FORM EQUIVALENCE ANALYSIS OF THE BENTON VISUAL RETENTION TEST IN CHILDREN OF LOW IQ

Abstract

Sunzmary.-The purpose of this study was to determine the presence or lack of equivalence of Forms C and D of the Benton Visual Retention Test both as a memory cask and as a copying task in a sample of 80 children with low IQs. Contrary to previous findings for a sample of average intelligence, this smdy showed Forms C and D to be equivalent on all except one scoring dimension. In an unpublished study Benton, et 111.: have analyzed the equivalence of Forms C and D for the Benton Visual Retention Test (VRT) as a copying task (Administration C) for 60 children, ranging in chronological age from 5 to 11 yr. and from 85 to 115 in IQ. These investigators found that the mean difference scores for number correct (Form C minus Form D) ranged from -1.66 to -.50 (M = -1.10) for the several age levels; mean difference scores for number of errors (Form C minus Form D) ranged from +.5 to +3.00 (M = 1.53) for the several age levels. They concluded rhar, as a copying task, Form C was slightly more difficult than Form D when applied to young children of average intelligence. The purpose of the present study was to examine both the memory (Administration A) and copying (Administration C) forms of the VRT and to determine the equivalence of Forms C and D in a sample of children of low IQ in order to ascertain whether a similar difference in level of difficulty would obtain for this sample. Procedure.-Data for 80 Ss enrolled in 1964-65 special education classes at the Pine School Section of the Hospital School, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, were used in the srudy. Two groups of Ss (38 in Group I and 42 in Group 11) were matched on the pertinent scoring dimensions as indicated in the Benton manual (1963), chronological age, and IQ. The results of this matching procedure are shown in Table 1. The groups are demonstrated to be equivalent on these dimensions and thus on MA as well. Group I received Form C as the memory task (Administration A) and Form D as