Differential functioning of Bender Visual-Motor Gestalt Test items.

Area of Science:

• Psychometrics
• Developmental Psychology
• Educational Psychology

Background:

• Differential Item Functioning (DIF) is crucial for ensuring test fairness across demographic groups.
• The Bender Visual-Motor Gestalt Test is widely used to assess visual-motor integration in children.
• Understanding potential sex-based biases in cognitive assessments is vital for accurate interpretation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze and classify sex-related differential item functioning (DIF) in the Bender Visual-Motor Gestalt Test.
• To investigate if specific items on the test function differently for boys and girls.
• To evaluate the psychometric properties of the Bender Graduated Scoring System using the Rasch model.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the Rasch logistic response model to analyze data from 1,052 children (513 boys, 539 girls, ages 6-10).
• Scored Bender Visual-Motor Gestalt Test protocols using the Bender Graduated Scoring System, focusing on the distortion criterion.
• Applied statistical methods to identify items exhibiting differential item functioning based on sex.

Main Results:

• The Bender Graduated Scoring System demonstrated a good fit with the Rasch model.
• Two specific items within the Bender Visual-Motor Gestalt Test were identified as exhibiting sex-related bias.
• Analysis revealed an equal number of differentially functioning items when comparing boys and girls separately.

Conclusions:

• While the overall scoring system fits the Rasch model, specific items may introduce sex-based bias.
• The findings suggest a need for careful consideration of item performance across sexes in the Bender Visual-Motor Gestalt Test.
• Further research may explore the nature of the identified bias and its implications for test interpretation.