Differentiation of organics from functional psychiatric patients across various IQ ranges using the Bender-Gestalt and hutt scoring system

Abstract

This study investigated the effectiveness of the Hutt Scoring System (Hutt, 1977) in differentiating organic from functional psychiatric patients, the relationship of IQ to Bender‐Gestalt errors as measured by this scoring system, and examined the discriminative power of this scoring system for various IQ ranges. One hundred eighty patients were utilized, 90 of whom had been classified as organics and matched with the remaining 90 subjects on the basis of age, education, and IQ range. In addition, the organic subjects' secondary diagnosis was matched with the primary diagnosis of the nonorganic patients. Results between WAIS IQ and Hutt error scores for organic subjects yielded an r = ‐.34 (p <.01); between WAIS 1Q and Hutt error scores for the nonorganic subjects, r = ‐.61 (p <.001). No significant results were obtained for organics and nonorganics simultaneously within the same IQ cells.

The Bender-Gestalt as a method of personality assessment with adolescents

“…They also very reliably differentiated the MR/NI group of emotionally disturbed subjects from the controls and the non-retarded ED subjects, which did not differ from each other. These results are consistent with the findings of Field et al (1982) and Hellkamp and Hogan (1985), who found Bender-Gestalt scores derived from the Hutt system to be related to age and IQ, but not to indices of psychopathology. The indication is that the Psychopathology Scale and Adolescent Configuration might be employed more appropriately as screening devices for intellectual and/or neurological impairment in adolescents.…”