Abstract
In order to study aphasics' ability in imaging, a sign drawing test based on Tsvetkova (1972) was carried out.
The procedure for testing was as follows. Subjects (33 aphasics and 7 normal controls) were given a paper showing three identical and simple figures, for example three circles for task No.1, in which they were asked to draw a tangerine/apple/watermelon. At the same time they were visually and acoustically given the names of the three objects. Using the simple figures and the objects named, the subjects were asked to complete the drawings (here, tangerine/apple/watermelon). Task No.2 consisted of car/train/truck and No.3, bird/animal/insect. Task No.3 consisted of category names in contrast to No.1 and No.2 which involved concrete names. The numbers of “signs” in their completed drawings which correctly characterized the given objects were considered as the test data.
(1) The number of correctly drawn signs increased from the severe group to the mild group according to communication level. A highly conscious selection ability was seen to be needed for the tasks because the subjects had to make three different objects using the same figures on one paper. We considered it possible that this mental manipulation is related to aphasics' language ability, for example word finding and so on, in daily communication.
(2) As to the mild group of aphasics' communication level and that of the control group, no correlations in drawn sign numbers were found between tasks No.1, 2 and No.3. We believe this fact suggests that in these 2 groups there exists another imaging procedure which the moderate group does not have.
