Correlation of Scores on the Picture Interpretation Test and Stanford-Binet Form L-M Iqs

Abstract

The consequences of early deprivation of perception have been discussed by Bruner (1966). Torrance (1966) found that over 60% of disadvantaged black children made gross misperceptions of a picture used in the oral administration of the Ask-and-Guess Test. The skills of learning to read a picture are apparently learned through looking at pictures in books, asking questions about them, and being encouraged to make judgments about them (Torrance & Aliotti, 1968). I t may be that the ability to read a picture has some bearing on a child's intelligence. Thus the correlation of scores on the Picture Interpretation Test (PIT) and the Stanford-Binet Form L-M (SB) IQ scores was of interest. The PIT involves the same drawing used in Verbal Form B of the Torrance Test of Creative Thinking Ability (Torrance, 1966). S is shown the picture and asked to answer 12 yes or no questions such as Are the children standing still? Is the boy carrying a rabbit? The 27 Ss ranged in age from 4-9 to 13-8. All were referred to the first author as clinical psychologist by county departments of welfare to be screened for various purposes including school placement, school behavior problems, educational planning, adoption, and foster home placement. To each S, the PIT and SB were administered by the first author. A Pearson product-moment correlation of .60 ( p = .01, df = 24, two-tailed) was obtained between the PIT scores and SB IQ. The SB MA and the PIT scores correlated .65 ( p = .Ol, d f df= 24, two-tailed). Those Ss with PIT scores above 6 ( N = 11, M = 8.5) were compared with those having PIT scores below 5 (N = 11, M = 3.3). The SB scores for the high PIT group (M = 92.4, SD = 15.7) were significantly higher ( t = 4.31, 10 d f , p = .01) than the scores for the low PIT group (M = 62.7, SD = 14.7). This difference helps substantiate the relationship between the PIT and SB. After experience of educational stimulation (Torrance, 1967) Ss' scores on [he PIT improved significancly over those of a control group. These and the present data suggest that children's IQs may be increased by exposure to the educational stimulation of 3 preprimary curriculum. Such programs could be implemented in day care centers.