Name of Test

 Draw A Person Test (DAP Test)

Description of Test

 Draw a Person test is a human figure drawing tests which is meant to be administered to
children, and adolescents however at some point it is administered to adults. The aim of
the test is to assess how the child perceives the people around them including the family
and other psychological activities on, interpersonal and cognitive setting. This study
focuses on the use of DAP and its validity. However other topics to be covered include;
historical background and description of the instrument. DAP is a projective test, that
allow an examinee to respond to questions through drawings. Projective tests can be
applied in various settings from schools, corporate, and private practices to assess
different psychological aspects include: personality, family background, intelligence,
physical and emotional abuse, depression etc. Fan (2012),
Materials to be used

 Clean Bondpaper
 Pencil
Method

 Test administration involves the administrator requesting children to complete three

individual drawings on separate pieces of paper. Children are asked to draw a man, a
woman, and themselves. No further instructions are given and the child is free to make
the drawing in whichever way he/she would like.
Data Sharing

 The Draw A Person: Screening Procedure for Emotional Disturbance (DAP:SPED;

Naglieri, 1991) was developed to provide a quick screening measure for the identification
of children and adolescents who may have emotional disorders. The present study
examined the test-retest reliability and validity of the DAP:SPED with three groups of
adolescents: mainstream students, alternate education students, and students manifesting
behavior problems. Significant score differences were found only between the regular
and the alternate and behavior class students on the DAP:SPED scores. In contrast,
significant score differences between all three groups were found on the Devereux
Behavior Rating Scale and the Child Behavior Checklist. Test-retest reliability over 23-
27 weeks was relatively low. Results of the present study suggest that the DAP:SPED
may have limited utility in the identification of adolescents with behavior disorders.
 Interpretation 
 Other interpretations can be made about personality also;

 Large head = individual receives satisfaction from sexual fantasies

 Small head = feelings of weakness or intellectual inferiority
 Long hair = unsure sexual fantasies
 Small eyes = strong visual curiosity
 Large ears = hypersensitivity to criticisms
 Triangle nose = immaturity
 Small feet = insecurity
 And the list goes on, and on…
Conclusion

 In a nutshell based on the literature of the study, it has been revealed that the Human
figure drawings has been in use for a long time and been found effective at some point,
even though there’s quite a number of researchers (see, Terre Blanch, 2013; Willcock,
Imuta, and Hayne, 2011; and Sidun and Chase, 1986) who still questions the credibility
of human figure drawing test [including KFD and other projective tests]. This shows that
DRAW A PERSON TEST (PSYCHOMETRICS TEST) 11 UNIVERSITY OF
LIMPOPO, DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHOLOGY, MPANGANE E 2015, more research
should be done concerning the validity and reliability of DAP, as an attempt to lower the
critiques, and make the test to be more valid and reliable by updating the tests norms and
methods of using it for effective future use.
Recommendation

 (PDF) Draw a Person test (researchgate.net)

 The “Draw-A-Person” Personality Test | janaenahirney (wordpress.com)
 Validity and Reliability of the Draw A Person: Screening Procedure for Emotional
Disturbance with Adolescent Students - Linda Wrightson, Donald H. Saklofske, 2000
(sagepub.com)
 Draw-a-Person test - Oxford Reference