VISUAL MOTOR GESTALT TEST LORETTA BENDER

Purpose: to assess the level of development of the ability for the spatial organization of visual stimulus material and hand-eye coordination in children aged 3 to 12 years

The stimulus set of the Bender Gestalt test includes 9 Wertheimer figures.

Figures are presented to the subject sequentially. A4 sheets of white unlined paper are used for copying. The subject should be provided with a pencil and an eraser. The use of any aids is prohibited.

The cards should be presented one at a time, placing each one on the table close to the top edge of the sheet of paper in the correct orientation, and the subject should be told: “Here are the pictures that you need to copy. Just redraw them the way you see them." There is no time limit on the test, and the figures do not need to be removed until the subject has finished copying.

Evaluation and interpretation of the results of the visual-motor gestalt test Bender.

Typical responses of the subjects different ages when performing the Bender Gestalt test.

The cells contain typical answers of subjects of a certain age and the frequency of their occurrence in percent. An empty cell indicates no change in response pattern from previous age. The proposed tables can be used as age norms for assessing the degree of developmental delay.

Normally (Gesell), a 2-year-old child can successfully reproduce a vertical line; A 3-year-old can copy a circle and a straight cross with the pattern in front of him; at 4 years old - a rectangle; at 5 years old - a square, a triangle and an oblique cross, as well as a completely recognizable schematic figure of a person; older children gradually discover the ability to reproduce more and more complex combinations of figures, given their relative position, number of elements and sizes.

Frequency distribution of types of copying for each of the test figures for children of all age groups and adult subjects

The result of a child copying each specific figure should be correlated with the types of reproduction presented in the first column of the corresponding table. Having determined what type the child's drawing belongs to, you need to look at what is in the cell of the table located at the intersection of the row of this type and the column corresponding to the chronological age of the child. If the cell contains percentage values, then it can be argued that the result is within the age norm. The value itself indicates what percentage of children of this age showed the same result. If the cell contains “+” or “-”, this means that this type of reproduction is not typical for children of this age (“+”, respectively, means ahead of age norms, and “-” - delay).

According to the tables, each figure reproduced by the child should be checked. At the same time, it should be taken into account that the approximate correspondence of indicators for all stimulus figures is a good indirect indicator of the reliability of the results, and a sharp mismatch in most cases reveals the influence of any side factors on the result and requires collection additional information for interpretation. So, for example, the influence of stress created by the testing situation, fatigue, distraction, etc. can be manifested. Age norm tables are recommended for children aged 2 to 7 years, as well as for children with mental retardation

Analytical report on the results of the study

formation of cognitive UUD students

1st grade 2016-2017 academic year.

Research basis: according to the letter of the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation dated June 27, 2003 No. 28-51-513 / 16 " Guidelines on psychological and pedagogical support of students in the educational process in the conditions of modernization of education "psychological and pedagogical support of students elementary school includes the study of starting opportunities and the dynamics of the development of the child in the educational process. As part of the main types of universal educational activities that correspond to the key goals of general education, four blocks can be distinguished: 1) personal; 2) regulatory (including also the actions of self-regulation); 3) cognitive; 4) communicative.

Purpose: To determine the level of readiness of first grade students for schooling and the formation of universal educational activities.

Diagnosis of the formation of the UUD of students in the 1st grade takes place in 2 stages:

Stage 1 - October, Stage 2 - November - December.

Methods:

• J. Raven " Progressive matrices»- revealing the level of development of non-verbal intelligence, the formation of cognitive and regulatory actions.
• L. Bender "Visual-motor Gestalt test" - assessment of the level of development of the ability to spatial organization of visual stimulus material and visual-motor coordination in children aged 3 to 12 years.
• Toulouse-Pieron - the study of the properties of attention (concentration, stability, switchability) and psychomotor tempo, secondarily - evaluates the accuracy and reliability of information processing, volitional regulation, personal performance characteristics and performance dynamics over time.
• T.A. Nezhnova, A.L. Wenger, D.B. Elkonin "Conversation about the school" - revealing the formation of the internal position of the student, his motivation for learning.
• Methodology for identifying the nature of the attribution of success / failure (individual conversation) - identifying the adequacy of students' understanding of the reasons for success / failure in activities.
• J. and D. Lampen, modified by L.P. Ponomarenko self-assessment technique "Tree" - the study of the self-concept and self-esteem of the individual.
• A.V. Zakharov's definition emotional level self-assessment - revealing the emotional level of self-esteem, social interest, the complexity of self-concept.
• G.A. Zuckerman "Who's right?" - identification of the formation of actions aimed at taking into account the position of the interlocutor (partner).
• G.A. Zukerman "Mittens" - revealing the level of formation of actions to coordinate efforts in the process of organizing and implementing cooperation (cooperation).
• Moral dilemma (the norm of mutual assistance in conflict with personal interests) - revealing the assimilation of the norm of mutual assistance.
• J. Piaget taking into account the motives of heroes in solving a moral dilemma (modified task, 2006) - revealing an orientation towards the motives of heroes in solving a moral dilemma (the level of moral decentration).
• J. Piaget identification of the level of moral decentration - identification of the level of moral decentration as the ability to coordinate (correlate) three norms: fair distribution, responsibility, mutual assistance based on the principle of compensation.

