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This work has two objectives. The first is to describe a program to strengthen socio-cognitive abilities in initial education children (called PHSC), which is focused on training teachers on its implementation in the classroom. The second objective is to examine the effectiveness of the program when it is applied in schools with different socio-cultural contexts. It involved a total of 257 initial-level students attending two pre-primary schools in the province of Mendoza. One school was in an urban area of a more stable social environment, and the other in a socially-vulnerable area. The program was administered by teachers who had been trained for it. Pre- and post-assessments were conducted using socio-cognitive tests on the students. The teachers responded to the Executive Functioning Scale for initial education children before and after implementation of the PHSC program, and parents responded to an on-line survey to find out whether they had noticed any improvements or positive changes after the application of the program. The results suggest the possibility that this program, implemented by teachers, could improve the socio-cognitive abilities in children of both of the different social contexts, as well as being a driver to create conditions of equal opportunities and generate learning benefits in all their students.

This article provides guidelines for an entry-level course that prepares psychology students and practitioners to acquire entry-level skills, abilities, knowledge, and attitudes important to the individual assessment of intellectual abilities of children and youth. The article reviews prominent international, regional, and national policies, guidelines, and standards for test development and use, basic training issues, acquisition of competence in core professional behaviors, the identification of clinical assessment skills; scholarship that supports this entry-level course, and national and institutional issues related to psychological assessment. The guidelines are consistent with the International School Psychology Association and the International Testing Commission's recommendations and provide experiences based on U.S. context. The need to adjust course content and instructional methods in light of local conditions is recognized.

The present study explores the extent to which maternal attachment and teacher--student attachment-like relationships explain the socioemotional adaptation of students with disabilities. Participants consisted of 65 dyads of homeroom teachers and their students (from a middle-to-low-class area in Northern Israel) with learning disabilities (LD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and LD/ADHD-co-morbidity (mean age = 10.9). Students were assessed based on the maternal attachment security scale (ASS) and the appraisal of the teacher as a secure base scale. Homeroom teachers completed the student-teacher security scale. Third-party teachers reported on students' school adaptation. Results indicated that beyond the disability factor, secure teacher-student relationships reduced the students' externalising problem behaviours and improved student learning proficiencies that are considered to be affected by the adequacy of executive functioning. Additionally, maternal attachment reduced internalising problem behaviours. Implications for the protective role of teachers of students with disabilities and for research on teacher--student relationship quality are discussed.

The history of cognitive assessment in Brazil is described through evolutionary movements or waves, when tests were just imported and translated from other countries, criticized, and later evaluated in laboratories on test construction founded at private and state universities. The presence of high standards for test use place Brazil at the highest rank among other South American countries. Licensed psychologists conduct cognitive assessment using tests under traditional and new models to evaluate general intelligence, aptitudes, and creativity. At present, many challenges face Brazilian professionals, such as the absence of legal requirements for psychologists in the schools, which limits their possible contribution to public education. Leading researchers in school psychology in Brazil have underscored the need for higher standards for psychological training, including more specialized graduate courses on psychological assessment, in order to benefit Brazilian children and youth.

In an increasingly diverse society, and with the broadening scope of art therapy, the duty of art therapists to ensure responsible and appropriate assessment is ever more important. This article discusses considerations that are necessary for the successful adaptation and use of drawing-based assessments in cross-cultural and multicultural contexts. Examples from the literature of art therapy instruments that conform to established principles for cross-cultural psychological assessment are examined, and recommendations are offered to provide direction for their ongoing development.

This study examined social perceptions among 191 Arab and Jewish children who live in mixed neighborhoods in Israel. Human Figure Drawing assessment was used to examine the children's social perceptions. The drawings that the Jewish Israeli children created portrayed Arabs as the enemy, whereas the Arab Israeli children expressed a more positive perception of Jews. The Arab children's perceptions of the Arab social image were found to be less positive than the Jewish children's perceptions of the Jewish social image. Examples of the children's drawings and questionnaire responses about their drawings are presented. (Contains 8 figures.)

