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Emotional Indicators in Children’s Human Figure Drawings:

An Evolution of the Draw –A- Person Test.

Introduction

HFD test (Human Figure Drawing) is an abbreviated test which was developed several decades

later, with the aim to evaluate various psychological states, such as psychosocial status. It also

refers as Draw-A-Person test (DAP). The practice of using human figure drawings (HFDs) to

assess intellectual and psychological ability is pervasive among psychologists and therapists in

many countries. Draw a Person test is a human figure drawing test which is meant to be

administered to children, and adolescents however at some point it is administered to adults.

The aim of the test is to assess how the child perceives the people around them including the

family and other psychological activities on, interpersonal and cognitive setting. HFD is a

projective test that allows an examinee to respond to questions through drawings. Human Figure

Drawing (HFD) can be applied in various settings from schools, corporate, and private practices

to assess different psychological aspects include: personality, family background, intelligence,

physical and emotional abuse, depression etc.

Fan (2012), asserts that this test is more appropriate when administered to children in grade one

and grade two. The test is used to understand the interaction within the members of the family

and the perception of the patient over their family and the cognitive functioning of the test taker.
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Usually clinicians find these tests to be easily administered, and the common instruction of the

test is structured as “draw a person doing something”.

History of HFD test (Human Figure Drawing)

The first Human Figure Drawing test was created by Florence Goodenough in 1926 to initially

assess intelligence & maturity level in children through a non-verbal task: drawing a person. The

test was meant to be an alternative to traditional intelligence tests and was a non-verbal.

Historically, HFD was developed as a tool that allows assessing the level of intelligence of

children. Actually, much earlier reported numerous clinical findings which it is possible to draw

beyond the level of intelligence. 

The Human Figure Drawing (HFD) was evolved from 1948 authored by Karen Machover. It is

believed that Machover developed the HFD test as an attempt to stimulate the traits, impulses,

conflict, anxieties, compensations, and conflicts compensations characteristic of an individual.

Nagleria, McNeish, and Bardo, (1991), proposed that this test can be used for screening on

children to identify aspects like emotional and behavioral problems. Furthermore in an

educational setting, this test can be used as a portion of the regular Psycho-educational

assessment.

Many psychologists and researchers rely on drawing tests because they believe that the drawings

represents the child expression of thoughts, and because it works on their advantage since the

child perceive the act of drawing as fun. According to Catte (1998), HFD, is based on Luquet’s

theory which asserts that a drawing produced by a child is related to his or her notion of that

drawing and could therefore be used as a measure of mental development.

However Kniel and Kniel (2008), used the HFD to measure intelligence amongst children.
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Furthermore Kubierske (2008) added that development allows children to apply newly learned

abilities which may include motor skills and observational skills. According to Kubierske (2008),

the logic behind the use of Human Figure Drawing (HFD) is built on the perspective that

information about attitude is communicated nonverbally and the current mental state, beliefs and

feelings would influence what is being drawn. Ozer (2010), claims that human figure drawings

can be used in the prediction of children intellectual development and to evaluate the emotions of

the child.

Administration and Scoring of HFD

In beginning, the participant is provided with a pencil and blank sheet of paper and is told to

make the best possible drawing of the whole figure of a man. To include subject’s drawing in the

study it must contain of basic organs (body, head, eyes, mouth, nose, legs, and arms).

A child is free to make the drawing whichever way he/she pleases to there is no right and wrong

type of drawing. The child must draw a whole person each time. The test has no time limit

Advantages of HFD test

 It is the image that helps you understand the psychological condition of the person who

had undergone the test.

 Human Figure Drawing is easy to administer

 HFD/DAP has no strict formats to follow

 This projective test is relatively culture free

 It can assess people with communication problems

 If the tests are unstructured it is easy for the respondents declare their personality

Disadvantages of HFD test

There is some possibility that while studying or researching about this Human Figure Drawing

(HFD), a person can undergo some sorts of disadvantages which can completely change the

outlook of the test.

 It need highly qualified and experienced professionals

 All the terms and elements used in this Human Figure Drawing (HFD) require high
maintenance. 

 Relatively non-verbal but may have some problems during inquiry.

 Human Figure Drawing is conducted to identify all the personality, attitude and human
behavior. Therefore, it is necessary to understand all the external factors of these
projective techniques in terms of their cost and results.

Interpretation of the human figure drawing

An attempt will be made here to analyze HFD according to several different dimensions.

The drawing will be scored two different types of objective signs. One set of signs on HFD is

believed to be primarily related to children age and level of maturation these signs are called

developmental items. The second set of signs is thought to be primarily related to children

attitudes and concerns, these signs are called emotional indicators.