Indicators:

• The level of non-verbal intelligence.
• Cognitive and regulatory actions.
• Visual perception, spatial orientation and formation of fine motor skills of the hand.
• Properties of attention (concentration, stability, switchability) and psychomotor tempo.
• Accuracy and reliability of information processing.
• Volitional regulation.
• Efficiency and dynamics of performance over time.
• The level of the student's internal position, his motivation for learning.
• The level of adequacy of students' understanding of the reasons for success / failure in activities.
• Self-concept and self-esteem of the individual.
• mutual aid rules.
• Motives and intentions.
• The level of moral decentration: responsibility, mutual assistance, the principle of compensation.
• Accounting for the position of the interlocutor (partner).
• The level of formation of communicative actions.

Stage I (grade 1) - the primary adaptation of children to school. Diagnostics within the framework of the Federal State Educational Standard. As part of this stage(September to January)

1. Conducting consultations and educational work with parents of first-graders, aimed at familiarizing adults with the main tasks and difficulties of the period of primary adaptation, tactics of communication and assistance to children.

2. Conducting group and individual consultations of teachers to develop a unified approach to individual children and unified system requirements for the class from various teachers working with the class.

3. Organization of psychological and pedagogical support for schoolchildren.

4. The main form of its implementation are various games. In the classroom, students form the internal position of the student, stable self-esteem.

5. Organization of group developmental work with children, aimed at increasing the level of their school readiness, social and psychological adaptation in new system relationships.

Factors influencing the result: well-being, understanding of instructions by the child, intellectual abilities.

Analytical reference on the results of the study of formation

hand-eye coordination

for students of the 1st grade (6.5-8 years old) 2016 - 2017 academic year.

(Methodology Visual-Motor Gestalt Test Bender).

Target: assessment of the level of development of the ability for the spatial organization of visual stimulus material and hand-eye coordination.

Estimated UUDs:cognitive actions - features of visual perception, the level of development of spatial representations, the level of coordination "eye - hand"; regulatory actions - volitional self-regulation, the presence of an activity strategy, the adoption of a task, planning, monitoring the implementation of activities, correction, evaluation of activities, the nature of the attitude to success and failure.

Tasks:

Determination of the level of development of the ability for the spatial organization of visual stimulus material and hand-eye coordination in aged children.

The study of the degree of violation of the organization of perceptual and motor functions in students.

Hand-eye coordination is the most important function on which the development of recognition and visual skills is based, which is so necessary for mastering reading and writing. Therefore, the degree of formation of these abilities is one of the most important indicators of a child's readiness for school.

There are objective reasons due to which many modern first graders have significant difficulties in copying from the blackboard, from books, copybooks and other manuals, calligraphic handwriting is not developed. Successful performance of work on visual samples is possible only if there is coordination of visual analysis with motor reactions, motor skills of the fingers of the dominant hand.Connections between visual analysis and hand movements do not exist from birth, they are formed and fine-tuned gradually in the corresponding activities.They begin to take shape when the child has to perform actions according to a visually drawn up plan and under the control of vision, quickly translate the visually presented information into its motor-graphic counterpart. Only when such activity becomes systematic, a qualitative improvement in hand-eye coordination is possible. If a child builds and constructs a lot and with pleasure according to drawings, lays out mosaic patterns or panels in accordance with samples, draws images of various objects or whole pictures, then his hand-eye coordination is gradually improving, the ability to accurately reproduce graphic patterns is formed.. If in his preschool activity he rarely has to copy any images motor-graphically, then the connectionsbetween the occipital visual areas and the anterior motor areas of the cerebral cortex are not formed. Even in children who draw a lot, but do not copy or copy patterns, eye-hand coordination may be very weak.

The child can generally develop normally: speak well, know a lot of poetry, solve problems easily logical tasks, sing, dance, study foreign languages. Lack of hand-eye coordination usually does not show up in any way in his preschool life. Only in the first grade can it become clear that the child, with all his efforts, is not able to reproduce the letters shown in the copybooks. When copying or copying from the board or from textbooks, he often ends up with something very far from the original samples. Comparing, checking his work, the child does not notice even gross differences. Adults, of course, cannot understand how one can see one thing, but draw or write something completely different. Such children make many mistakes when copying, do not see them when checking their work. They are characterized by errors of skipping, rearranging, replacing, writing “extra” letters, syllables, numbers, signs, jumping from line to line, “mirror” writing. It can be extremely difficult to get rid of illiterate automatisms in the future.

The main results of the study of hand-eye coordination1st grade students.

Diagnostics is carried out (October - November) 2016-2017 academic year.

106 pupils of the 1st grade, aged 6.5-8 years old, were examined. Tolyatti.

Incentives and testing procedures.The stimulus set of the Bender Gestalt test includes 9 original Wertheimer figures. The subject is asked to copy these figures.

