Fundamentals and Administration

Theoretical Basis and Laws of Perception

The Bender Test is based on three main theoretical currents: behaviorism, psychoanalysis and Gestalt psychology.

From behaviorism, the stimulus-response relationship is analyzed, where the drawing generates a reaction in the subject associated with their mood and physical states.

From psychoanalysis, the unconscious projections are considered through the psychic structure (Ego, Ego, Superego) reflected in the traces.

However, its fundamental basis is the Gestalt theory, which studies perception and the tendency of the brain to organize visual stimuli into a coherent "whole".

Specific laws apply, such as the Law of Figure and Background, where one element stands out against a context; the Law of Closure, which indicates the tendency to complete open figures to reduce discomfort; the Law of Proximity, where close elements are perceived as groups; and the Law of Similarity, which groups similar elements together.

Materials and Application

For the administration of the test, the original test cards (which present imperfections typical of human strokes), white letter-size sheets of paper (A4 type with adequate porosity), a number 2 graphite pencil (to avoid too light or dark strokes that bias the interpretation) and an eraser, which should not be shown initially so as not to suggest error, but should be available if the patient requests it.

The standard instruction should be clear: "I will show you nine drawings which I want you to draw on the sheet I have just given you, just as you see them, draw them".

It should be emphasized that it should be done freehand, without turning the card (although if the patient does so, it is recorded) and without using support materials such as rulers.

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