Interpretation of emotional indicators on HFD

The clinical validity of the 30 emotional indicators was demonstrated by showing their

ability to differentiate between the HFD of groups of children with and without various type of

problems. At this time, the emotional indicators on HFD will be analyzed for their specific

meanings. There appears to be consensus among the experts on HFD that no one – to –one

relationship exists between ay single sign on HFD and a definite personality trait or behavior on

part of the boy or girl making the drawing. Anxieties, conflicts or attitudes can be expressed on

HFD in different ways by different children or by one child at different times. It is not possible to

make a meaningful diagnosis or evaluation of a child ‘s behavior or difficulties on the basis of

various signs and indicators could always be considered and should then be analyzed on the basis

of the child’s age , maturation, emotional status , social and cultural background.

Emotional indicators presented earlier along with the results of an investigation of HFD

of brain injured children. Each emotional indicator will be discussed here separately which are as

follows:

1. Poor integration of parts of figure:

Poor integration of parts of figure is a common phenomenon on HFD of young and

immature children. Emotional indicator before age 7 for boys and age 6 for girls. From

then on, poor integration was shown frequently on the HFDs of clinic clients, overly

aggressive children, poor school beginners, special class pupils and most particularly on

the drawings of brain injured youngesters.It did not occur on any of the HFDs of the well

–adjust pupils and the good students.

Poor integration appears to be associated with any one or several of the following:

Instability, a poorly integrated personality, poor coordination, impulsivity. Poor

integration seems to indicate immaturity on the part of the child which may be the results

of a developmental lack, neurological impairment, regression due to serious emotional

disturbance or all of these.

2. Shading:

The degree of shading is thought to be related to the intensity of the anxiety within

the child. Machover’s observation about shading on HFDs is normal for young children

and is not necessarily a sign of psychopathology. But as the children get older, shading

on HFDs takes on considerable diagnostic significance.

 Shading of the face:

Shading of the face on HFDs is quite unusual at any age level and is therefore a

valid emotional indicator for all children age 5 to 12. This indicator was observed mostly

on drawing of clinic clients and on some HFDs of the children who were overly

aggressive and who stole. Two different types of shading of the face were noted. The first

type consisted of shading of the entire face. Shading of the entire face was invariably

produced by seriously disturbed children who were overcome by anxiety and who had a

very poor self-concept. On the second type of HFDs the shading of the face was limited

to only a part of face (the mouth, nose, eyes). Children who exhibited this kind of shading

on their drawings were usually less severely disturbed seems to reflect specific anxieties

about those features that are shaded or about their functions.

 Shading of body and/ or limbs:

Shading of body or limbs is common for girls through age 7 and for boys

through age 8. This item is not considered valid emotional indicator until age 8 and 9

respectively. Shading of body on a HFD reveals body anxiety. But such anxiety is normal

among school beginners who are just becoming aware of bodily differences and of body

functions. Therefore, shading of the body cannot be considered a sign of

psychopathology for this age group. If shading persists up to and beyond the age of 8 for

girls and 9 for boys, then it becomes clinically significant more often on the drawings of

clinical patients of children with psychosomatic complaints and of youngsters who steal.

Shading of arms reflects guilt feelings for aggressive impulses or masturbatory

activity. While arms consistently above in girls at the age of 5 and was only below on 5

year boys drawing. Those children who shade of arms reveals that his or her figure suffer

from anxiety because of some actual or fancied activity he or she engaged in with his

arms. On the other hand, shading of the legs reveals the anxiety about size and physical

growth or concern about sexual impulses.

Shading of hands and/ or neck on HFDs does not become a valid emotional

indicator until age 7 for girls and age 8 for boys. This indicator reveals on those children

who are shy and of aggressive children. While shading the neck reveals the noticeable

struggles to control their impulses. Some youngster managed to maintain a rigid and

precarious control over them as long as they were not exposed too much strain and stress.

3. Gross asymmetry of Limbs:

One arm or leg differs markedly in shape from the other arm or leg. This item

is not scored if arms or legs are similar in shape but just a bit uneven in size. This was

present quite often on the drawings of the clinic patients, the aggressive children, the
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brain injured subjects, and the special class pupils. Gross asymmetry of Limbs seems to

be associated with poor coordination, impulsiveness. It was noted that gross asymmetry

of limbs was exhibited only on HFDs of children who had a history of neurological

malfunctioning and who showed a large number of organic signs on their test protocols.

Asymmetry of limbs is the results of incoordination and poor fine muscle control or the

child’s feeling of not being well coordinated and of being out of balance.

4. Slanting figure:

Vertical axis of figure tilted by 15 degrees or more from the perpendicular.

