Patterns and Predictors of Performance on the Bender-Gestalt and the Developmental Test of Visual Motor Integration in a Sample of Behaviorally and Emotionally Disturbed Adolescents

Abstract

A sample of 78 behaviorally and emotionally disturbed adolescents was used to evaluate the degree of similarity between the Bender-Gestalt and the VMI-3R and to investigate the factors involved in performance on these visual-motor tests, using measures of cognitive ability and a self-report personality measure. Results indicated a signify cant relationship between age and VMI-3R scores, which reflects the sensitivity of this measure to continued visual-motor development beyond age 11. VMI-3R performance was correlated with most cognitive ability subtests, which, in conjunction with age, accounted for 57% of the variance. Bender performance showed less developmental sensitivity and considerably fewer relationships with comparison measures. Findings are discussed in terms of the utility of each measure with adolescents and the implications for prediction of performance.

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