Neuropsychological assessment of Zulu-speaking school children : some normative data

This study investigates the Bender Gestalt and the Draw-a-Bicycle tests in South Africa by evaluating the applicability of the existing norms (Koppitz, 1975; Kolb & Whishaw, 1985) and by exploring the variables age, sex, educational level, and geographical area as they affect test performances in Zulu-speaking school children. Zulu-speaking subjects (N = 882), ranging in age from 6 - 18 years, completed both tests. Tests were administered in group form and independently scored. The study sample's performances on both tests were compared to the respective foreign norms and some significant discrepancies were apparent in each case, thereby confirming the hypothesis that these foreign norms are inappropriate for use with Zulu-speaking children. Initial normative data 'are presented for both tests for Zulu-speaking children. Results indicated that age accounted for most of the variance in both. tests. For the Bender Gestalt test, sex and geographical area were also significantly correlated to performance but their respective effect sizes were small enough to warrant excluding them as significant variables from the normative data. For the Draw-A-Bicycle test, sex was highly correlated to performance, and was therefore included in the normative data, with geographical area's small effect size warranting exclusion. Performances per age group, on both tests were found to correlate highly, suggesting inter-test reliability. The implications of these findings for further clinical use of the Bender Gestalt and the Draw-a-Bicycle tests, are considered. Limitations of the present study, in conjunction with suggestions for further research, are discussed.

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

Department of Psychology

Year dc:date.issued

1992

Author dc:creator

• Viljoen, Gary

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Levett, Ann

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/11427/14400

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/14400