Performance of brain-damaged and non-braindamaged institutionalized children on the minnesota percepto-diagnostic test

Examined the performance of 64 children on the Minnesota Percepto-Diagnostic test (MPD) who were diagnosed as either Brain-Damaged (BD) or emotionally impaired Non-Brain-Damaged (NBD). There were 31 children in the NBD group and 33 in the BD group. The MPD T-score and Actuarial Table significantly differentiated between the two groups. Seventy-four percent of the combined BD-NBD groups were identified correctly. Additional discriminant analysis on this sample yielded combined BD-NBD groups classification rates that ranged from 77% with the MPD variables Separation of Circle-Diamond (SPCD), Distortion of Circle-Diamond (DCD) and Distortion of Dots (DD) to 83% with the WISC-R three IQ scores plus the MPD T-score, SPCD and DD. The MPD T-score and Actuarial Table (MPD Two-Step Diagnosis) appeared to generalize to other populations more readily than discriminant analysis formulae, which tend to be sensitive to the samples from which they are derived.     

Clinical utility of the background interference procedure for the Bender-Gestalt test

Reviewed evidence for the validity of the Background Interference Procedure (BIP) version of the Bender-Gestalt test as a screening test for organic brain dysfunction. Low reliability and shortcomings in BIP validation studies suggest that the diagnostic validity of the BIP is lower than previously reported. A study was conducted in which the BIP was used to determine the presence or absence of brain dysfunction in groups of 45 brain-damaged and 39 nonimpaired male inpatients who were equated for age and education. Both the hit rate (61%) and relative accuracy of the BIP, compared with the EEG and neuroradiological procedures, were lower than in most earlier reports. The results are seen as limiting the usefulness of the BIP as a screening test for brain damage. A potential role for the BIP as a measure of constructional praxis is discussed.     

Relationship between the standard scores of Peabody Picture Vocabulary test-revised and wide range achievement test

This investigation explored the relationship between the Revised Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test and the Wide Range Achievement Test. The sample included 37 children and youth referred for special education services. Pearson product movements (rs) and correlated t values were employed in the data analysis. The PPVT-R standard score correlated positively and significantly with the WRAT Reading standard score. The concurrent validity of the PPVT-R is discussed.     

Recall of figure "A" of the Bender-Gestalt test among delinquents

The Bender-Gestalt test was administered to 182 Israeli adolescent males: four groups of juvenile delinquents and two of nondelinquent high-school students. Each of the delinquent groups was administered one of the following versions: a standard administration with figure A first (n = 60), a change of sequence with figure A last (n = 22), a regular sequence with figure A changed to two adjacing circles (n = 20), and with figure A changed to two adjacent diamonds (n = 20). One nondelinquent group took the test under standard administration with figure A first (n = 30), and one took it with figure A last (n = 20). The results showed significantly low recall of the original figure A by delinquents when it appeared first. This phenomenon was related to both primary effect and the design depicted in figure A, with a greater influence of the latter. Difficulties in integration were suggested as inhibiting delinquents' recall.     

Time factor as a prognostic indicator on the Bender-Gestalt test.

Z-scores from Bender-Gestalt records of 62 psychiatric in- and outpatients were computed. The patients were put on active treatment, and a psychiatric rating was done to evaluate therapeutic recovery after a period of 19 to 24 months. These patients were grouped into three categories, i.e., patients with low Z-scores and good therapeutic recovery; patients with high Z-scores and poor therapeutic recovery; patients with low Z-scores who still showed poor response to treatment. Total time taken by each patient to reprduce the BG designs was noted as well. Results indicate that Z-score was a significant prognostic indicator for schizophrenics, affective psychotics, organic psychotics and patients who were suffering from anxiety and conversion reactions, but not for obsessive compulsive neurotics. Time taken for BG reproductions proved to be an important prognostic indicator, as patients who did not respond satisfactorily to the treatment took significantly more time than those who responded well to treatment. Hence, time taken by the patients for BG reproductions also needs to be considered when any predictions are made with regard to therapeutic outcome.     

Visual-motor test performance: race and achievement variables.

Tested rural Michigan black (N = 60) and white (N = 60) children of variant academic achievement on the Minnesota Percepto-Diagnostic Test for visual-motor skill development. The test, which consists of six gestalt designs for the person to copy, includes four measures of such skill development: Degree of copied design rotation and errors of separation of circle-diamond, distortion of circle-diamond and distortion of dots. In general, analyses that statistically controlled for intellectual level indicated that race was not a significant variable in the relationship of achievement level and visual-motor test performance. That is, such analyses resulted only in a significant achievement effect; low achievers, in comparison with high achievers, performed poorly on the copying test. Only with distortion of circle-diamond errors was a race interactive effect noted; i.e., black low achievers had significantly more errors than black high achievers, white low achievers or white high achievers. Results were discussed in relation to environmental determinants and symptomatology correlates.