This paper examines the Human Figure Drawing Test as a psychological assessment tool, tracing its theoretical foundation within psychometrics and projective testing. It describes how the test is administered, what examiners look for in drawn figures, and how results are compared against norm groups. The paper reviews studies conducted in Thailand and the United States on children, as well as research on elderly populations in Stockholm, evaluating the test's validity and reliability across age groups. It concludes that while the test is easy to administer and yields useful data on personality and cognitive development, it should be used alongside—rather than in place of—other standardized assessment methods.
Testing has become an integral part of psychological theory and practice. Rooted in historical perspectives and ongoing debate about principles, purpose, and ethics, it involves the statistical conceptualizations of psychometrics and the connection between the validity of a test and the reality of a person's experience. The field of psychological testing is characterized by the use of small samples to apply broader generalizations to a specific individual; samples of behavioral trends combine with observations over a limited time in which performance on prescribed tasks is compared to the pre-studied responses of members of a norm group. These responses, compiled and analyzed before being compared to the studied individual, are often organized into statistical tables that allow the evaluator to compare a specific person's behavior to the range of responses given by the norm group and make appropriate personality assessments accordingly.
A common type of psychological testing that is both valid and reliable is the figure drawing test, in which an individual's personality and its characteristics are examined through his or her ability to draw a human figure.
The Human Figure Drawing Test is an example of clinical interpretation and assessment of cognitive impairment and characteristics. It is the eighth most commonly used psychological test, according to the Journal of Personality Assessment.[1] In its most general form, it is intended for individuals who are at least fifteen years of age; while different ages have correspondingly varied analyses, children of fifteen are more readily associated with older peers in terms of cognition than their younger counterparts. Each drawing takes between five and ten minutes to complete.[2]
To accurately administer the test, the examiner needs a stopwatch to time the examinee's response, a pen or pencil for recording responses, a black pen or marker for use with the regimented response booklets, and a set of at least five colored markers for the examinee to use during the test.
Examiners compare the figures drawn by those examined to an established benchmark representing what the norm group — individuals with average intelligence and no serious behavioral disorder — is known to exhibit. The examination of the drawings focuses on physical relations; each element of the drawing is an important component of the personality analysis. In a wide-ranging study in Georgia, seriously emotionally disturbed or seriously behaviorally disturbed individuals were compared against the norm group for examination.[3] The heights of the human drawings and their horizontal placement on the page (distance from the left side) were compared with the Bender-Gestalt test, known disorders, and the norm group to accurately indicate the personality disorders of those examined.[4]
The test triggers construction, memory, recall, and visual-motor organization skills. The projective technique assesses both personality and levels of intelligence when gauged for appropriate analysis, making the Human Figure Drawing Test an interesting and multi-faceted tool for psychological analysis. Because the examinee is required to draw a person of either sex and then draw another of the other sex, the figures project the examinee's feelings and perceptions of body image. This is a useful mechanism for emotional assessment in adults, as well as a means of understanding cognitive development in younger children.
The Human Figure Drawing Test is particularly important in the analysis of developing personalities and is, as a result, most commonly used with young children. "Human figure drawings are related to cognitive development in children. As cognitive skills progress, drawing abilities also improve in details and sex differentiation."[5] In children, developing personality is directly correlated with the child's exhibition of intelligence; using the drawing test to score human figure drawings with separate norms for males and females provides an accurate analysis of children in both their personality and their inclination toward intellectual development.
"Thai longitudinal study and U.S. surgical stress findings"
"Stockholm dementia screening research results"
The Human Figure Drawing Test was developed as a tool of analytic psychoanalysis, and with continued use it has been refined into a multi-faceted instrument that enables administrators to gather information about personality characteristics, disorders, and traits, while also serving as a tool for gauging cognitive development and degeneration. The test is most valued for its ease of administration, reliability, and validity. However, its results demand trained analysis and are more accurately reflected when paired with other tests and personal examinations. It remains a useful tool for assessment, but should be employed in conjunction with other forms of analysis rather than as a standalone measure of discriminate evaluation.
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