This study examines the relationship between drawing and oral language acquisition in deaf students aged three to five. The sample is made up of one hundred participants: fifty deaf and fifty hearing children. Goodenough's Human Figure Drawing Test and the WPPSI Scale of Intelligence geometric design subtest have been used to evaluate graphic representation. The deaf participants' oral language has been assessed using the GAEL-P test. The main findings were that there were no significant differences between the populations studied in terms of graphic representation. The oral language level of the deaf population does not correlate with the level of their geometric designs, but does with the complexity of the drawing of the human figure at the age of 5. The main conclusion with respect to the relationship between oral language and figurative drawings suggests that different representations of symbolic functions should be integrated into children's education, especially in the case of deaf children. (Contains 1 table, 3 figures and 2 notes.)

Studied the effects of borrowing norms for the Human Figure Drawing Test for use with children in Curacao, for whom there are no norms or studies of validity for this test. Results for 96 fourth graders suggest that frequency tables for the United States are better for scoring Human Figure Drawing Test results for these children than are Dutch norms. (SLD)

Examined validity of use of human figure drawing to evaluate cognitive development status using Piagetian tasks with 7- to 11-year-olds. Found that scores for children's drawings of a man and a woman correlated significantly with mental imaging, conservation of mass, and conservation of length, suggesting the possibility of finding patterns to assess cognitive development through human figure drawing. (Author/KB)

This study investigated methods for accurately identifying sexually abused children (n=26), mental health clinic-referred children (n=37), and community children (n=39), ages 6-12. Results suggest limited support for the Louisville Behavior Checklist but caution in using the Emotional Indicator Scoring System for Human Figure Drawings in the assessment of sexual abuse. (Author/JDD)

Thirty-two hearing-impaired boys, aged 7-12, drew human figures as a projective personality assessment technique; the Koppitz technique was used to score the drawings. A positive relationship was found between the total number of emotional indicators on the drawings and the boys' scores on the Stress Response Scale. (Author/JDD)

The Koppitz Human Figure Drawing (HFD) Test was examined for use in early identification of academically not-ready kindergarten children. HFD scores of children who later "passed" the Metropolitan Readiness Test were compared with HFD scores of children who later "failed." Results indicate that HFD scores are useful in assessing non-readiness. (Author)

Combined use of Koppitz' developmental and emotional scores did not improve the prediction of school readiness from children's human figure drawings when compared with each measure separately. Nonreadiness predictions yielded by the developmental score, emotional score, and their combination were not better than chance predictions. (Author/BEF)

Conditions of chronic psychosis such as schizophrenia and mania are likely to result in several salient changes in the patient‟s personality and result in several cognitive changes. Clinical psychological testing specialization constitutes a specialized form of testing that focuses on differentiating individuals based on the nature and degree of psychopathology. The critical role of psychological assessment in treatment planning has been increasingly recognized in recent years because of its significant role in diagnostic and psychotherapeutic intervention strategies. The HFDT is designed to enhance the time-honored projective analytics aspects of human figure drawing analysis. The aim of the present study was to understand the HFDT profile of Indian patients with Psychotic conditions. The sample consisted of 80 patients with Psychosis diagnosed according to the ICD 10 DCR (1993) criterion, drawn from IPD and OPD of Gwalior Mansik Arogyshala, Gwalior, M.P., India. The sample included people of both sexes and in the age range of 18-50 years. Materials: Human figure drawing test (HFDT) by Mitchell et al. (1993). Results indicated that Indian patients with psychosis drew several specific features such as a small-sized figure, left placement, gross disproportion, unequal arms, heavy lines, genderless figures, developmentally indistinguishable features, naked without genitalia, and omissions of various parts. The authors concluded that there are several qualitative and quantitative variations on Human Figure Drawing test features in Indian patients with psychosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human figure drawing test as a psychodiagnostic method has been used for almost 100 years. During this period it has gained its supporters and opponents. The human figure drawing test can be approached in several ways that have historically developed. The aim of this work is to present interpretative paradigms (complex evaluation systems), which have different theoretical backrounds as well as ways of interpreting the results. Each of the approaches - performance based, projective, global, dynamic and typological - is presented by the main representatives, by the basic ideas behind their origin, manners of evaluation, but also by critical evaluation based on researches - pointing to perspectives and limits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the study was to understand experiences of school children aged 8 to 10 years old exposed to intimate partner violence through graphic projective tests -Human Figure Drawing, the Test of Family and Person in Rain- and its narrative associated. The participants accessed Mental Health Center Pudahuel, Metropolitan Region, Chile. Children exposed to intimate partner violence shown traumatogenic dynamics, highlighting such exposure as a disruptive experience for children. The study becomes relevant, due to the scarce literature in Chile, provides contextual information to our country; and contributes to design a comprehensive methodology for psychological evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Detecting an abnormal developmental trajectory in very preterm infants remains challenging. The objective of this study was to determine the correlation between the Draw-a-Man test (DAMT) and behavioral and cognitive disabilities in very preterm infants. From the school-age follow-up of the Premag study, which evaluated the neuroprotective effect of prenatal magnesium sulfate before 33 weeks of gestation, 281 human figure drawings were assessed (mean age, 11 years). Behavioral and cognitive disabilities were associated with delayed DAMTs but test performance indicators were insufficient to use DAMT as a screening or a diagnostic test. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Psychological & Educational Studies Review is the property of University of Kasdi Merbah Ouargla and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

