THEREFORE, ALL PROTOCOLS WERE ONLY SCORED FOR GROSS DISTORTIONS, USING KOPPITZ'S DEVELOPMENTAL SCORING SYSTEM (1964). SINCE BENDER SCORES WERE NEGATIVELY CORRELATED WITH IQ, LEVEL OF INTELLECTUAL FUNCTIONING WAS SELECTED AS THE BASIS FOR GROUPING THE SUBJECTS. THEY WERE DIVIDED INTO SEVEN IQ GROUPS, AND THE PROTOCOLS OF EACH GROUP WERE EVALUATED IN TERMS OF NUMBER AND KINDS OF ERRORS, AND THE TIME REQUIRED TO REPRODUCE THE DESIGNS. IT HAS GENERALLY BEEN ASSUMED THAT IN A NORMAL POPULATION, IQ'S WITHIN THE AVERAGE RANGE DO NOT AFFECT BENDER PERFORMANCE. IN THE PRESENT STUDY A WIDER RANGE OF INTELLECTUAL FUNCTIONING WAS INCLUDED, AND BENDER PERFORMANCE WAS SIGNIFICANTLY AFFECTED BY IQ. ALTHOUGH THE SAMPLE USED CANNOT BE CONSIDERED REPRESENTATIVE OF THE GENERAL POPULATION, EXAMINERS OF THE DATA OBTAINED EXPECT A SIMILAR CORRELATION BETWEEN IQ AND BENDER PERFORMANCE IN ANY POPULATION WHICH WOULD INCLUDE ALL LEVELS OF INTELLECTUAL FUNCTIONING. IT IS BELIEVED THAT THE RESULTS OF THIS STUDY DEMONSTRATE THE NEED FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF BENDER NORMS FOR ALL RANGES OF INTELLECTUAL FUNCTIONING. DATA FROM THE STUDY ARE PROVIDED, AND REFERENCES ARE GIVEN. (RCB)