Projective Test: interpretation guide for graphic productions

This is one projective test guide which can be useful to students, professionals or researchers who evaluate psychological variables through this type of test, where the subject must make a graphic production, such as the Test of the two people, the Test of the person in the rain, the HTP, the Test of the human figure, the kinetic family, the educational couple, etc..

The indicators have been classified into formal guidelines, also called structural aspects (they indicate how they draw), and content patterns (they indicate what they draw).

The meanings for each indicator are only indicative, so they must be interpreted according to each particular subject. Where says "This indicator means such a thing."must be read"This indicator could mean such a thing.".

Therefore, it is not possible to perform "a direct and unique translation of the signs or indicators that appear in the drawings. We should not expect to find an automatic indicator-meaning relationship but the principle of 'multiple determination' should guide the psychologist in the interpretation of the indicators".

No indicator alone "it is conclusive evidence of its psychological correlate; The configuration of the indicators should be considered more important than any particular sign"Particularly important are the recurrences and convergences between indicators (within the same drawing or in different drawings).

Many of the meanings indicated here are not applicable to graphic productions of very young children. For example, at a certain age the transparencies are normal, not pathological indicators.

Also many of the meanings offered refer to impulses, anxieties and defenses (impulses breed anxieties, and these in turn defenses). Regarding the latter, there are normal or adaptive, and pathological or non-adaptive. A criterion that identifies the pathological defense is when the normal defense is very exacerbated (for example a repression very intense), or when it is failed, that is, it fails (repression is not enough to control impulses or anxieties). A defense against another defense is also pathological.

Content

• 1 Drawing of the person
• 2 Tree drawing
• 3 Drawing of the house
• 4 Content guidelines (Link between people)
• 5 Pathologies: graphic characteristics

Drawing of the person

The drawing of the human figure provides information about the image of oneself, body scheme and sexual identification.

Tree drawing

The drawing of the tree provides information about the most unconscious images of itself. Together with the drawing of the house, they show the most latent aspects of personality (Piccolo).

House drawing

The drawing of the house provides information about the image of himself, the mother-filial bond and family relationships.

Content guidelines (Link between people)

The drawings where links appear between people provide information about the link fantasies and dissociated aspects of the self.

Pathologies: graphic characteristics

A) Neurosis

• Gestalt preserved, harmony, proportion, integration of the parts, realism (psychic integration).
• Complete lines (good differentiation I - not me).
• Sexual and psychological differentiation (good sexual identification. Psychic integration).
• Perspective maintained, front-profile and forward-back differentiation, absence of transparency (adequate logical-formal integration of graphic figures. Achieved development of the functions of contact with reality).
• With preserved gestalt there may be shading, exaggeration of size, omission of parts, confusing areas (conflicts, pathology to be related to areas where they appear).

B) Psychosis

• Disintegration of the gestalt, fragmented drawing (no psychic integration).
• Emptiness (draw only the outline), open, diffuse lines (lack of differentiation, not me, failure of reality judgment.
• Compulsive need to fill out (restitution).
• Grotesque appearance (loss of humanization).
• Partialized objects, strangers (lack of sexual and psychological differentiation).
• Rigid, devitalized movement, puppets, stick figures, defeated bodies, broken or missing relationship organs (attack on the motor apparatus)
• Bad insertion of the parts (integration failures).
• Lack of perspective and transparency (failure of primary repression).
• Front-profile confusion, zoomorphism, lack of trunk-genital area delimitation.
• In the house, misplaced openings.
• In the tree: lock tree, dissociated tree, fallen trees, dead, or with animals inside.

C) Perversion

• Gestalt preserved (preservation of the reality test and the logical coherence of the secondary process).
• Generally large size (tendency to expand). Emphasis on musculature. Challenging aspect, exhibitionist (judgment of altered values), caricature (denial).
• Impulsive stroke, striking drawing, often naked, threatening or challenging movements.

D) Bordeline (border or border case)

Graphic production is similar to psychotic, while verbal production is neurotic and psychopathic (Piccolo).

E) Psychopathy

• The graphics are similar to neurosis, but the subject gives the material evacuative meanings: it seeks to impact, paralyze, affectively mobilize the other. The stories (verbal production) are bulky and of little content (Piccolo).

Bibliography

• Several, "Notes of theoretical classes and practical works of the Chair of Projective Techniques" (Prof. Celener), University of Buenos Aires, School of Psychology, 1996.
• Hammer E., "Graphic projective tests", Paidós, 1997.
• Casullo M and Cayssials A., "Project of life and vocational decision", Paidós, Buenos Aires, 1994.
• Piccolo E., "Defenses in graphic tests", Editorial Paidós.
• Verthelyi et al., "Identity and link in the test of the two persons", Paidós, 1984, chapter II.