Despite the importance of the assessment of ego strength for appropriate assignment of clients for psychotherapy and/or rehabilitation, existing techniques have not fulfilled expectations. A method for assessing ego strength through the Rorschach Test independent of clinical criterion is proposed. In addition to certain variables of Klopfer's RPRS (M+, FM+, FC+ plus CF+), sharply preceived space responses are included. They constitute a highly intercorrelated global measure of ego strength and are also highly correlated to a relatively independent Rorschach variable of global ego efficiency, i.e. integrated whole responses. In accordance with prediction, non-controlled color responses as well as accuracy of form perception did not correlate in a non-clinical sample with either measure of ego strength.
Two predictions, viz., that for Austrian non-clinical school children whose left-right reading-writing habits parallel an assumed innate left-right drawing tendency, a clear preference for left-right execution of 4 Bender-Gestalt figures (Nos. 1, 2, 3, 6) would be attained at an earlier age and no plateau would be observed in contrast to Israeli non-clinical school children whose right-left reading-writing habits are in a direction opposite to the assumed innate drawing tendency, were confirmed at significant levels of confidence. In a sub-sample of the Austrian population investigated fathers' educational/occupational level as well as the child's position in his sibship as measures of attention and stimulation in the home do not appear to have any significant influence on preference for direction of drawing.
Analysis of the stimulus composition of the three alternative forms of Benton's Visual Retention Test showed the three forms differed from each other in lateral distribution and vertical placement of peripheral details, in equality of chances for the elicitation of stabilizations, internal distortions, and mirror rotations. When 106 Ss were randomly assigned to perform one of the three forms, their mean “correct” and “error” scores were very close to each other. No significant influence of individual Ss on means was observed and the power of specific figures to elicit errors by individual Ss was spread evenly. However, the contribution of individual stimuli in each form to total error score was spread widely. Earlier findings as to differential frequency of the various error categories were confirmed for each form. Concentrations of certain errors in particular figures are discussed and tentative interpretations of these observations are advanced. In conclusion, certain changes are proposed so as to equate the three forms qualitatively and to increase the discriminative power of the instrument.
Clinical experience suggests that extreme displacements, i.e., beyond the ceiling or bottom of the total stimulus configuration of peripheral details on Benton's Visual Retenrion Tesr (I), indicate a tendency for mood swings. Patients' verbalizations suggest that omissions on this test are linked to reluctance to risk an error and thus to a lack of readiness to cope with given situations. To test these hypotheses 128 Israeli non-clinical seventh-grade school children (M.,. 12 :7, range 12 :0 to 13 : 11 ) were group-administered Shanan's (3) Israeli version of the Senrence Completion Test and the items from Eysenck's personality inventory (2) reported to load on Factor 3, Mood Swings. Benton's test was administered individually and scored in accordance with Weiss' (4) definitions of extreme displacements. Of a total of 484 Pearson correlations calculated for 22 variables, 55 correlations attained p.m. Neither of the hypotheses artained significant support (r = .014 between mood swing and displacements; r = -.086 between sentence completion scores and omissions). The following significant correlations seemed worth reporting. A significant (p.06) negative Pearsonian r of -.I84 was found between readiness for coping and the rendency to mood swings. A further significant (P.os) r of -.204 was found between the tendency to mood swings and aims which is one of the component categories of the total score on sentence completion (3). Also, a significant (p.,) r of ,187 obtained between omissions and the tendency to mood swings. An r of .249 (p.ol) was observed between the tendency to size distortions and to stabilizations and one of .214 (p.,,) between misplacements and rotations. s = -.I79 (p.~) between internal distortions and readiness to cope. When the population was split into sub-groups of below vs above median of errors for each variable, Ss high in perseverations tended to show less inclination to mood swings, fewer displacements, fewer rotations, but more stabilizations. While the present study did not confirm the initial hypotheses, the possibility cannot be ruled out that different external criteria or application to a clinical population might have yielded significant results.
Data on incidence of rotations on the Bender-Gestalt test in 3 groups of non-clinical Israeli school children, mean ages 9:0, 10:10, and 13:2 respectively, are reported. Separate scoring of rotations from 30° to 45° showed these to be quite rare in this population. Incidence of rotations in the different Bender figures was unequal. Rotations at Grade 3 level were much more frequent in Figures A, 2, 3, 4, 7, and 8 than in Figures 1, 5, 6. Drop of incidence over age was also unequal, with Figures A, 3, and 4 retaining rotational pull longest. Rotation is assumed to be a developmental phenomenon not necessarily linked to brain damage. Its suitability in general, and of Figures A, 3, and 4 in particular, to serve as indicators of brain damage is questioned. Particular caution should be exercised in the diagnosis of brain damage in the individual case.
Two predictions, viz., that for Austrian non-clinical school children whose left-right reading-writing habits parallel an assumed innate left-right drawing tendency, a clear preference for left-right execution of 4 Bender-Gestalt figures (Nos. 1, 2, 3, 6) would be attained at an earlier age and no plateau would be observed in contrast to Israeli non-clinical school children whose right-left reading-writing habits are in a direction opposite to the assumed innate drawing tendency, were confirmed at significant levels of confidence. In a sub-sample of the Austrian population investigated fathers' educational/occupational level as well as the child's position in his sibship as measures of attention and stimulation in the home do not appear to have any significant influence on preference for direction of drawing.
The direction of execution of 4 Bender-Gestalt figures (1, 2, 3, 6) was investigated in a stratified non-clinical population of 248 Ss: male and female Israeli and foreign university students, Israeli 9th and 1st grade students, and 4½-yr.-olds. All Ss except small children showed significant preference for execution from left to right. A significant shift toward preponderance of execution from left to right was observed between ages 7 and 15. No significant differences due to sex, intelligence, education, or basic reading-writing habits were noted. A possible influence of handedness requires further study.
