Aim of this lecture is to discuss HFD- as a technique for the assessment of Personality, with a brief review of Test , Types of Psychological Tests & Techniques.

1. FORCES INSTITUTE OF BEHAVIOURAL SCIENCES &
ADVANCED RESEARCH (FIBSAR)
KP ABBOTTABAD Pakistan
CONTACT : Mobile: 0333 5950 315 & 0311 0376122
PERSONALITY ANALYSIS
USING HUMAN FIGURE
DRAWING TEST (HFD)
Dr Tahir Pervez

2. 2
Aim of this lecture is to discuss
HFD- as a technique for the
assessment of Personality
With a brief review of Test , Types
of Psychological Tests & Techniques
AIM

3. Test is an instrument to measure
the sample of individual’s behavior
understudy
Test ?

4. Psychological
Tests
??
4

5.  A psychological test is a standardized measure of a
sample of a person’s behavior
 used to measure:
 The individual differences that exist among the
people
The personality traits of an individual
The various features of the personality to make some
decisions about the individual

6. To be Objective
 To be reliable & Valid
To be Standardized
Must be used & analyzed by experts

7. Psychological tests
 Reveals signs / indicators of reasonably stable
traits that determine individual’s behaviour
which define their personality type; such as :
 Adjusted, Maladjusted, Depressive -
Optimistic
 Introversion- Extroversion,
Obsessive -Compulsive
Anxious & Impulsive
Hostility/ vindictive & ….etc
Honest – Dishonest
Sadist – Nurturance
7

8. Psychological tests- USE
 All Psych Tests, especially projective
techniques can be used personnel selection
or placement for specific appointments;
Conditioned to administer properly and
analyzed with required professional maturity
For example
 Selection of Army personnel is heavily
based upon the projective techniques
8

9. Psychological tests- USE
 For example
 2nd best use of these tests is by health
professionals i.e., by clinical psychologist all
over the world
In Pakistan various Institutes of clinical
Psychology are providing advance training
to their students
However, some times the use of these
testing techniques and analysis is not made
as per defined standards and procedures
9

10. Types
?
10

11. Psychological Tests
Psychologic
al Testing
Projective
Non
Projective

12. Psychological
Tests
• stimulus are
ambiguous
• Why
Projective
Test

13. Projective Hypothesis
• All the projective techniques has been
designed on the philosophy of Projection:
In response to ambiguous or vague stimulus
Individual reflects his/ her unfulfilled needs,
emotions, experiences, hidden manifestations.
his deep-rooted pattern of conscious and
unconscious needs, fears, desires, impulses,
conflicts, regrets – all which he/she wants to hide
13

14. PROJECTIVE TESTS-
Rationale
 The more unstructured is the stimuli, the more
examinee reveals about his personality.
 Every minor response provides meaning for
personality analysis
 reveals his/her “unconscious trauma ”….
 Individual remains unaware of what he /she has
disclosed
14

15. PROJECTIVE TESTS- Rationale
 By Virtue of Characteristics of Projective Tests
Individual fail to hide his her real self ….
 PROJECTIVE TESTS are capable to reveal
indicators of individuals personality
 To draw the Inferences /conclusions are heavily
depend on the maturity and professional
expertises of Clinical Psychologist or user the
Psychologists
15

16. HFD
History
 This test was originally Developed by Florence
Goodenough in 1926
She used it to Supplement the Stanford- Binet
Intelligence test with a nonverbal Measure
 In 1949, KAREN MACHOVER Developed It As Draw-
A Person Test (DAP) & used it AS A PERSONALITY
ASSESSMENT
16

17. HFD- Research
• It is consistently been rated as among the 10
most frequently used assessment techniques
(Lubin, Larson, & Matarazzo, 1984; Watkins, Campbell,
1995)
 Drawings reveal; unconscious of the individuals
, level of mental health, hidden trait of
personality
 which otherwise remain hidden on other tests
17

18. • It is consistently been rated as among the 10
most frequently used assessment
techniques (Lubin, Larson, & Matarazzo, 1984;
Watkins, Campbell, 1995)
 It is not easy for the subjects to create a
desired impression (Lindzey, 1961).
 Or Faking Good :
(A person or thing that appears or is
presented as being genuine but is not)
18
HFD- Research

19. HFD
• APPLICATION
 An Individual is provided 2 A-4 blank sheets
and lead pencil
 Asked to draw a person male or female on
single sheet, in any way that he or she wishes
 Then individual is instructed to draw 2nd
drawing of opposite sex than the 1st one
 No time limit for the test
19

20. HFD
INTERPRETATION
(Machover)
20

21. Interpretation
 For Interpretation, tactful inquiry after
completion of HFD is very important
 Rather psychologist should add one or two
other projective techniques for more valid
and conclusive analysis
21