To study human figure drawing in a group of Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients and compare it with a group of patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and controls. We evaluated consecutive outpatients over a one-year period. Patients were classified as affected by AD or by MCI. All patients and controls underwent a simplified version of the human-figure drawing test and MMSE. A qualitative and quantitative analysis of all human figures was obtained. 112 AD, 100 MCI patients and 104 controls were enrolled. AD patients drew human figures poor in details and globally smaller than MCI patients and controls. Human figures drawn by MCI patients are intermediate in body height between those of the AD patients and the healthy subjects. The head-to-body ratio of human figures drawn by AD patients is greater than controls and MCI patients, while the human figure size-relative-to-page space index is significantly smaller. Body height is an independent predictor of cognitive impairment correlating with its severity and with the number of the figure's details. Human figures drawn by AD patients are different from those drawn by healthy subjects and MCI patients. Human figure drawing test is a useful tool for orienting cognitive impairment's diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human figure drawing tasks such as the Draw-a-Person test have long been used to assess intelligence (F. Goodenough, 1926). The authors investigate the skills tapped by drawing and the risk factors associated with poor drawing. Self-portraits of 345 preschool children were scored by raters trained in using the Draw-a-Person Intellectual Ability test (DAP:IQ) rubric (C. R. Reynolds & J. A. Hickman, 2004). Analyses of children's fine motor, gross motor, social, cognitive, and language skills revealed that only fine motor skill was an independent predictor of DAP:IQ scores. Being a boy and having a low birth weight were associated with lower DAP:IQ scores. These findings suggest that although the DAP:IQ may not be a valid measure of cognitive ability, it may be a useful screening tool for fine motor disturbances in at-risk children, such as boys who were born at low birth weights. Furthermore, researchers who use human figure drawing tasks to measure intelligence should measure fine motor skill in addition to intelligence. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The present study assessed concordance between child reported and adult observed strategies to depict single and mixed emotion in the same human figure drawings. 205 children (104 boys, 101 girls) aged 6 years 2 months to 8 years 3 months formed two age groups (6 years 2 months–7 years 2 months and 7 years 3 months–8 years 3 months) across two conditions drawing either themselves or another child. They heard vignettes designed to elicit single and mixed emotion and drew a baseline drawing, counterbalanced happy and sad, and a mixed emotion drawing. Categories of children’s verbal reports and adults’ observations were similar with some variation of use by condition, age group and emotion type. Mixed emotion strategies were more similar to those observed and reported in happy drawings. Findings are discussed in relation to a framework theory of art and social display rules. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The Goodenough–Harris Drawing Test (GHDT) is a non-verbal assessment designed to infer young children’s levels of intellectual development and understanding via the collection of three human figure drawings (HFDs) – one each of a man, a woman and a self-portrait. This paper presents findings from a research project that applied the Rasch model for measurement to HFDs collected from 246 children aged between 4 and 10 years to assess the psychometric properties of the GHDT assessment, and young children’s HFDs in general, as the GHDT had not yet been examined from a modern test theory perspective in full. Results indicated that: (1) the GHDT and children’s HFDs were apt for Rasch analysis and deemed to be generally psychometrically sound; and (2) that