Figure drawings - children, functioning, adults, examples, person, people, used, personality, theory 2019/01/17, 12)53

Figure drawings

Definition
Figure drawings are projective diagnostic techniques in which an
individual is instructed to draw a person, an object, or a situation so that
cognitive, interpersonal, or psychological functioning can be assessed.

Purpose
A projective test is one in which a test taker responds to or provides
ambiguous, abstract, or unstructured stimuli, often in the form of pictures
or drawings. While other projective tests, such as the Rorschach
Technique and Thematic Apperception Test , ask the test taker to
interpret existing pictures, figure drawing tests require the test taker to
create the pictures themselves. In most cases, figure drawing tests are

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given to children. This is because it is a simple, manageable task that

children can relate to and enjoy.

Some figure drawing tests are primarily measures of cognitive abilities or

cognitive development. In these tests, there is a consideration of how well a
child draws and the content of a child's drawing. In some tests, the child's
self-image is considered through the use of the drawings. In other figure
drawing tests, interpersonal relationships are assessed by having the child
draw a family or some other situation in which more than one person is
present. Some tests are used for the evaluation of child abuse . Other tests
involve personality interpretation through drawings of objects, such as a
tree or a house, as well as people. Finally, some figure drawing tests are
used as part of the diagnostic procedure for specific types of psychological
or neuropsychological impairment, such as central nervous system
dysfunction or mental retardation .

Precautions
Despite the flexibility in administration and interpretation of figure
drawings, these tests require skilled and trained administrators familiar
with both the theory behind the tests and the structure of the tests
themselves. Interpretations should be made with caution and the
limitations of projective tests should be considered. It is generally a good
idea to use projective tests as part of an overall test battery. There is little
professional support for the use of figure drawing, so the examples that
follow should be interpreted with caution.

Description
The Draw-A-Man Test, developed by Goodenough in 1926 was the first
formal figure drawing test. It was used to estimate a child's cognitive and
intellectual abilities reflected in the drawing's quality. The test was later
revised by Harris in 1963 as the Goodenough Harris Drawing Test (GHDT),

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which included a detailed scoring system and allowed for drawings of men,
women, and the self. The scoring system primarily reflected the way in
which the child is maturing cognitively. The GHTD is appropriate for
children between the ages of three and 17, although it has been found to be
most useful for children between three and 10.

The Draw-A-Person test (DAP) was developed by Machover in 1948 and

used figure drawings in a more projective way, focusing on how the
drawings reflected the anxieties, impulses, self-esteem, and personality of
the test taker. In this test, children are first asked to draw a picture of a
person. Then, they are asked to draw a picture of a person of the sex
opposite of the first drawing. Sometimes, children are also asked to draw a
picture of the self and/or family members. Then, they are asked a series of
questions about themselves and the drawings. These questions can be
about the mood, the ambitions, and the good and bad qualities of the
people in the drawings. The pictures and the questions on the DAP are
meant to elicit information about the child's anxieties, impulses, and
overall personality. The DAP is the most frequently used figure drawing
test today. A scoring system appropriate for adults was developed in 1993
by Mitchel, Trent, and McArthur.

In 1992, Naglieri and his colleagues created a more specific scoring system
for figure drawing tests called the Draw-A-Person: Screening Procedure of
Emotional Disturbance (DAP:SPED), based on a large standardization
sample. This scoring method includes 55 items rated by the test
administrator and based on the child's drawings and responses to
questions. The DAP:SPED is appropriate for children aged six to 17. It is
often used as a screening method for children who may be having
difficulties with regard to social adjustment and require further evaluation.

The House-Tree-Person (HTP) test , created by Buck in 1948, provides

a measure of a self-perception and attitudes by requiring the test taker to
draw a house, a tree, and a person. The picture of the house is supposed to

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conjure the child's feelings toward his or her family. The picture of the tree
is supposed to elicit feelings of strength or weakness. The picture of the
person, as with other figure drawing tests, elicits information regarding the
child's self-concept. The HTP, though mostly given to children and
adolescents, is appropriate for anyone over the age of three.

The Kinetic Family Drawing technique (KFD), developed in 1970 by Burns

and Kaufman, requires the test taker to draw a picture of his or her entire
family. Children are asked to draw a picture of their family, including
themselves, "doing something." This picture is meant to elicit the child's
attitudes toward his or her family and the overall family dynamics. The
KFD is some times interpreted as part of an evaluation of child abuse. The
Kinetic School Drawing technique (KSD), developed in 1974 by Prout and
Phillips, requires the child to draw a picture of himself or herself, a teacher,
and one or more classmates. This picture is meant to elic it the child's
attitudes toward people at school and his or her functioning in the school
environment.

Results
As with all projective measures, scoring on figure drawing tests is more
subjective. Specific scoring systems, such as the DAP:SPED can be used to
provide more objective information. Most figure drawing tests have some
sort of objective scoring system; however, the instructions given to the
child, the questions asked by the test administrator, and the
administrator's interpretations of the drawings are flexible and this makes
it difficult to compare results between children, even on the same measure.
Also, many clinicians choose not to rely on the scoring systems and rely
entirely on their own intuitive judgments regarding their interpretation of
picture content.

Figure drawings are often interpreted with regard to appropriate cognitive

development. Naglieri's DAP:SPED scoring system includes a

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consideration of what features in a drawing are appropriate for children of

various ages. For example, five-year old children are expected to make
fairly basic drawings of people, consisting of a head, eyes, nose, mouth,
body, arms, and legs. An 11-year-old, on the other hand is expected to have
more details in the picture, such as a more defined neck, clothes, and arms
in a particular direction.

Sometimes, figure drawings are assessed with regard to self-image.

Children often project themselves in the drawings. For example, females
with body image concerns may reflect these concerns in their drawings.
Victims of sexual abuse may stress sexual characteristics in their drawings.

Psychological, neuropsychological, or emotional dysfunction can also be

considered in figure drawing interpretation. This type of interpretation is
often done with figure drawings made by adults. For example, a person
who omits or distorts body parts may suffer from emotional impairment.
Excessive detail with regard to the sexual nature of the drawing may
indicate sexual maladjustment.

Family dynamics are also interpreted through figure drawings. For

example, in the Kinetic Family Drawing test, a picture where family
members are in separate rooms may indicate isolation or a lack of
interaction between family members.

Figure drawings are also interpreted with regard to child abuse. In 1994,
Von Hutton developed a scoring system for both the HTP and DAP
focusing on indicators of child abuse that may be present in drawings. The
drawing of the family in the KFD test may also provide indicators of abuse.

There has been much debate over the overall reliability and validity of
figure drawing tests (and projective tests in general). For example, when
structured scoring systems are used, the DAP has been found to be a
reliable measure, especially for cognitive development in children.
However, with regard to specific personality characteristics, self-image

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issues, or personality dysfunctions, there has been relatively little support

for the use of figure drawings.

Resources
BOOKS

Groth-Marnat, Gary. Handbook of Psychological Assessment 3rd edition.

New York: John Wiley and Sons, 1997.

Kline, Paul. The Handbook of Psychological Testing. New York: Routledge,

1999.

Reynolds, Cecil R. Comprehensive Clinical Psychology, Volume 4:

Assessment. Amsterdam: Elsevier, 1998.

Ali Fahmy, Ph.D.

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