Bender gestalt scoring systemEach drawing is evaluated according to three parameters: 1) execution of corners (except for figures 1 and 2); 2) orientation of elements; 3) mutual arrangement of elements.

The results are presented as a sum of scores for each of the figures, for general trends, and the total score is also calculated.

Table 1

Analysis of the results of the development of hand-eye coordination

in students of the 1st grade (6.5-8 years).

Analysis of the results of the Gestalt-Bender test showed that 74% of students are at an average level of visual-motor coordination, 15% are at a low level of visual-motor coordination, 11% of students are at a high level, the main percentage, more detailed results are presented in the table No. 2.

table 2

Distribution of 1st grade students (6.5-8 years old) by levels of development of hand-eye coordination, 2016-2017 ac. G.%

Indicators	1 "A"	1 "B"	1 "B"	1 "G"	Average value %
Quantitative Analysis
Level 1 - High level	(16%)	(12%)	(3%)	(14%)	(11%)
Level 2 - Norm	(76%)	(65%)	(93%)	(69%)	(74%)
Level 3 - Low level	(8%)	(23%)	(3%)	(17%)	(15%)

Qualitative and quantitative analysis of the results of the Bender Gestalt test showed that in 74% of students in the 1st grade, visual-motor coordination is formed within the age norm (for details, see Table No. 2), the largest number of students in 1st grade is 93%.

Analyzing table No. 2, we can conclude that 85% of students hand-eye coordination is well developed, on which the process of developing identification and visual skills is based.More than 79% of students in these schools perform all tasks on their own without the help of a psychologist, 54% of students know how to act according to a plan and plan their activities, more than 67% of students control their actions, more than 40% of students adequately respond to success and failure.

From the presented table No. 2, it can be seen that the students of the 1st grade, regardless of the parallel, were almost evenly distributed according to the levels of visual-motor coordination formation. High results were shown by 11% of students, 1-a-16%, 1-b -12%, 1-c-3%, 1-d-14%. A weak result was shown by 15% of students 1-a - 8%, 1-b - 23%, 1-c - 3%, 1-d - 17%.

In 15% of students, the attention of those at a low level is not arbitrary, not formed visual perception, observation, the ability to correlate individual parts into a whole. Most children are underdevelopedvisual-spatial perception. They are not able to navigate on a sheet, not everyone understands the spatial relationships of objects (right - left, above - below, on - behind, above - below, etc.), it is very difficult for them to distinguishspatialarrangement of figures, details on a plane. Immaturityhand-eye coordinationstudents do not allow them to coordinate their movements. Children cannot draw simple geometric figures, objects, intersecting lines, letters, numbers in compliance with sizes, proportions, ratios of strokes, respectively, they have poorly developed motor skills of small muscles of the hand.

The most difficult task for students is to evaluate their results, they mainly evaluate only their own achievements. Despite the fact that students know how to plan their activities, they do not always use the plan.

Table 3

Comparative table for 1st grades (for 8 years).

	07-08 academic year	08-09 academic year	09-10 academic year	10-11 academic year	11-12 academic year	12-13 academic year	13-14 academic year	14-15 academic year	15-16 academic year	16-17 academic year
Ranges	101 people	98 people	99 people	100 people	125 people	104 people	104 people	109 people	117 people	people
1 level (well-formed motor skills)	(35%)	(19%)	(52%)	(49%)	(26%)	(19%)	(52%)	(7%)	(12%)	(11%)
2 level Norm	(15%)	(37%)	(22%)	(15%)	(39%)	(47%)	(29%)	(82%)	(56%)	(74%)
3 level (poorly developed motor skills)	(50%)	(44%)	(25%)	(36%)	(35%)	(34%)	(19%)	(11%)	(32%)	(15%)

Conclusions:

In 2016-2017 academic year . the main percentage of students belongs to the age norm (74%).

Students belonging to this level are characterized by diligence, diligence, efficiency in educational process, this level is typical for incoming first-graders, sufficient for primary education, but these students need to be controlled to prevent the transition to a lower level.

15% of students along the parallel have a low level of hand-eye coordination. In the process of working in the classroom, these students will experience increased anxiety and stiffness, this will especially manifest itself in the performance of written assignments, as a result, these students experience increased fatigue in the classroom, regressive tendencies intensify. Thus, visual-motor coordination, spatial orientation with the material in this category of children is not well developed, respectively, students face a number of difficulties in the learning process.

Visual-motor coordination is well formed in 11% of students, their hand movements are carried out under the strict guidance of the eyes, they are attentive and observant in the process of working in the classroom, consistently, clearly, accurately and accurately cope with the tasks offered by the teacher.

The most common mistakes made by first graders during testing:

- does not hold the pen correctly, fatigue of the hand;

Incorrectly positioned the figures (in the process of transferring to the sheet);

Frequent corrections to what was previously written;

When copying a drawing, the child incorrectly displayed a curved line;

Incorrectly counted and transferred the number of points from the sample;

The trajectory of the movement of the hand is broken, the reflection of the figure on the sheet is incorrect.

