The Bender Visual Motor Gestalt Test, more commonly known as the Bender Test, is one of the most widely used psychological assessments to evaluate visual-motor integration and cognitive function. It is a brief and effective tool that helps professionals diagnose a range of psychological conditions, particularly those related to brain functioning and neurological disorders.
Developed by psychiatrist Leo K. Bender in the 1930s, this test has been refined and adapted over the years to assist in the identification of several types of cognitive and neurological issues. It is often used in clinical settings, such as psychiatry, psychology, neuropsychology, and even in educational assessments.
In this article, we’ll explore the features, functions, and steps on how to use the Bender Test to gain insight into an individual’s cognitive and emotional health.
The Bender Visual Motor Gestalt Test is a psychological assessment tool designed to evaluate an individual’s visual-motor integration, which refers to how well they can combine visual perception with motor coordination. The test involves the presentation of geometric shapes that the participant is asked to copy. The task’s simplicity and effectiveness have made it a versatile tool in both research and clinical practices.
The test is typically administered in a clinical setting by a trained psychologist or neuropsychologist. It provides valuable insights into an individual’s ability to perceive, process, and reproduce visual stimuli, which is often linked to cognitive and emotional functioning.
Key Features of the Bender Test
1. The Geometric Shapes
The test is composed of nine geometric designs that range in complexity. The shapes include circles, squares, and triangles, which are carefully constructed to assess how individuals reproduce simple and complex visual patterns. These designs are presented to the participant one by one, and they are asked to copy each shape onto a blank piece of paper.
2. Scoring Method
The test results are scored based on the participant’s ability to reproduce the shapes, as well as how accurately they replicate the proportions, angles, and positions. There are two main approaches to scoring the Bender Test:
Standard Scoring: This scoring method is based on how well the individual replicates the exact shape, including elements such as size, proportion, and alignment.
Developmental Scoring: In this method, the test results are interpreted based on age norms and developmental stages. It is particularly useful for assessing children and adolescents.
3. Assessment Areas
The Bender Test primarily evaluates the following aspects:
Visual-motor coordination: How well an individual can integrate their visual perception with motor skills.
Neuropsychological function: It helps identify cognitive disorders, including problems in perception, attention, and memory.
Psychopathology indicators: The test can also highlight possible psychological conditions, including stress, anxiety, and emotional distress.
4. Versatility
The Bender Test can be used with different age groups, ranging from children to adults, and in various settings, including clinical, educational, and research environments. It is commonly administered in combination with other assessments to get a more comprehensive understanding of an individual’s cognitive and emotional health.
How the Bender Test is Used
1. Administration of the Test
The test is typically administered in a quiet, controlled environment to minimize distractions. The nine geometric shapes are shown to the participant, who is then instructed to copy each shape onto a sheet of paper. The shapes are presented in a standardized sequence and the participant is given a set amount of time to complete each one.
For adults, the test usually takes around 10-15 minutes to complete.
For children, the time may vary depending on their age and cognitive abilities.
2. Interpretation of Results
The Bender Test is often interpreted by a trained psychologist or neuropsychologist who looks at various factors when assessing the participant’s responses, such as:
Accuracy: How well the individual reproduces the shapes.
Organizational Structure: The way in which the shapes are organized on the page (i.e., spacing, size).
Mistakes or Distortions: Any alterations, mistakes, or distortions in the geometric shapes that might suggest neurological impairment or psychological distress.
3. What the Test Reveals
The Bender Test can provide insights into several important areas of functioning:
Cognitive Impairment: The test is widely used in the diagnosis of neurological disorders such as dementia, brain injuries, or cognitive decline.
Emotional and Psychological Issues: The Bender Test can also indicate emotional distress, stress, or signs of psychological disorder such as anxiety or depression.
Neurodevelopmental Disorders: It is often used to assess children for developmental disorders, including learning disabilities and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
4. Follow-up Assessments
While the Bender Test can be a strong indicator of certain cognitive or emotional issues, it is usually not used in isolation for diagnosis. Often, follow-up tests or interviews are needed to confirm any diagnoses. The Bender Test results are frequently combined with other assessments, such as IQ tests, interviews, or behavioral observations, to get a more accurate picture of the individual’s mental health or cognitive function.
Applications of the Bender Test
The Bender Test is widely used in various professional fields:
1. Clinical Psychology and Psychiatry
Psychologists and psychiatrists use the Bender Test to assess individuals for signs of cognitive dysfunction, emotional distress, or neurological disorders. It can be helpful in diagnosing conditions such as traumatic brain injury, stroke, dementia, or schizophrenia.
2. Neuropsychology
Neuropsychologists frequently use the Bender Test as part of a comprehensive evaluation of brain function. It helps them identify areas of the brain that may be impaired due to injury, disease, or developmental delays.
3. Educational Settings
In educational environments, the Bender Test can help identify learning disabilities in children and adolescents. It can also be used to assess how well students are developing visual-motor skills, which are crucial for academic success.
4. Research Purposes
Researchers in psychology and neurology use the Bender Test to study the relationships between cognitive processes, motor functions, and brain activity. The test’s simplicity makes it an ideal tool for large-scale studies in neurodevelopmental psychology.
Limitations of the Bender Test
While the Bender Test is a valuable tool for assessing cognitive and emotional health, it does have some limitations:
Cultural Bias: The test may not be equally effective across different cultures or populations, as the geometric shapes may be interpreted differently.
Limited Depth: While it provides useful information, it may not offer a comprehensive understanding of an individual’s full cognitive or emotional state.
Subjectivity: The interpretation of the test results can sometimes be influenced by the clinician’s subjective judgment, leading to variability in results.
The scores on the Bender test by age are as follows:
When correcting the test, the following errors may occur.
