Effectiveness of the Hutt Adaptation of the Bender-Gestalt Test Configuration Scale in Differentiating Emotionally Disturbed Adolescents

Abstract

The effectiveness of this scale was evaluated on a population of 90 normal adolescents and 91 severely emotionally disturbed adolescents in the age range from 13 to 16 yr. All subjects were boys. Both in the initial evaluation on a random sample as well as on a cross-validation, using the remainder of the sample, the scale significantly differentiated the disturbed group from the normals. Using a cut-off score of 6 or above, 98.9% of the disturbed group were identified and 70.0% of the normals were excluded. A cut-off score of 8 or above yielded 90.1% correct identification of the disturbed group and 93.3% of the normals were excluded. Use of the scale is suggested for screening purposes. Replication with girls is also suggested, although sex has not previously been reported as significant.