For these students with impaired hand-eye coordination (15%), learning to writecan be carried out on the basis of the formation of a purely motor skill. For these purposes, you can use exercises aimed at developing perception and orientation in space, also in which children need to circle samples of letters and words (including through tracing paper). You can teach visual analysis using step-by-step writing in a specially printed field (as when redrawing pictures using a fine checkered grid).

It should be noted that children with poorly formed hand-eye coordination skills may experience difficulties with writing, especially when copying in copybook, from the board, because. the connection between visual analysis and hand movements is not yet sufficiently formed. They definitely need a consultation with a neurologist, tk. functional deviations in brain activity or minimal brain dysfunctions are possible, which lead to weakness of working memory, to increased mental fatigue, which complicates the learning process and can lead to inhibition in development.

1. Do not scold the child and do not demand the impossible from him.

Gradually accustom to verbal self-control, careful element-by-element checking of one's own work and comparing it with samples.

2. In the lessons, include various exercises and pattern drawing for the development of small muscle motility according to the method of N.F. Vinogradova, who developed a special workbook for 1st grade students, or use the manual by O. Uzorova, E. Nefedova // 400 patterns

3. For the development of motor skills of small muscles of the hand, as often as possible in the classroom and at home, include children in activities such as modeling from plasticine and clay, testing, drawing. hatching etc.

4. Consultations of a neurologist, and in the presence of organic and functional disorders in the brain, treatment and implementation of all doctor's recommendations are necessary.

5. In children with impaired visual-motor coordination, learning to write can be carried out on the basis of the formation of a motor skill. You can trace sample letters or words through tracing paper. You can teach visual analysis using element-by-element writing in a specially lined field (as when redrawing pictures using a fine checkered grid).

For teachers primary school:

• take into account the age characteristics and capabilities of children;
• develop uniform requirements for children.

• create a friendly atmosphere in which both students and teachers feel comfortable;
• help learners get to know faster, individualize and differentiate learning faster.

For parents:

• relieve stress from your child caused by the upcoming school year;
• create an atmosphere of cooperation between the child and the teacher;
• independently, purposefully at home, work with children on handwriting (visual-motor coordination), develop mental processes(memory, thinking, attention, etc.
• work as a team with teachers.
• agree on ways of interaction between the teacher and parents during the year;
• find out the expectations of parents regarding the education of the child at school and correlate them with the expectations of teachers.

With teachers:

1. Familiarization of class teachers with the results of diagnostics at the council, group and individual consultations.

2. Drawing up, together with teachers, protocols and a plan for the psychological and pedagogical support of students discussed at the council and with the class as a whole.

3. Conducting psychological and pedagogical consultations in December and early May based on the results pedagogical diagnostics in order to study readiness for school and the dynamics of adaptation of students and provide timely assistance to children experiencing difficulties in learning and development.

4. Training teachers in psycho-gymnastic and correctional developmental exercises to develop the level of attentiveness, increase the speed of information processing, relieve psycho-emotional stress in children and form interaction skills (At the request of teachers and administration).

5. Development, together with teachers, of correctional and developmental programs and projects (for example, on the development of visual-motor coordination).

With parents:

1. Familiarization of parents with the results of diagnostics on parent meetings or individually.

2. Individual counseling based on the results of the diagnosis and at the request of the parents.

4.Psychological education of parents within the framework of the University of Psychological and Pedagogical Knowledge (Themes to choose from class teacher and parents).

With kids:

1.In-depth corrective work with students with a low level of visual-motor coordination (during the year).

2. Correction of the cognitive sphere of children with learning difficulties (at the request of teachers or parents).

The results of the test are evaluated by comparing the work of the child with a graphic sample offered to him.

for drawing. The child must correctly reproduce the five drawings of the sample and their location relative to each other. The level of development of "hand-eye coordination" is determined using a qualitative analysis.

In our Methodology, the Bender Gestalt test is not used to assess intelligence, although it was created for this purpose. Therefore, we do not use the standard version of test processing, which involves element-by-element comparison of children's drawings with standard templates and a scoring of deviations from them. Conclusions about the intellectual development of the child, made only on the basis of his performance of graphic tasks, do not reach the required level of reliability. We propose to use the Bender Gestalt test only for the analysis of the hand-eye coordination process and its disorders. For these purposes, a qualitative analysis of graphic works is sufficient, the criteria for which are described below. The reliability of the proposed interpretations is confirmed by pedagogical observations and medical examinations. Examples of performing the Bender Gestalt test, reflecting different levels development of hand-eye coordination are given in Appendix 4.

V zone - High level of development of hand-eye coordination. All drawings are made absolutely identical to the sample: the overall dimensions and dimensions of the parts, the slope, the position of the drawings on the sheet relative to each other, as well as the position of the parts inside each drawing, are observed, the lines are clear. This type of assignment is extremely rare.

IV zone - Visual-motor coordination is well developed. All drawings are made almost identical to the sample (only minor deviations from the sample are allowed in the drawings). Incomplete coincidence of the spatial arrangement of drawings relative to each other is allowed.

Figure 1. The size of the circles can be any, including non-constant. It is allowed to change the angle of inclination of the figure formed by the circles, which, nevertheless, must retain general form parallelogram.

