BENDER VISUAL

MOTOR GESTALT
(Bender-Gestalt test)
TEST

History

apsychologicaltestfirstdevelopedbychild
neuropsychiatristLaurettaBender
Thetestisusedtoevaluate"visual-motor
maturity",toscreenfordevelopmental
disorders,ortoassessneurological
functionorbraindamage.
BenderfirstdescribedherVisualMotor
GestaltTestinan1938monograph
entitled:A Visual Motor Gestalt Test and Its
Clinical Use.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bender-Gestalt_Test
http://www.minddisorders.com/A-Br/Bender-Gestalt-Test.html

Thetesthasbeenusedasascreening
deviceforbraindamage.Benderherself
saiditwas"amethodofevaluating
maturationofgestaltfunctioningchildren
4-11'sbrainfunctioningbywhichit
respondstoagivenconstellationof
stimuliasawhole,theresponsebeinga
motorprocessofpatterningthe
perceivedgestalt."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bender-Gestalt_Test
http://www.minddisorders.com/A-Br/Bender-Gestalt-Test.html

Itmeasuresperceptualmotorskills,
perceptualmotordevelopment,andgives
anindicationofneurologicalintactness.It
hasbeenusedasapersonalitytestanda
testofemotionalproblems.
Theimpetusfortheclinicaluseofthe
BenderGestaltcameinthelate1930s
whenMaxL.Hutt,anInstructoratthe
EducationalClinicofCityCollegeofNew
Yorkbecameinterestedindevelopinga
non-verbalprojectivepersonalitytest

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bender-Gestalt_Test
http://www.minddisorders.com/A-Br/Bender-Gestalt-Test.html

TheBender-IIcontains16figuresversus
9intheoriginal.Theneworrevised
scoringsystemfortheBender-IIwas
developedbasedonempirical
investigationofnumerousscoring
systems.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bender-Gestalt_Test
http://www.minddisorders.com/A-Br/Bender-Gestalt-Test.html

Purpose

TheBenderGestaltTestisusedtoevaluate
visualmaturity,visualmotorintegrationskills,
styleofresponding,reactiontofrustration,
abilitytocorrectmistakes,planningand
organizationalskills,andmotivation.Copying
figuresrequiresfinemotorskills,theabilityto
discriminatebetweenvisualstimuli,the
capacitytointegratevisualskillswithmotor
skills,andtheabilitytoshiftattentionfromthe
originaldesigntowhatisbeingdrawn.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bender-Gestalt_Test
http://www.minddisorders.com/A-Br/Bender-Gestalt-Test.html

Precautions

TheBenderGestaltTestshouldnotbe
administeredtoanindividualwithsevere
visualimpairmentunlesshisorhervisionhas
beenadequatelycorrectedwitheyeglasses.
Additionally,thetestshouldnotbegivento
anexamineewithaseveremotorimpairment,
astheimpairmentwouldaffecthisorher
abilitytodrawthegeometricfigurescorrectly.
Thetestscoresmighttherebybedistorted.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bender-Gestalt_Test
http://www.minddisorders.com/A-Br/Bender-Gestalt-Test.html

TheBenderGestaltTestshouldneverbe
usedinisolation.Whenmakingadiagnosis,
resultsfromtheBenderGestaltTestshould
beusedinconjunctionwithothermedical,
developmental,educational,psychological,
andneuropsychologicalinformation.
Finally,psychometrictestingrequires
administrationandevaluationbyaclinically
trainedexaminer.Ifascoringsystemis
used,theexaminershouldcarefully
evaluateitsreliabilityandvalidity,aswellas
thenormativesamplebeingused.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bender-Gestalt_Test
http://www.minddisorders.com/A-Br/Bender-Gestalt-Test.html

Description

TheBenderGestaltTestisanindividually
administeredpencilandpapertestused
tomakeadiagnosisofbraininjury.
Thereareninegeometricfiguresdrawn
inblack.Thesefiguresarepresentedto
theexamineeoneatatime;then,the
examineeisaskedtocopythefigureon
ablanksheetofpaper.
Examineesareallowedtoerase,but
cannotuseanymechanicalaids(suchas
rulers).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bender-Gestalt_Test
http://www.minddisorders.com/A-Br/Bender-Gestalt-Test.html

