Utility of Koppitz norms for the Bender-Gestalt Test performance of a group of Sesotho-speaking children

Abstract

The Bender-Gestalt Test (BGT) for visual-motor integration continues to be widely used in standard psychological and education assessments. It is further consistently rated as one of the most popular psychological tools. Recently, the utility of the Bender and more specifically the use of the original Koppitz norms in cross-cultural assessments has come into question. Moreover, little attempt appears to have been made to develop relevant South African norms for this instrument. The current study compares the Bender performance of a group of seven to nine-year-old Sesotho-speaking children (n=671) in the greater Mangaung region of the Free State, to the original 1974 Koppitz norms. The Bender performance of the Sesotho-speaking children compared poorly with the Koppitz norms for corresponding age groups. Contrary to available literature, socio-economic status was found to have no significant effect on the Bender performance of the sample. The results further emphasize that the sample’s performance fails to improve with increasing age. Recommendations are made regarding possible avenues of future research.