Figures 2 and 3. Non-absolute dimensional accuracy is allowed.

Figure 4. The size of the circles can be any, including variable. It is allowed, as it were, "flattening", compaction of the entire pattern, but at the same time the general shape of the "arrow" should be visible.

Figure 5. Minor deviations in the proportions and overall dimensions of the hexagons are allowed.

III zone -Average level development of hand-eye coordination. All drawings have a general resemblance to the samples. The position of the drawings on the sheet relative to each other and their sizes are not taken into account.

Figure 1. The number of circles corresponds to the sample, while the figure may not have the shape of a parallelogram. It can be similar to a rectangle or have any irregular, including curved, shape. The horizontal arrangement of the entire figure may be absent. The internal structure of the figure may not be observed, in the sense that the circles will not visually be located strictly in three horizontal lines and in nine oblique vertical lines. The size of the circles can be any, including - non-permanent.

Figure 2. A frame should be drawn, the corners of which are close to right. The horizontal and vertical dimensions of the frame may not be consistent: the frame may not look like a square - this is acceptable. In this case, the horizontal and vertical dimensions of the sides of the frame can differ by no more than 1.5 times. The curved line cannot be drawn alone, anywhere near the frame. It should touch exactly the right corner of the frame, but not its edge or any other places. The shape of the bend of the curved line (bulges and troughs) must be repeated in a general way.

Figure 3. Something similar to a circle should be shown (any curve option). It must be touched by a square, a rhombus or a moderately curved quadrangle, i.e. the second figure must have four corners. Touch is a must. It is important that the quadrilateral touches the circle at an angle, not a face.

Figure 4. The number of circles must be accurately reproduced, the reproduction of the shape can be very approximate, non-observance of the internal structure of the sample and the absence of the shape of an arrow are allowed.

Figure 5. Any hexagons, at least remotely resembling samples, should be drawn: “smoothness” of the corners is allowed, proportions and sizes are not taken into account. The hexagons should partially overlap each other at the top. Variants are not allowed in which the hexagons are drawn separately from each other as intersecting entirely or as simply touching each other.

Zone II - Visual-motor coordination is poorly developed. The drawings are, in general, similar to the samples, but at least one of them has a serious defect in the image, which cannot be explained simply by the underdevelopment of the graphic skills of the child. These defects include:

Figure 1. The number of circles does not match the sample, and

the difference may be small (1-5 circles more or

Figure 2. The shape of the bend of the curved line does not match the model: the bulges and depressions do not match, instead of a smooth line there is an acute angle. The curved line does not touch the corner of the frame, although it is located close to it, or the curved line is drawn to the right side of the frame. The presence of one of the listed defects is sufficient to classify the pattern as zone II.

Figure 3. The circle and quadrilateral are shown close to each other, but there is no touch.

Figure 4. The number of circles does not match the sample, and the difference may be small (1-3 circles more or less). In this case, the general view (the “arrow” is visible or not) does not play a role.

Figure 5. There is no partial overlap of the hexagons: they are either only touching each other, or drawn separately, albeit close to each other. The hexagons are at right angles to each other, and one of them is on top of the other in its middle (and not in the top) part. The presence of one of the listed defects is sufficient to classify the pattern as zone P.

Zone 1 - Significant violations of visual-motor coordination. The drawings roughly do not match the samples. Necessarily required consultation of a neurologist.

Figure 1. The circles of the figure do not form three horizontal rows (as in the sample), but two or four, they can simply be extended into a chain. Three rows of circles "smoothly" pass into four rows or more. It is simply a “clump” of circles in which no rows are visible at all, that is, the reproduction of the internal structure, and, in connection with this, the external shape of the sample, is completely disrupted. The number of circles significantly (1.5-2 times) differs from the sample. The presence of one of the listed defects is sufficient to classify the pattern as zone I.

Figure 2. An inverted or lying on its side frame is drawn. Instead of a frame, a closed quadrangle is shown. The frame and the curved line are clearly drawn separately (far apart) as two independent drawings. The curved line, although attached to the frame, is not drawn to its lower right corner (which corresponds to the sample) and not to its right side (which corresponds to zone II). In this case, the shape of the curved line usually differs sharply from the sample, but may also coincide with it. The presence of one of the listed defects is sufficient to classify the pattern as zone I.

Figure 3. Instead of a quadrilateral, a triangle is drawn, or in general some unthinkable figure with protrusions and depressions. The quadrilateral touches the circle with a face or is drawn explicitly separately (far from the circle, like independent drawings). The presence of one of the listed defects is sufficient to classify the pattern as zone I.

Figure 4. The number of circles differs significantly from the sample, and therefore the overall shape and structure of the pattern is also distorted.

Figure 5. The drawn figures do not look like hexagons, they have not only protrusions, but also depressions. The slope of the figures is inverted (the hexagons touch each other with the bottom parts, and the top parts of the hexagons diverge). The mutual arrangement of the figures is absolutely not similar to the model: the figures are clearly drawn separately (far from the circle, like independent drawings) or completely intersecting, as it were, “cross to cross”. The presence of one of the listed defects is sufficient to classify the pattern as zone I.