Theaverageamountoftimetocompletethe
testisfivetotenminutes.
Onemethodrequiresthattheexamineeview
eachcardforfiveseconds,afterwhichthe
cardisremoved.Theexamineedrawsthe
figurefrommemory.
Anothervariationinvolveshavingthe
examineedrawthefiguresbyfollowingthe
standardprocedure.Theexamineeisthen
givenacleansheetofpaperandaskedto
drawasmanyfiguresasheorshecanrecall.
Last,thetestisgiventoagroup,ratherthan
toanindividual(i.e.,standardadministration).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bender-Gestalt_Test
http://www.minddisorders.com/A-Br/Bender-Gestalt-Test.html

Administration

AdministrationoftheBender-GestaltII
consistsoftwophases:
CopyPhase
Examineeisshownstimuluscardswith

designsandaskedtocopyeachofthe
designsonasheetofpaper
RecallPhase
Examineeisaskedtoredrawdesignsfrom

memory

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bender-Gestalt_Test
http://www.minddisorders.com/A-Br/Bender-Gestalt-Test.html

MotorandPerceptionsupplemental
testsscreenforspecificmotorand
perceptualabilities/difficulties.

KitconsistsofExaminersmanual,16
stimuluscards,observationform,
motortest,andaperceptiontest

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bender-Gestalt_Test
http://www.minddisorders.com/A-Br/Bender-Gestalt-Test.html

Materialsneeded:Twopencilswitherasers,10sheetsof
drawingpaper,andastopwatch(notincludedintestkit).

Administertestonatable,seatedacrossfromthe
examineeifpossible

Supplyonepencilandonesheetofpaper(verticallyin
frontofexaminee)

Showthestimuluscardstotheexamineeoneatatime
(alignedwiththetopofdrawingpaper)

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http://www.minddisorders.com/A-Br/Bender-Gestalt-Test.html

Administerstimuluscardsinthe
correctnumericsequenceanddonot
allowexamineetoturnormanipulate
them.

Copy Phase:
Inconspicuouslymeasurehowlongthe

examineetakestocompletetheitems
recordtimeinminutesandseconds
Documentyourobservationscarefully
notetheexamineesapproachtodrawing
eachdesign

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bender-Gestalt_Test
http://www.minddisorders.com/A-Br/Bender-Gestalt-Test.html

Recall Phase:
Administeredimmediatelyfollowingthecopy

phase
Examineeisgivenanewsheetofpaperan
askedtodrawasmanyofthedesignsthatwere
previouslyshown.

MotorTest:
24minutes
Drawalinebetweenthedotsineachfigure

withouttouchingtheborders

PerceptionTest:
24minutes
Circleorpointtoadesignineachrowthatbest

matchesthedesigninthebox
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bender-Gestalt_Test
http://www.minddisorders.com/A-Br/Bender-Gestalt-Test.html

Results/Scoring

Angulardifficulty:Thisincludesincreasing,
decreasing,distorting,oromittinganangleina
figure.
Bizarredoodling:Thisinvolvesaddingpeculiar
componentstothedrawingthathaveno
relationshiptotheoriginalBenderGestaltfigure.
Closuredifficulty:Thisoccurswhenthe
examineehasdifficultyclosingopenspacesona
figure,orconnectingvariouspartsofthefigure.
Thisresultsinagapinthecopiedfigure.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bender-Gestalt_Test
http://www.minddisorders.com/A-Br/Bender-Gestalt-Test.html

Cohesion:Thisinvolvesdrawingapartofa
figurelargerorsmallerthanshownonthe
originalfigureandoutofproportionwiththe
restofthefigure.Thiserrormayalsoinclude
drawingafigureorpartofafiguresignificantly
outofproportionwithotherfiguresthathave
beendrawn.
Collision:Thisinvolvescrowdingthedesignsor
allowingtheendofonedesigntooverlapor
touchapartofanotherdesign.
Contamination:Thisoccurswhenaprevious
figure,orpartofafigure,influencesthe
examineeinadequatecompletionofthe
currentfigure.Forexample,anexamineemay
combinetwodifferentBenderGestaltfigures.

