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Some normative data on the Bender Gestalt test performance of Iranian children
F Yousefi1, S Shahim, A Razavieh
1Shiraz University, Iran.
Insights
The Bender Gestalt test effectively measures visuomotor skills in Iranian children. This study validates its use for assessing cognitive development in Iran.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Neuropsychology
- Educational Psychology
Background:
- The Bender Gestalt test assesses visuomotor coordination.
- Standardized administration and scoring by Koppitz are crucial.
- Cross-cultural validation is essential for global applicability.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the Bender Gestalt test's reliability and validity in Iranian children.
- To establish preliminary norms for Iranian children aged 6-10.
- To explore the test's utility as a measure of cognitive-intellectual development in Iran.
Main Methods:
- Administered the Bender Gestalt test to 1,600 Iranian children (grades 1-5) in Shiraz.
- Assessed reliability via retest (N=60, r=0.77) after four weeks.
- Examined validity through age comparisons, correlations with academic performance, Draw-A-Person test scores, and parental socio-economic indicators.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated acceptable reliability (r=0.77) for the Bender Gestalt test in the Iranian context.
- Validity was supported by expected correlations with age, academic achievement, and other developmental measures.
- Identified differences between Iranian and American norms, warranting further investigation.
Conclusions:
- The Bender Gestalt test is a reliable and valid tool for assessing visuomotor and cognitive-intellectual development in Iranian children.
- The findings support the cross-cultural application of the Bender Gestalt test.
- Cultural variations in performance necessitate context-specific normative data.
Abstract:
The Bender Gestalt test of visuomotor coordination was applied to a sample of Iranian children (N = 1,600) aged between 6.0 years and 10 years and 11 months attending grades 1 through 5 of 16 public primary schools in Shiraz city, southern Iran. The administration of the test and its scoring followed the standard procedures recommended by Koppitz. The reliability of the test in its new context was investigated through readministering it to a group of 60 children after four weeks, the r being .77. The validity of the test was established by comparing scores of children at different age levels and by correlating test results with marks obtained in two sets of examinations, results of Goodenough Harris Draw-A-Person Test and indices of parental education and occupation. The results are mostly in the expected direction and indicate that the Bender Gestalt test may be used as a simple measure of cognitive-intellectual development in Iran. Observed differences between Iranian norms and those of Koppitz (1963, 1975) for American children are briefly discussed and explained.