children performed almost identically (within error) on all three HFDs collected for the assessment, suggesting that the collection of three HFDs – as well as many of the 217 items which comprise the GHDT – was potentially redundant. Consequently, a prototype human figure drawing continuum (HFDC) was constructed from those data and examined. Rasch analysis revealed that the researcher-constructed 45-item HFDC scale – requiring justoneself-selected HFD of a man, woman or child – was just as effective as the 217-item GHDT. The HFDC, when normed, should be seen as a parsimonious and child-friendly HDF assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Children's ability to produce human figure drawings (HFDs) develops in a highly predictable stage-like manner, but the rate at which individual children progress through each stage varies considerably. These 2 characteristics--a consistent developmental pattern, coupled with individual differences in the rate of development--have led many to argue that HFEts can be used as a measure of intelligence. One characteristic of traditional pen-and-paper intelligence tests is that tley are highly resistant :o instruction. Here, we assessed the effect of instruction on children's scores on the most recent human figure drawing test, the Draw-A-Person Intellectual Ability Test for Children, Adolescents, and Adults (DAP:IQ; Reynolds & Hickman, 2004), A total of 44 11 and 12-year-old children were given 2 lessons in human figure drawing during their biological science class. To measure changes in their drawing scores, fne DAP:IQ was administered 3 times: prior to the instruction, shortly after the final instruction session and finally, 6 months later. There were significant differences in children's DAP:IQ scores across these 3 time points. Children showed significant gains shortly after art instruction, but their scores returned to preinstruction levels when they were tested 6 months later. These data challenge the view that the DAP:IQ provides a valid measure of intelligence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was conducted to explore the use of, and current perceptions about projective testing among Filipino counselors. One hundred sixty two guidance counselors from mostly educational institutions in the Philippines participated in this survey study. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results showed that Filipino counselors prefer the use of the sentence completion test and human figure drawing test. Those who employed projective tests find them useful in assessing clients and in aiding in the delivery counseling. It was however revealed that there is a seeming lack of importance placed on getting sufficient training for the proper use of projective tests and also a lack of awareness of the more recent research on projective tests. Implications of the findings and proposed recommendations were discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intelligent testing for some groups of children is difficult because of their lacking of attention or trustworthy to the psychologist. Therefore, drawing for intelligence testing has been easily used since it is simple, unthreatening and interesting. Drawing test can be divided into intelligence and personality test. Although both tests are different based on theory and practice, they show the same pictures of human. Only one time for drawing human picture with projective technique can produce both personality signs and intelligence quotient obtained from projective drawing compared to objective drawing in group aged 13-13 years and 11 months (p=0.001) 15-15 years and 11 months (p=0.01) and greater than. or equal to 16 years (p=0.04) were found. In conclusion, projective human figure drawing may have the possibility to be used for screening IQ in children. In practice, however, due to the significant different IQ found in older children group we recommended practitioners to assess - IQ from projective human drawing figure interpreted by Nagleiri’s criteria should recognize the overestimation of interpreted IQ in this children group.