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http://www.minddisorders.com/A-Br/Bender-Gestalt-Test.html

Omission:Thisinvolvesfailingtoadequately
connectthepartsofafigureorreproducingonly
partsofafigure.
Overlappingdifficulty:Thisincludesproblemsin
drawingportionsofthefiguresthatoverlap,
simplifyingthedrawingatthepointthatitoverlaps,
sketchingorredrawingtheoverlappingportions,or
otherwisedistortingthefigureatthepointatwhichit
overlaps.
Perseveration:Thisincludesincreasing,prolonging,
orcontinuingthenumberofunitsinafigure.For
example,anexamineemaydrawsignificantlymore
dotsorcirclesthanshownontheoriginalfigure.

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Fragmentation:Thisinvolvesdestroyingpartofthefigure
bynotcompletingorbreakingupthefiguresinwaysthat
entirelylosetheoriginaldesign.
Impotence:Thisoccurswhentheexamineedrawsafigure
inaccuratelyandseemstorecognizetheerror,then,heor
shemakesseveralunsuccessfulattemptstoimprovethe
drawing.
Irregularlinequalityorlackofmotorcoordination:This
involvesdrawingroughlines,particularlywhenthe
examineeshowsatremormotion,duringthedrawingof
thefigure.
Lineextension:Thisinvolvesaddingorextendingapartof
thecopiedfigurethatwasnotontheoriginalfigure.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bender-Gestalt_Test
http://www.minddisorders.com/A-Br/Bender-Gestalt-Test.html

Retrogression:Thisinvolvessubstituting
moreprimitivefiguresfortheoriginaldesign
forexample,substitutingsolidlinesor
loopsforcircles,dashesfordots,dotsfor
circles,circlesfordots,orfillingincircles.
Theremustbeevidencethattheexamineeis
capableofdrawingmorematurefigures.
Rotation:Thisinvolvesrotatingafigureor
partofafigureby45ormore.Thiserroris
alsoscoredwhentheexamineerotatesthe
stimuluscardthatisbeingcopied.
Scribbling:Thisinvolvesdrawingprimitive
linesthathavenorelationshiptotheoriginal
BenderGestaltfigure.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bender-Gestalt_Test
http://www.minddisorders.com/A-Br/Bender-Gestalt-Test.html

Simplification:Thisinvolvesreplacingapartof
thefigurewithamoresimplifiedfigure.This
errorisnotduetomaturation.Drawingsthatare
primitiveintermsofmaturationwouldbe
categorizedunder"Retrogression."
Superimpositionofdesign:Thisinvolves
drawingoneormoreofthefiguresontopof
eachother.
Workover:Thisinvolvesreinforcing,increased
pressure,oroverworkingalineorlinesina
wholeorpartofafigure.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bender-Gestalt_Test
http://www.minddisorders.com/A-Br/Bender-Gestalt-Test.html

Key Principles of Gestalt Systems

Emergence-istheprocessofcomplexpatternformationfrom
simplerrules.
Reificationistheconstructiveorgenerativeaspectof
perception,bywhichtheexperiencedperceptcontainsmore
explicitspatialinformationthanthesensorystimulusonwhich
itisbased.Reificationcanbeexplainedbyprogressinthe
studyofillusorycontours,whicharetreatedbythevisual
systemas"real"contours.
Multistability(ormultistableperception)-isthetendencyof
ambiguousperceptualexperiencestopopbackandforth
unstablybetweentwoormorealternativeinterpretations.
Invariance-isthepropertyofperceptionwherebysimple
geometricalobjectsarerecognizedindependentofrotation,
translation,andscale;aswellasseveralothervariationssuch
aselasticdeformations,differentlighting,anddifferent
componentfeatures.