22. HFD
Rationale for Analysis
Drawing by well adjusted individuals are
‘prominently similar’
Drawings made by the emotionally disturbed
individuals are ‘strikingly different’ from the
well adjusted individuals (Dileo, 1973)
22

23. HFD – Interpretation
Normal succession in
drawing with balance
Absence of thought
disorder; adequate
reality contact, Adaptability
Large shoulders hands / teeth
/ claw finger/ long arms/ fist /
teeth
Un healthy aggression
short arms shyness.
feminine features—such as
long eyelashes / thin waste
darkly coloured
sex-role confusion
Poor integration of parts Emotional Disturbances/
psychosis 23

24. Interpretation
Head:
 The head is the centre for intellectual power,
social balance, and control over impulses.
 disproportionate head suggests
 that the subject is having difficulty in one mental
functioning
Also indicators of; brain damage, severe
headaches, or other sensitivity of the head.
24
HFD

25. • Large Head:
• Fantasies , paranoid, narcissistic,
intellectually righteous, ; anything having to
do with a inflated ego
• Small head- feelings of weakness and
intellectual Inferiority
• Long hair- ambivalent sexual fantasies
• Tiny eyes- strong visual curiosity
25
HFD

26. • Neck:
 The neck often represent the connection
between the head and the body
 An underemphasise may represent one’s
disharmony between mind and body
 Suggest schizophrenia
 feelings of Physical inadequacy
 No neck indicate rigidity , poor control over
impulses 26
HFD

27. Interpretation
 Large ears- hypersensitivity to criticisms /
suspicious
 Triangle nose- immaturity
 Pointed nose- possible acting out tendencies
 Tiny mouth- denial of oral dependent needs
 Hands behind the back- possibly guilt
feelings for manual activity
27

28. Tiny feet- insecurity
High heel shoes- possible homosexual
tendencies
Stick figure- possible depression
Opposite sex drawn first- conflict with
sexual Identification
Large figure –overambitious , grandiousity
28
Interpretation

29. Few important indications on HFD
 Drawing at the right,
 unclothed body,
hand near the
genitals,
 hand hidden in a
pocket,
 large nose and
moustache
 Legs tightly closed
/joined
 Signs of guilt , to be
abused sexual/ trauma
Or involvement unhealthy
activities
 Overambitious
29

30. Signs of Lust for bodly Needs
& poor control over sexual Impulse
Reinforcement,
 Long nose,
 Large head,
 Legs wide apart,
 Too much hair,
 Waist line emphasis,
 Slash mouth,
 Long feet,
30

31. Few sample Drawings of Pakistani
Culture –
• Drawings of non clinical, normal Students
• Drawings indicates that individuals who are
apparently normal may possess unhealthy
depositions
31

32. 32
Unhealthy Aggression
Rigid
Low insight
Deprivations
Immature
Behavioral issues
Socially vindictive &
Sadist


33. 33
Unhealthy Agg
Sadistic attitude
Suspicious
Inconsistent
Lacks confidence
Socially vindictive & Sadist
Disturbed social relations
Dominated animal instincts
i.e. poor control over his
biological impulses
 lacks nurturance

34. 34
Withdrawal from
reality
schizoid
Deep rooted
deprivation
Feeling of decline,
(associated with
masturbatory guilt)

35. 35

36. 36
Check your Assessment
using manual

37. Scope
• It measure reliably
Psyh adjustment (Maloney & Glasser, 1982;
McNeish & Naglieri, 1993)
Cognitive maturity (Chappell & Steitz, 1993)
impulsiveness (Oas, 1984)
the presence of organic impairment
(McLachlan & Head, 1974)
37

38. 38
 Easy to administer
 No strict formats
 Relatively culture free
 Can assess people with
Communication problems
ADVANTAGES

39. DISADVANTAGES
Restricted amount of hypothesis can be
developed.
Relatively non- verbal but, may have
some problems during post test inquiry
39

40. FORCES INSTITUTE OF BEHAVIOURAL SCIENCES &
ADVANCED RESEARCH (FIBSAR)
KP ABBOTTABAD Pakistan
CONTACT : Mobile: 0333 5950 315 & 0311 0376122
Dr Tahir Pervez

41. References
• Machover, K. (1949). Personality projection: in the
drawing of a human figure. Springfield, IL: Charles C
Thomas Publisher.
• Plubrukarn, R, Theeramanoparp, S. (2003). Human
figure drawing test: validity in assessing intelligence
in children aged 3-10 years. J Med Assoc Thailand.
86 Suppl 3:S610-7.
41

42. END
42