1. Sequence confusion
The drawings do not follow the expected sequence, causing changes in directions that break the logical or expected progression.
2. Collision
Different designs are piled up on the sheet of paper or the end of one of them is allowed to touch another.
3. Layout Overlay
The figures are drawn on top of each other.
4. Review
The line of a part or the entire figure is highlighted or reviewed.
5. Irregular line quality
Irregular lines are drawn, or the line is drawn with a certain tremor. This error is especially striking when it occurs in older children.
6. Difficulty of angulation
Noticeable distortion in the angles of the figures.
7. Perseveration
An entire design or part of the figure is drawn repeatedly. It is usually more evident in drawings made by rows of dots.
8. Line extension
Make a line longer or add lines that are not present in the example drawing.
9. Pollution
Parts of two different test figures are combined.
10. Rotation
Rotate one or more figures by more than 45º from their standard shape.
11. Omission
Leave space in a figure that is not in the example, or only reproduce part of it. Separate or fragment parts of a design.
12. Retrogression
Replace lines or points with circles, lines with points or fill the figure.
Correlation between the Bender test and the WISC
Different studies have shown a high correlation between the executive part of the WISC (Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children) tests and the Bender test. This seems to happen regardless of age, which confirms that the Bender test measures many of the functions that are also evaluated in that specific part of the WISC, and in some cases, serves as a substitute or as a control test.
Another interesting fact is that in children between 7 and 10 years old there is a correlation between the scores they obtain on the WISC arithmetic test and the Bender test. The explanation for this is that the arithmetic test It involves part-whole relationships and numerical concepts that are also found, although in a somewhat more masked way, in the Bender test.
Neurological problems and the Bender test
The Bender test can help us suspect neurological injuries, especially if the child is over 11 years old and does not perform the test correctly.
However, it must be said that The ability of this test to detect possible neurological alterations is low. , since there are many reasons why a child does not perform the test correctly, without the need to talk about brain injury. In addition, there may be a brain injury that does not affect visuospatial ability and, therefore, is not reflected in the results of this test.
Emotional indicators
The Bender test has also been associated with emotional problems, although, in the same way that we talked about with the case of neurological problems, this test not reliable enough to diagnose a mood or anxiety problem.
However, it can help us suspect that something is not going well in the immediate environment of the person being evaluated, and that a more in-depth anamnesis should be carried out, which evaluates the emotional aspects.
Likewise, and from a very gestalt perspective, several explanations have been proposed behind the different errors that can occur while performing the test.
1. Confusing order of drawings
This indicator seems to be related to the child’s lack of planning and organization. This is normal for younger children, specifically between the ages of 5 and 7, since they still draw in a somewhat confusing way.
The indicator does not acquire diagnostic significance until the age of 8, when the arbitrary distribution throughout the leaf is something that should be taken into consideration as an indicator of a possible problem.
2. Wavy line
The wavy line in figures 1 (dotted line) and 2 (three lines) is associated with lack of emotional stability. In young children it is possible that, since they still do not have much control over what they draw, they make it a little irregular, but in children closer to 8 years old this is already a reason to suspect emotional problems.
3. Replacing circles with stripes
In adults it is associated with some type of emotional disturbance and is not common. In younger children it is related to impulsivity and lack of interest or attention.
4. Progressive increase in size
This has been linked to a low tolerance for frustration and impulsivity. In the clearest cases it can be indicative of disruptive, violent behaviors and also ADHD.
5. Large size of the figures
It is associated with externalizing behavior. They tend to be children with obsessive and demanding patterns.
6. Small size of drawings
It is associated with internalizing behavior, withdrawal, shyness and anxiety. It acquires diagnostic significance in children from 8 to 10 years old. If the drawings are concentrated in a specific area of the paper, they would further confirm the suspicion of withdrawal, in accordance with the gestalt hypotheses.
7. Fine line
It is associated with shyness and withdrawal in young children, although not so clear in older children. It has been hypothesized that in older children it could be between laziness, perfectionism and emotional weakness.
8. Review of figures and lines
It is related to aggressiveness and impulsivity.
9. Second attempt
It is related to anxiety, impulsivity and various emotional problems. There are children who, after the first attempt, are not happy with their drawing, they see that they have done it wrong but do not know how to rectify it, so they make a new attempt on another side of the page.
10. Expansion and use of more sheets
It is an indicator of disruptive, explosive and even violent behavior tendencies. It is related to little planning and poor use of space. It has been linked to neurological impairment and externalizing behaviors.
11. Constriction or reduced use of the blade
It is related to problems such as withdrawal, shyness and depression.
The Bender Visual Motor Gestalt Test remains one of the most effective and widely used assessments in psychology and neuropsychology. Its ability to measure visual-motor integration and provide insight into cognitive function, neuropsychological conditions, and emotional distress makes it a versatile tool for professionals across multiple disciplines. By understanding the features, functions, and applications of the Bender Test, individuals in clinical and research settings can more accurately assess cognitive and emotional health, helping to create better treatment plans and interventions.
Bibliographic references:
Moetesum, M. & Siddiqi, I. & Masroor, U. & Djeddi, C. (2015). Automated Scoring of Bender Gestalt Test Using Image Analysis Techniques. ICDAR 2015
Bender, L. (1997). Visual-motor gestalt test (BG). Paidós. p. 15-16. ISBN 84-7509-308-6.
I’m Emily Williams Jones, a psychologist specializing in mental health with a focus on cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and mindfulness. With a Ph.D. in Psychology, my career has spanned research, clinical practice and private counseling. I’m dedicated to helping individuals overcome anxiety, depression and trauma by offering a personalized, evidence-based approach that combines the latest research with compassionate care.