This is an exploratory research that aims to analyze the psychological characteristics in analyzing the human figure in 45 displaced children in Colombia. The study was conducted in the State of Quindío, based on the application of the Karen Machover - Human Figure Drawing Test to children in a situation of forced displacement. Many children experience problems adjusting to new environments of socialization as a result of the aftermath of the armed conflict, which are made evident in conflict areas projected in the drawing, such as head, facial expressions, limbs, trunk and scarcity of movement. The conflict persists of symbolic forms in children, which hinders their social skills, family relationship and learning, showing in many cases defensive reactions such as high levels of anxiety, depression and self-absorption, as well as impulsivity, aggression, and challenging abilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the present study was to investigate the emotional indicators in the Human Figure Drawing of mentally retarded children with and without hyperactivity. It will help in finding out the emotional expression of mentally disabled children. The design of the study is descriptive. It was hypothesized that mentally retarded children with hyperactivity would score high on emotional indicators of Human Figure Drawing Test (HFD) as compared to mentally retarded non hyperactive children. A purposive sample of 60 mentally retarded children 30 with mild, and moderate severity and with hyperactivity and 30 with mild and moderate severity and without hyperactivity with the age range of 6-18 years, was taken from special schools of Karachi city. Human Figure Drawing Test (HFD) was applied to evaluate emotional problems and Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder Test (ADHD - T) was applied to explore the hyperactivity of the mentally retarded children. The percentage method of descriptive statistics was applied for statistical analysis. The results show that mentally retarded children with hyperactivity have more emotional problems than mentally retarded children without hyperactivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Croatian Journal of Education / Hrvatski Časopis za Odgoj i Obrazovanje is the property of Uciteljski Fakultet u Zagrebu and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The article deals with the projective method of „the drawing of human figure" and provides a basic list of yet existing modifications of the figure drawing tests and the frequency of figure drawing use in diagnostic practice at home as well as abroad. It also brings in information from original sources of the authors, whose procedures in the diagnosis of figural drawings had and still have certain influence on the so far non-codified ways of using this method in the current diagnostic practice. The aim is to evaluate critically the general expectations and common assumptions, or, if need, to correct and clear up them according to the diagnostic interpretation of original sources, that are generally known. Numerous international studies provide lots of arguments that the method of drawing the human figure isn't safe as a diagnostic method. Article is to stimulate psychological community to consider to what extend can be the results of figure drawing diagnostically reasonable, acceptable and applicable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated self-image, psychological functioning, and quality of life in children and adolescents with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). Thirty-nine children with JIA were compared with 80 healthy peers. We first administered the Human Figure Drawing Test (HFDT) to all subjects; children also completed standardized questionnaires evaluating health-related quality of life (PEDSQL™ 4.0 Generic Core Scales) and the main aspects of psychological functioning: anxiety (SAFA-A) and depression (CDI). Parents were asked to complete the Child Behaviour Checklist (CBCL) and the PEDSQL™ 4.0. For each patient with JIA, clinical notes were gathered and a global disease assessment (visual analog scale--VAS) was performed. Compared to healthy peers, patients with JIA reported reduced maturity quotients at HFDT, more depressive traits, greater anxiety, and lower health-related quality of life. Among the subjects with JIA, HFDT revealed that adolescents had a greater impairment in all areas investigated. Furthermore, there was a significant correlation between the physical well-being rated by VAS and the perception of poorer quality of life in patients, mostly in the psychosocial domains. Children and adolescents with JIA exhibit emotional difficulties and a delay of psychological development leading to low self-esteem, a distorted self-image, more anxiety and depression traits, and a worse quality of life, when compared to healthy subjects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Acta Colombiana de Psicologia is the property of Universidad Catolica de Colombia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The Human Figure Drawing Test (HFD Good-enough & Harris, 1926) is a psychometric scale developed to measure individual evolution of conceptual maturity in children of school age. This concept is described as the ability to develop concepts with an increasing degree of abstraction (Harris, 1963). In despite of being a widely applied test in professional contexts, its psychometric properties were not properly analyzed in local populations. This paper proposes an advance on its metrical adaptation, in order to be used in scholars from Buenos Aires and its suburbs. To reach this research goal, item homogeneity and difficulty indexes were calculated. Following original Koppitz's proposals (1968), expected develop mental items were identified, as well as the common and exceptional ones in each age interval considered. Discriminate validity evidences regarded to Bender's Gestalt Scale were also analyzed. Considering children's age, common parts composing the human figure were identified, meaning that 85% per cent (and more) of the children in a given age included that part as an important detail in the drawing. This way, it became an expectable item for that age interval. Unusual elements were also identified (15% of the cases or