Significant violations of hand-eye coordination are associated with various lesions of the parietal parts of the brain. Most often there are violations of two types: either the reproduction of integral forms is impaired (this is revealed in Figures 2, 3, 5), or intrastructural relationships (this is revealed in Figures 1 and 4), which may be the result of organic lesions, respectively, of the right or left parietal regions . Weak development of visual-motor coordination (zone II) is most often associated with functional abnormalities in brain activity (MMD).

If a child does poorly on the Bender test, this does not mean that he cannot (or will not be able to learn) to write or draw. Children who draw well and even study in the art studio (and there have been such cases) may not be able to cope with the task of repeating the pattern that is in front of their eyes. Reproduction of a sample requires operational coordination of visual analysis and hand movements, and not a sweep of the image, as in independent drawing.

Weak hand-eye coordination is often the cause of ridiculous mistakes that a child makes when copying from the board, from a textbook or from copybooks. Understanding the reason, adults should not scold the child and demand the impossible from him. The child should be helped, gradually accustoming him to verbal self-control, careful element-by-element checking of his own work and comparing it with samples. In the presence of organic lesions and functional disorders in the work of the brain, it is necessary, first of all, appropriate treatment and the implementation of all the recommendations of a neurologist.

In children with impaired visual-motor coordination, learning to write can be carried out on the basis of the formation of a purely motor skill. For this purpose, special

commercially available charts with embossed letters and words. The child must drive the pen along these recesses, thus mastering the spelling of letters. For less severe impairments, children can trace letter and word samples through tracing paper. You can teach visual analysis using element-by-element writing in a specially lined field (as when redrawing pictures using a fine checkered grid).

INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE USE OF THE BENDER VISUAL-MOTOR GESTALT TEST ...................................................................... ................................................. ................................................. ................. 3

INCENTIVES AND TESTING PROCEDURE .............................................................. ...................... 4

DEVELOPMENT OF ART ACTIVITY SKILLS IN CHILDREN 9

PSYCHOLOGICAL STRUCTURE OF THE COPYING TASK.................................................................. 11

EVALUATION OF THE PERFORMANCE OF THE BENDER GESTALT TEST .............................................................. ..... 12

STRUCTURAL APPROACH.................................................................. ................................................. . 12

STANDARDIZATION OF THE BENDER GESTALT TEST IN THE RUSSIAN SAMPLE. 13

SCORE OF RESULTS .............................................................. ................................. 25

BENDER GESTALT TEST SCORE .................................................................. 25

INTERPRETATION................................................. ................................................. ................. 32

EXAMPLES OF EVALUATION AND INTERPRETATION OF BENDER 34 GESTALT TEST PROTOCOLS

INSTRUCTIONS FOR USE
visual-motor
gestalt test bender

Loretta Bender's "Visuomotor Gestalt Test and Its Clinical Applications" was published in 1938 in a series of monographs by the American Orthopsychiatric Association. . Since then and to this day, the Bender Visual-Motor Gestalt Test (or Bender Gestalt Test for short) has enjoyed well-deserved popularity due to its simplicity, ease of use, high validity and reliability. The Bender Gestalt test is one of the main diagnostic tests that characterize non-verbal intelligence and perceptual-motor coordination.

In 1946, instructions for its use were published along with a standard set of test figures (see Fig. 1). The text of this instruction is reproduced below. The Bender Gestalt Test is used to diagnose the degree of development of structural visual-motor functions in children (Fig. 2), to study mental retardation, regression phenomena, the severity of impairments of individual functions and organic brain defects in both adults and children, as well as for studies of personality deviations, especially those associated with regressive manifestations. In the latter case, it plays the role of a socially neutral, completely "harmless" test in a battery of personality tests. In particular, it proved useful for diagnosing military neuroses and monitoring the dynamics of their therapy, which was used by American clinical psychologists in the army medical services during World War II.

In the original monograph mentioned above, theoretical background Bender Gestalt test, an analysis of studies based on it, and the issues of using this test to analyze the development of structural (Gestalt) functions in children and diagnose various clinical syndromes, including mental deficiency, aphasia, various organic brain disorders, psychoses, neurosis and simulation.

According to the author of the test, the gestalt function can be defined as an integral characteristic of the organism, by means of which it responds to the presented set of stimuli as a whole, so that the response itself is an integral structure, or pattern, or gestalt. Integration is carried out through differentiation. The integral structure of the stimulus and the general state of the organism determine the structure of the response. Any pattern in any sensory field can be considered as a potential stimulus. Any resulting body response is a sensorimotor pattern. Each sensory pattern has a background and an orientation in relation to the spatial gestalt function. A series of sensorimotor impressions is a temporal ordering of patterns. Any deviation in the integrity of the body will be reflected in the sensorimotor pattern, the resulting response to the presented stimulus pattern.

INCENTIVES AND TEST PROCEDURE

The stimulus set of the Bender Gestalt Test includes 9 original Wertheimer figures (Fig. 1), selected from among those he used for the psychological study of the perception of visual gestalts.