Between the ages of 2-3 years, child will imitate you drawing a vertical line at about 2

years. Draw different strokes, dots, and circular shapes. Figure slanting 15 0 or more

occurred significant more often on the HFDs of clinic patients, brain injured children,

poor students and special class pupils than on the drawings of good students and well-

adjusted pupils. It was present both on the drawings of both aggressive and shy children,

of youngsters with psychosomatic complaints and those who steal.

Similar observations were made that a toppling figure reflects feelings of

mental imbalance and personality in flux. Slanting figure was observed on HFDs of

children ranging all the way from mildly upset to severely disturbed. A slanting figure on

the drawings of a child seem to indicate an unstable nervous system or a labile

personality, above all it suggests that the child lacks secure footing.

5. Tiny Figure:

Tiny figure are less in height. Tiny figure was found on the HFDs of the clinic

client brain injured children, special class pupils and the shy youngsters. Tiny figures are

rare on drawings of overtly aggressive children. This emotional indicator seems to reflect
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extreme insecurity, withdrawal and depression. While not all depressed and insecure

children draw necessarily tiny figures, it can be assumed with a fair degree of confidence

that children who draw tiny figures are timid, withdrawn and probably depressed. But the

extent of the shyness and depression will not be revealed on the drawing. Some shy

children are able to get along fairly well, whereas others are too depressed or withdrawn

to be able to function adequately at home or in school. Tiny figure drawings indicate

feelings of inadequacy, a shrunken ego, concern over dealing with the environment and

above all depression.

6. Big Figure:

Big figure occurs frequently on HFDs of young children and does not attain

clinical significance until age 8 for both boys and girls. At that age level and thereafter,

big figure were found more often on the drawings of clinic patients, and especially on the

HFDs of youngsters who were aggressive and who stole. Big figure appear to be

associated with expansiveness, immaturity and poor inner controls.

The present findings suggest that the drawing of large figures is less

pathological for children. However, it was noticed that several of the children who

produced large figures were quite immature and had a history of cortical malfunctioning.

7. Transparencies:

Transparencies were revealed significantly more often on the HFDs of the

clinic patients and brain injured children than on the drawings of well – adjusted pupils.

Children who stole and who were overly aggressive drew transparencies more often than

shy youngster and those with psychosomatic complaints. The age of about 5-6 years,

many children have developed a way of drawing the human figure gives the impression
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that it is clothed. It would appear, therefore, that transparencies on the HFDs are

associated with immaturity, impulsivity and acting out behavior.

Two different types of transparencies were noted on the HFDs of children.

Some of the more immature youngsters made the outline of a figure, or a skeleton figure,

first and then drew clothes around the figure. While another group of children made quite

ordinary HFDs but then focused on one particular portion of the figure by means of a

transparency of a specific and limited area. This specific type of transparency is believed

to be akin to shading and indicates anxiety and concern about the particular part of the

body revealed by the transparency.

Transparencies as defined were not normal for school – age children. They are

unusual but not necessarily pathological. This primitive type of transparency is usually

found on the HFDs of impulsive, immature children and on drawings of youngster with

cortical malfunctioning. Further suggest that the drawing of toes within the outline of a

foot or shoe shows pathological aggressiveness. Transparencies of specific body areas are

very definitely not normal on HFDs of school age children. They usually point to acute

anxiety, conflicts, or fear, usually in the area of sex, childbirth. Very often, children who

draw such specific transparencies are in effect asking for information or reassurances

concerning their impulses or experiences.

8. Tiny Head:

Tiny head was found nearly on the HFDs of any of the groups of children tested

in the present studies. But when this emotional indicator did occur, it was exclusively on

drawings of clinic patients and maladjusted children. It is common for pre-school

children to draw the head disproportionately large; however, by age 7 or 8, the head is
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usually drawn objectively proportionate to the body. Tiny head indicate intense feelings

of intellectual inadequacy on the part of the child. Those children who draw a small head

indicate the conscious wish of obsessive- compulsive individuals who want to be more

the control of their brain and long to follow the dictates of their impulses.

References
Koppitz, E.M. (1966).Emotional indicators on Human Figure Drawings of shy and aggressive
children. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 22, 466-469.
Koppitz, E.M. (1966).Emotional indicators on Human Figure Drawings of children: A validation
study. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 22,313-315.
Koppitz, E.M. (1968).Psychological Evaluation of Children’s Human Figure Drawings.
New York: Grune & Stratton.
Koppitz, E.M. (1984). Psychological Evaluation of Children’s Human Figure Drawings by
middle school pupils. Orlando, FL., Gune &Stratton.
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