J Korean Med Assoc.  2003 Apr;46(4):335-344. 10.5124/jkma.2003.46.4.335.

Understanding of children Through Dravings

Affiliations
  • 1Division of Child-Adolescent Psychiatry, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul National University Children Hospital, Korea. shinms@snu.ac.kr

Abstract

The world-wide universal language of children is drawing. This non-verbal language gives us an insight into how children see, feel, and think about the world around them. For children younger than age 11, drawing is a very effective window through which they can express and reflect their wishes, emotions, thoughts and concerns. Drawing is useful for all children, including those too young to have yet developed language skills. This tool is equally effective when working with children who have been diagnosed with communication disorders. This paper reviews the historical background of the development of the drawing test as a diagnostic tool. In addition, the characteristics of drawings are reviewed according to the stage of child development. Even though a projective drawing gives us lots of hypothetical information regarding a child's internal psychological and emotional state, it is not a formal psychological test in a strict sense. Therefore, it is inaccurate to reach a conclusion about children's psychological problems based only on clues from a drawing. Moreover, it is important to get additional information through means such as post-drawing inquiry and interviews with family members.

Keyword

Projective drawing; House-Tree-Person Test; Kinetic Family Drawing

MeSH Terms

Child Development
Child*
Communication Disorders
Humans
Psychological Tests

Figure

  • Figure 1

  • Figure 2

  • Figure 3

  • Figure 4

  • Figure 5


Reference

1. Goodenough F. Measurement of intelligence by drawings. 1926. New York: Harcourt, Brace, & World.
2. Buck J. The House-Tree-Person technique. 1948. Los Angles: Western Psychological Services.
3. Machover K. Personality projection in the drawing of the human figure. 1949. Springfield, II: Charles C Thomas.
4. Buck J. The House-Tree-Person technique. Revised manual. 1966. Los Angles: Western Psychological Services.
5. Koppitz E. Psychological evaluation of human figure drawings. 1968. New York: Grune & Stratton.
6. Di Leo JH. Children's Drawing as Diagnostic Aids. 1973. New York: Brunner/Mazel.
7. Burns RC, Kaufman SH. Actions, Styles, and Symbols in Kinetic Family Drawings(K-F-D): An Interpretive Manual. 1972. New York: Bruner/Mazel.
8. Verinis JS, Lichenberg EF, Henrich L. The Draw-a-Person in the rain technique: Its relationship to diagnostic category and other personality indicators. J Clin psychol. 1974. 30:407–414.
Article
9. Piaget J. Psychology and epistemology. 1971. New York: Grossman.
10. Piotrowski I, Soberski M. The primitive. Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism. 1941. winter:12–20.
11. Wolff W. The personality of the preschool child. 1946. New York: Grune & Stratton.
12. Read H. Art and Society. 1966. New York: Schocken Books.
Full Text Links
  • JKMA
Actions
Cited
CITED
export Copy
Close
Share
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
Similar articles
Copyright © 2024 by Korean Association of Medical Journal Editors. All rights reserved.     E-mail: koreamed@kamje.or.kr