The subject is asked to copy these figures. Figure A, which is easily perceived as a closed figure on a homogeneous background, consists of a contiguous circle and a square placed on top, located along the horizontal axis. This figure is used to familiarize yourself with the task. Figures 1 to 8 are used for diagnostic testing and presented to the subject sequentially. Copies use sheets of white, unlined paper measuring 210 x 297 mm (A4 standard size).

Often, one sheet is enough for the test subject to answer, but sometimes more is required, especially for persons with a low intellectual level or highly anxious. The subject should be provided with a pencil and an eraser. It is forbidden to use any aids, etc.

Rice. 1. Stimulus material for the Bender Gestalt test

The cards should be presented one at a time, placing each one on the table close to the top edge of the sheet of paper in the correct orientation, and the subject should be told: “Here is a series of pictures that you need to copy. Just redraw them the way you see them." It is necessary to warn the subject that the cards cannot be moved to any new position. If for some reason it is difficult to do this or the warning does not work, then you need to allow the movement, while making the appropriate notes in the protocol. It would be correct to advise the subject to place a copy of the first of the figures in the upper left corner of the paper, but this need not be insisted if the subject begins to draw in his own way. The orientation of a figure against the background and in relation to other figures is also part of the Gestalt function. All other instructions should not be very categorical. For example, if the subject asks if the points should be counted, the answer should be: "It is not necessary, but you can do as you like." You can allow multiple attempts to copy one shape, which should also be reflected in the protocol. You can allow the use of an eraser to improve the quality of individual lines, but in no case should this be encouraged.

There is no time limit on the test, and the figures do not need to be removed until the subject has finished copying. The test does not involve a memory test. Some subjects prefer to have all the cards in a stack in front of them, first look through them all, and then lay out the entire set in a certain orientation to a sheet of paper. This can be allowed, but nevertheless, the subject must first copy figure A, and then figures 1-8 in the sequence determined by the author of the test. Many people successfully orient an entire set of shapes in relation to their background on a sheet of paper without this initial review.

Since this is a clinical test, there is no need for an overly rigid formalization of its implementation, so as not to affect those functions that determine the ability of an individual to experience visual-motor gestalts in the relationship of spatial and temporal dimensions. It is necessary to observe and note those moments when the behavior of the subject during the test execution deviates from the specified one. They should never be interpreted as failing a test. Notes about anything out of the ordinary in the organization of the test, about the manner and behavior of the subject and his reaction to the test situation, can be made directly on the test sheet of paper.

Practice has shown that this test, due to its personal neutrality, can be usefully used as an introductory test battery, since it weakens the response of anxiety and stiffness in the subject that arise in response to the examination procedure. Of course, it can be given in any other sequence with other tests, for example, it can be a soft transition after more verbally or emotionally charged tests. If it is offered to an individual who is in a state of fatigue, then it must be borne in mind that fatigue has a significant effect on the gestalt function. The presence of fatigue can unnecessarily exaggerate the symptoms of impaired gestalt function, reinforcing perseverative and regressive tendencies. In clinical work with children, you can first give the Bender Gestalt test, then the Goodenough Human Drawing test, observe the child’s handling of play material for a few minutes, observe motor activity or play, conduct a neurological examination and psychiatric interviews. Of course, this order can be changed in accordance with the examination plan, depending on the clinical condition of the child at the time of examination and many external circumstances.

Rice. 2. Typical responses of subjects of different ages when performing the Bender Gestalt test. The cells contain typical answers of subjects of a certain age and the frequency of their occurrence in percent. An empty cell indicates no change in response pattern from previous age. The proposed tables can be used as age norms for assessing the degree of developmental delay or the severity of regression.

The interpretation of the test results is based not only on the shape of the reproduced figures, but also on their location in relation to each other, orientation on a sheet of paper, correspondence of the order of copying to the order of presentation, as well as clinical observations.

The Loretta Bender visuomotor gestalt test is used to assess

The level of development of the ability for the spatial organization of visual stimulus material and hand-eye coordination in children aged 3 to 12 years

Degrees of impaired organization of perceptual and motor functions in patients with various organic brain lesions and mental illness.

These guidelines complement Instructions for using the Visuomotor Gestalt Test Bender(see the first section of this manual) and contain methods for a formalized qualitative and quantitative assessment of the results of this test by children of different ages. In addition, the application of the Bender Gestalt test for diagnosing the readiness of children for schooling is considered. Hand-eye coordination is the most important function on which the process of developing the recognition and visual skills that are so necessary for mastering reading and writing is based. Therefore, the degree of formation of these abilities is one of the most important indicators of a child's readiness for school.

The clinical application of the Gestalt Bender test is not considered here, although the described methods of analysis are quite suitable for these purposes.

SKILL DEVELOPMENT
ART ACTIVITIES
IN CHILDHOOD

The history of research on the development of the ability to draw in children has more than a hundred years. The pioneer in this area is considered to be the Italian poet Corrado Ricci, who first published his observations on the visual activity of children. His reports have served as the starting point for numerous studies in which children's ways of expressing themselves in art were seen as a means of deeper understanding of the development of the child's intelligence and personality.