less) in protocols of each analyzed group. This analysis showed that some parts were omitted for the majority of children in the studied sample. The applied utility of this particular analysis consists in the identification of items which would be present in drawings produced by children with out problems in each age level in local population, when a normative criterion is follow ed in the individual assessment. The importance of an item omission when it is expected must be highlighted, because of its importance as a relevant indicator of potential problems. The contribution here in tended consists in the description of this maturational ability using parts of the drawing which become expectable in a given develop mental age. The absence of certain details may imply conceptual immaturity; these two kinds of indicators are characterized in the differential diagnosis and are key signs in applied assessment situations. Concerning discriminate validity evidences, a significant average and positive association be tween scores of conceptual maturity (HDF) and visual-motor ability (Bender's) was verified in the whole simple. Associations became lower if the simple was spitted by age. Developmental motorist and perceptual aspects appear to converge with conceptual abilities measured in the sample, existing an overlapping of both of them in the activities involved, although not lower enough to speak about abilities related but about abilities of a different nature. Despite both scales (HFD and Bender's) demand a graphic action to be responded, they intend to assess theoretical concepts hypothetically differentiated. Otherwise, empirical verifications seem to speak about a significant relationship between them. Analyzing the association between these abilities through an increasing curve of age during childhood allows to infer a decrease in values of Pearson coefficients as chronological age increases (.259*; .234**; .474**, .179*, .283**, .189*, and .251). Such results can be interpreted as a gradual discrimination between perceptual, motorist and conceptual abilities, when developmental level shows an ascendant peak. One of the limitations of this research lies in the sample employed, which involved a restricted number of participants across each age included. Future developments must improve this issue, in order to challenge these findings. For this reason these results must be analyzed as preliminary tendencies. Their potential intention of generalization should be tested in future studies, and also by means of the generation of new research lines. These advances are disposable to be tested in new populations, and they intent to become a contribution for applied practice of psychological assessment with children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The practice of using children's human figure drawings (HFDs) to assess their intellectual ability is pervasive among psychologists and therapists in many countries. Since the first systematic scoring system for HFDs was published in 1926, their continued popularity has led to the development of several revised versions of the test. Most recently, the Draw-A-Person Intellectual Ability Test for children, adolescents, and adults (DAP:IQ) was published. It is the most up-to-date form of HFD test designed to assess intellectual functioning across a wide age range. In the present study, we assessed the validity of the DAP:IQ as a screening measure of intelligence in both children and adults. In Experiment 1, 100 4- to 5-year-old children completed the DAP:IQ and the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence-Third Edition. In Experiment 2, 100 adults completed the DAP:IQ and the Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence. In both experiments, we found only weak to modest correlations between scores on the DAP:IQ and the Wechsler tests. Furthermore, when we compared individual's scores on the two tests, the DAP:IQ yielded high false positive and false negative rates when screening for borderline and superior intellectual functioning. Based on these findings, and based on the lack of validity of previous HFD tests, we conclude that practitioners should not rely on HFD tests as a projective measure of intelligence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to verify the validity of the Children Apperception Test (CAT-A) for cognitive assessment of children. The results of CAT-A were correlated with Human Figure Drawing (HFD) and the Rorschach Method. Based on the data of HFD, the sample was composed of 46 children: 32 with low scores and 14 with a higher level of cognition. The Rorschach and the CAT-A were administered individually. The rates of significant correlation between the instruments pointed out for validity evidence for the CAT-A in the assessment of cognition. As for indicators that assess the development level of perception in the CAT-A, it was found some differences between the two groups, denoting convergence between the results of HFD and CAT-A. Thus, the significant correlation of the CAT-A and the two other instruments is an evidence of validity to CAT-A to assess cognitive aspects and allow some advances for its use and for further researches using this technique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Projective tests are used in Psychiatry to understand the unconscious feelings and motives of an individual. The aim of this study was to compare the performance on Human figure drawing test (HFDT) of patients suffering from mania with normal controls. HFDT was administered individually to subjects of both the test and control groups. Analysis of HFDT revealed that impairment scores of mania patients were significantly higher than normal controls. The features that differentiated patients of mania from normal controls were: large size, addition of extraneous objects, unequal arm, teeth showing, nostrils showing, genitalia showing, disheveled hair, heavy lines, and 'developmentally indistinguishable'. The Human Figure Drawing Test can be a useful adjunct to diagnostic testing of patients with mania. