An Explorative Research on the Bender Gestalt Test: Evaluation of Post-traumatic Stress Reactions in Children and in Adolescents
Date Issued
2004
Date
2004
Author(s)
Lin, Shi-Tao
DOI
zh-TW
Abstract
The Bender Gestalt Test is used as a main measurement tool in this thesis to determine the degrees of post-traumatic stress reactions in children and adolescents who have experienced the Chi-Chi Earthquake in Taiwan. The study uses the Pascal & Suttell Scoring System (1951) and the Koppitz’s Emotional Indicators (1975), both of which have been revised in this research as a mean to investigate possible signs related to post-traumatic stress reactions. From the participants, we also gathered information from their diagnostic interviews and self-report scales in order to gain a better understanding of the participants’ performances on the Bender Gestalt test and moreover, to cross-validate this information with the data from the Bender Gestalt test. In sum, the purpose of the study is to identify responses on the Bender Gestalt test that are indicative of participants’ pos-traumatic stress reaction and to evaluate the validity of this test as a practical measurement tool for assessing post-traumatic stress reaction among children and adolescents. Participants were recruited from the subject pool in the research of Post-traumatic Stress Reactions After the Taiwan Chi-Chi Earthquake (Wu, Y. C., Chen, S. H., & Tseng, H. M., 2000). They included 118 students currently attending the elementary school, junior high school and senior high school in Puli Town. The relationships between the data obtained from the Psycho-Physical Reaction Scale, the Disaster Experiences Scale, the Structured Diagnosis Interview and the scoring results of the Bender Gestalt Test are examined. Signs in the Bender Gestalt Test that were indicative of post-traumatic stress reactions were first identified. The study’s result indicated that the signs in the boys’ Bender Gestalt Test that were associated with post-traumatic stress reactions were ‘Workover’ in the Koppitz’s Emotional Indicators and the ‘Total time’ and ‘Total eye movement’ in the Behavior Recordings. For girls, the signs that were most relevant to post-traumatic stress reactions were ‘Asymmetry’, ‘Double line’ and ‘Compression’ in the Pascal & Suttell Scoring System, and ‘Wavyline’ in the Koppitz’s Emotional Indicators. The ‘Total scores in design six’ in the Pascal & Suttell Scoring System and ‘Total time’ in the Behavior Recordings were found to have good ability to discriminate between different degrees of the post-traumatic stress reactions. Lastly, the study found a sex difference in the scoring results of the Bender Gestalt Test. Specifically, the difference was observed in the first and the second sections in the scoring results of the Bender Gestalt Test, particularly among participants who had mild post-traumatic stress reactions in the last month. Children and adolescents with varying degrees of post-traumatic stress reactions have different scores on the Bender Gestalt Test. The signs in the Bender Gestalt Test indicative of the post-traumatic stress reactions were different for boys and girls. The study has clinical implications and can be applied to clinical research in the future.
Subjects
兒童青少年之創傷身心反應
班達測驗
創傷後壓力疾患（PTSD）
post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
post-traumatic stress reactions in children and ad
Bender Gestalt Test
SDGs
Type
other
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