A significant number of early studies attempted to draw a parallel between the development of visual skills in children and the evolutionary theories that were so fashionable at the turn of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. For many years, anthropologists and psychologists have tried to study this issue on the assumption that the child in its development goes through the same stages as humanity in evolution. Although this thesis did not receive sufficient substantiation, the empirical data accumulated at that time and the observed patterns are of significant value and serve as a starting point for research in this area. In particular, parallels were found between the development of visual abilities and verbal skills. Of particular importance are the periodizations of the development of children's graphic creativity, on which many modern theories and diagnostic techniques.

One of the most differentiated and complete periodizations belongs to the American scientist Victor Lowenfeld ( Lowenfeld and Mental Growth, 1947) and includes six main stages:

I. Stage of "doodles" (from 2 to 4 years)- primary acquisition of a specific visual activity motor experience. It is divided in turn into four periods.

a) The period of "erratic movements" - a pronounced lack of motor control (up to 18 months). The child practically does not pay attention to the results of his actions, shows little interest in the process of drawing, quickly gets tired and switches to other activities.

b) The period of "long drawing" - the basis of visual-motor control of visual movements is formed (from 18 months to 2 years). A spontaneous desire for drawing appears, although the child is fascinated only by the very process of moving a pencil on paper without an attempt to systematize his movements, "draw something" or reproduce the proposed pattern.

c) The period of "circular movements" - the active formation of hand-eye coordination (from 2 to 3 years). The child is attracted by the traces he leaves on paper, there are attempts to repeatedly reproduce rounded shapes.

d) The period of "names" - reorientation from purely kinesthetic activity when drawing to intellectual, attempts to create subject or plot images (from 3 to 4 years). The child begins to use in his drawings the patterns offered by adults, but the ability to copy is still very poorly developed.

II. Stage of "primary schemes" (from 4 to 7 years)-search for symbols representing the depicted objects. Active use of samples, development of the ability to copy.

III. Stage of schematization (from 7 to 9 years)- creation of plot images using repeating shapes, spatial and color schemes; the influence on the child’s drawing of the experience of interaction with the depicted objects is expressed in the exaggeration of individual elements of the image, the omission of insignificant parts, the explicit depiction of hidden surfaces of objects, the consistent depiction of the temporal dynamics of events, etc.

IV. Stage of primary realism(9 to 11 years old)- the image of the spatial arrangement of objects, the development of perspective - an introduction to the drawing of the third dimension.

V. Stage of pseudo-realism (from 11 to 13 years old)- the desire to depict objects as accurately as possible, a critical awareness of one's abilities, which often suppresses the desire and interest in drawing.

VI. Judgment stage (adolescence and older). Only a few, endowed with talent and desire, continue to improve their visual skills. The majority uses them situationally and moves on to symbolic and schematic forms of representation, borrowed mainly from cultural stereotypes.

Regarding the mechanisms that ensure the age-related dynamics of visual activity, it should be noted that during a significant part of early preschool childhood, the control of visual movements is dominated by the motor, executive component. The period from one year to 4-5 years is spent on mastering the voluntary regulation of hand movements. Control of the performance of actions, feedback are carried out on the basis of kinesthesia. When drawing, children at this age often try to copy the movements of adults or rely on “hand memory”. Visual control of movements does not play a special role. Gradually, intersensory integration of kinesthetic sensations during drawing and visual images perceived at the same time takes place. The hand, as it were, teaches the eye. By the age of 6-8 years, a fairly perfect system of intersensory integration is formed. From this moment, visual-motor coordination begins to take a leading place in the regulation of graphomotor movements and in the formation of appropriate skills.

PSYCHOLOGICAL STRUCTURE
COPY TASKS

Gestalt test Bender evaluates the development of children's ability to copy (redraw) various geometric shapes and their combinations. As special studies have shown, an insignificant, in the opinion of an adult, change in the location of a stimulus figure (for example, its rotation by 45 degrees) makes it extremely difficult for children of one age to copy it and does not affect the responses of children of another age. So, normally (according to Gesell's data), a 2-year-old child can successfully reproduce a vertical line; A 3-year-old can copy a circle and a straight cross with the pattern in front of him; at 4 years old - a rectangle; finally, at the age of 5 - a square, a triangle and an oblique cross, as well as a completely recognizable schematic figure of a person; older children gradually discover the ability to reproduce more and more complex combinations of figures, given their relative position, number of elements and sizes. Compared to the task of drawing, the task of copying uses the child's creative abilities to a lesser extent, but imposes much more stringent requirements on the skills of controlling activities.

The existence of significant correlations between the degree of formation in children of the ability to copy geometric shapes and

Intellectual abilities (especially non-verbal intelligence);

The likelihood of learning difficulties;

The likelihood of dyslexia and dysgraphia.

All this makes L. Bender's Gestalt test a valuable addition to the toolkit of a child psychologist. However, it should be kept in mind that the reliability of the results will be higher if this test is used in a battery, along with other methods.