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the current study was to examine the effect of clothed and unclothed human figure drawings (HFDs) on children's reports of touch. Eighty 4/5-year-olds and 80 9/10-year-olds participated in a staged event in which measurements of their body parts (e.g. waistline) were taken. Specifically, they were touched on 10 different locations. Immediately or three weeks after the event, they had to report where they had been touched. Half of the children received a clothed HFD while the other half was provided with an unclothed HFD to assist children in their recall. When we compared children's recall before and after the presentation of a HFD, we found that clothed and unclothed HFDs significantly decreased the accuracy of children's reports of touch. So, although children reported more correct touches after the presentation of a HFD, they were also more likely to include more incorrect information in their reports of touch. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research has been planned to compare the "mother figure" drawings of 7-11 year-old girls and boys, who grow up in an institution and with his/her family, in terms of emotional development of these children. The research was conducted on a total number of 400 children between the ages, 200 children in need of protection and 200 children living with their families. In the research, Koppitz's "Draw A Man" technique has been taken into consideration as criteria for determining the level of emotional development. For the analysis of the data, "The Significativeness Test of The Difference Between Two Average" has been used. In the research, the difference between the points taken by mother figure drawings of 7-11-year-old girls and boys, who grow up in an institution and with his/her family, in terms of impulsiveness, the insecurity-feelings of inadequacy, shyness-timidity behavior and the points taken by drawings of 7-11-year-old girls and 10-11-year-old boys in terms of anxiety behavior became significant (p<0.05). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Telos is the property of Revista Telos and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The purpose of this study was to compare the performance on Human figure drawing test (HFDT) between schizophrenic and manic patients. The sample consists of 60 patients (30 each schizophrenia and mania). Two intelligence tests were administered to rule out the possibility of mental retardation. The subjects having IQ above 70 were included in the study and the Human Figure Drawing Test was administered individually. The results indicate significant difference on quantitative and qualitative scoring between the performance of schizophrenic and manic groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Children typically follow a well-defined series of stages as they learn to draw, but the rate at which they progress through these stages varies from child to child. Some experts have argued that these individual differences in drawing development reflect individual differences in intelligence. Here we assessed the validity of a drawing test that is commonly used to assess children’s intellectual abilities. In a single study, 125 5- and 6-year-olds completed the Draw-A-Person: A Quantitative Scoring System (DAP:QSS) and the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence-Revised (WPPSI-R) or the Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence (WASI). Although there was a statistically significant correlation between scores on the DAP:QSS and scores on the Wechsler tests, when the scores of individual children were examined, the DAP:QSS yielded a high number of false positives and false negatives for low intellectual functioning. We conclude that the DAP:QSS is not a valid measure of intellectual ability and should not be used as a screening tool. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Objective. The reliability and validity of Stunkard's Figure Rating Scale (FRS) as a measure of current body size (CBS) was established in Western adolescent girls but not in non-Western population. We examined the validity and test-retest reliability of Stunkard's FRS in assessing CBS among Chinese adolescents. Methods. In a school-based survey in Hong Kong, 5666 adolescents (boys: 45.1%; mean age 14.7 years) provided data on self-reported height and weight, CBS, perceived weight status, and health-related quality of life using the Medical Outcomes Study Short-Form version 2 (SF-12v2). Height and weight were also objectively measured. Spearman's correlation was used to assess construct validity, concurrent validity and test-retest reliability. Results. Convergent and discriminant validity were good: CBS correlated strongly with weight and self-reported/measured BMI, but only weakly with SF-12v2. CBS correlated strongly with perceived weight status, showing concurrent validity. Spearman's correlation ( r) for CBS was 0.78 for girls and 0.72 for boys indicating good test-retest reliability. Validity and reliability results did not differ significantly between senior and junior grade adolescents. Conclusion. Our findings support the use of Stunkard's FRS to measure body size among Chinese adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Projective analytic theory is based on the assumption that deep and often unconscious feelings and motives may be accessed through various means of self expression. The drawing of human figure was seen by Machover as an ideal vehicle for self expression. Various studies reveal the indicators suggestive of various clinical groups, but there is scarcity of studies revealing the profile of normal Indian people. The present study was conducted to prepare a profile of normal Indian people on Human Figure Drawing Test. After screening through GHQ-5, 250 normal participants in the age group of 20 to 40 years with minimum education of 10 years were selected from selected districts of three states of India. Participants were instructed to draw a male and a female human figure on a blank piece of paper. The figures were analyzed on the basis of specific features such as line quality, placement of figure, position of hands and legs, quality of hairs, pattern of clothes etc. The results reveal that most of the drawings were placed on the top. It had heavy or reinforced line. Figures were sophisticated. Hairs were appropriately groomed with clear indication of waist. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]