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Gestalt principles of grouping were introduced in

Wertheimer (1923). Through the 1930s and '40s
Wertheimer, Kohler and Koffka formulated many of the
laws of grouping through the study of visual perception.

Law of ProximityThelawofproximitystates
thatwhenanindividualperceivesan
assortmentofobjectstheyperceiveobjects
thatareclosetoeachotherasformingagroup.
Law of SimilarityThelawofsimilaritystates
thatelementswithinanassortmentofobjects
areperceptuallygroupedtogetheriftheyare
similartoeachother.Thissimilaritycanoccur
intheformofshape,color,shadingorother
qualities.

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Law of ClosureThelawofclosurestatesthat
individualsperceiveobjectssuchasshapes,letters,
pictures,etc.,asbeingwholewhentheyarenot
complete.Specifically,whenpartsofawholepictureare
missing,ourperceptionfillsinthevisualgap.Research
showsthatthereasonthemindcompletesaregular
figurethatisnotperceivedthroughsensationisto
increasetheregularityofsurroundingstimuli.
Law of SymmetryThelawofsymmetrystatesthat
themindperceivesobjectsasbeingsymmetricaland
formingaroundacenterpoint.Itisperceptuallypleasing
todivideobjectsintoanevennumberofsymmetrical
parts.Therefore,whentwosymmetricalelementsare
unconnectedthemindperceptuallyconnectsthemto
formacoherentshape.Similaritiesbetween
symmetricalobjectsincreasethelikelihoodthatobjects
aregroupedtoformacombinedsymmetricalobject.

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Law of Common FateThelawofcommonfate

statesthatobjectsareperceivedaslinesthat
movealongthesmoothestpath.Experiments
usingthevisualsensorymodalityfoundthat
movementofelementsofanobjectproducepaths
thatindividualsperceivethattheobjectsareon.
Weperceiveelementsofobjectstohavetrendsof
motion,whichindicatethepaththattheobjectis
on.Thelawofcontinuityimpliesthegrouping
togetherofobjectsthathavethesametrendof
motionandarethereforeonthesamepath.
Law of ContinuityThelawofcontinuitystates
thatelementsofobjectstendtobegrouped
together,andthereforeintegratedintoperceptual
wholesiftheyarealignedwithinanobject.

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Law of Good GestaltThelawofgood

gestaltexplainsthatelementsofobjects
tendtobeperceptuallygroupedtogetherif
theyformapatternthatisregular,simple,
andorderly.Thislawimpliesthatas
individualsperceivetheworld,they
eliminatecomplexityandunfamiliarityso
theycanobservearealityinitsmost
simplisticform.
Law of Past ExperienceThelawofpast
experienceimpliesthatundersome
circumstancesvisualstimuliare
categorizedaccordingtopastexperience.

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Gestalt psychologists find it is important

to think of problems as a whole. Max
Wertheimer considered thinking to
happen in two ways:

Productive thinkingissolvinga
problemwithinsight.

Reproductive thinkingissolvinga
problemwithpreviousexperiencesand
whatisalreadyknown.

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The school of Gestalt practiced a series of

theoretical and methodological principles:

Principle of TotalityTheconscious
experiencemustbeconsideredglobally(by
takingintoaccountallthephysicalandmental
aspectsoftheindividualsimultaneously)
becausethenatureoftheminddemandsthat
eachcomponentbeconsideredaspartofa
systemofdynamicrelationships.

Principleofpsychophysicalisomorphism-
Acorrelationexistsbetweenconscious
experienceandcerebralactivity

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The following methodological principles

are defined:

Phenomenon experimental analysisInrelation

totheTotalityPrincipleanypsychologicalresearch
shouldtakeasastartingpointphenomenaandnot
besolelyfocusedonsensoryqualities.

Biotic experimentTheschoolofgestalt
establishedaneedtoconductreal experimentsthat
sharplycontrastedwithandopposedclassic
laboratoryexperiments.Thissignifiedexperimenting
innaturalsituations,developedinrealconditions,in
whichitwouldbepossibletoreproduce,withhigher
fidelity,whatwouldbehabitualforasubject.

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THANK YOU!