A study of children’s drawings of the human figure (An investigation of the theory that the social adjustment of children is revealed in their drawings of the human figure.)

87 Pages·03.635 MB·English

by  Lane, Russella Jacqueline

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A STUDY OF CHILDREN'S DRAWINGS OF THE HUMAN FIGURE
(An investigation of the theory that the sooial adjustment
of children is revealed in their drawings of the human
figure.)
RUSSELLA JACQUELINE LANE
Submitted in partial fulfillment
of the requirements for the degree of
MASTER OF ARTS
FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES
THE UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN ONTARIO
1950
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UMI Number: EC54085
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ACKH01/i/LEDGE5vIENT S
This study was made possible through the
kind . co-operation of Dr. Wheable, Superintendent of
Schools? London, Ontario, and the principals of the
schools visited. The writer is also indebted to Miss
Sally button, London School Psychologist, for the in­
formation she made available and to the teachers who
offered their time to fill out the teachers’ rating scales.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Pag©
X Introduction
IX Review of Literature ««•»••» X
-ConcXusions
-The Present Study
XXX Procedure ..... XI
-Subjects
'-Criteria of Adjustment
-Administration of Tests
-Selection of groups
-Description of Groups
-Administration of the
Draw a Man Test
-SoDwing the Drawings
XT Findings.............. 20
T Discussion of Findings ••••» 27
TX ConcXusions ...... 30
TXX Summary teWwok).. • •... 3X
TXXX BihXiography ....... 32
XI Appendix •«•••»,•••••••***<>« 33
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*• INTRODUCTION
During the past two decades psychological
interest in various kinds of projective techniques
has become widespread. Recently the attention of a
number of investigators has turned to the study of
drawings of the human figure, assuming that the per­
sonality traits of the subject might be revealed in
such products.
In 1949, Karen Machover published a book en­
titled "Personality Projection in the Drawings of the
Human Figure". Here she attempted to provide evidence
which would support the thesis that "there is an in­
timate relationship between the human figure drawn
and the personality of the individual who does the
drawing". (12 p.15) She devised and described a method
of analyzing and interpreting the drawings•
The purpose of the present study is to test the
validity of Machover1s general thesis with respect to
the drawings of a group of children. The drawings of a
man made by a group of socially maladjusted children are
compared with such drawings made by a group of socially
well-adjusted children, and differentiating characteristics
sought.
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REVIEW OF LITERATURE
The notion that children express certain as­
pects of their personality in their art work has "been
suggested not only by psychologists and psychiatrists,
but bjr artists and educators. The latter have, on occ­
asion, been led to believe that drawings produced in the
classroom are frequently influenced more by the interests
of the child than by his technical skill, native ability or
intelligence. Certain psychologists and psychiatrists have
attempted in clinical practice to use interpretations of the
drawings of their patients as an aid in diagnosis and treat­
ment.
Educationalists first undertook careful studies of
children's drawings when they attempted to establish stand­
ards by which achievement after training might be judged.
Cohen (7) developed a scale by which excellence of drawings
and rate of improvement might be measured* He pointed out
that it was difficult to judge a drawing unless the purpose
of the subj ect doing the drawing was known. He felt that
there were two connotations of the term 'drawing4 which
should be clearly distinguished.
"There is first, the drawing which is del­
ineation or an attempt at delineation.
Drawings in this sense aim,: at indicating
the outer boundaries of surfaces, the out­
lines of objects and parts of objects, at
abstracting the edges from the surfaces. ..it
is not selective. ..as soon, however, as in-
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tent ion or design (in its original mean­
ing) or purpose beyond mere recording of
fact becomes a motive, it is still called
a drawing, but it is as far removed from
what we here term delineation as the pro­
cess of thinking is removed from the ac­
tivity of name-matching." (7 p.137)
If one could know more about the child’s idea of his own
drawing, how nearly it represents what he started out to
draw, and how indebted he is to outside sources - if draw­
ings could tell us these things, then^contends Cohen, the
"Use of objective criteria for determining
merit would require no justification." (7 p.148)
He concludes that drawing scales are too concerned with the
drawings themselves, rather than with the drawing process­
es.
Trude Schmidl-Waehner (18) also tried to sort out
formal criteria for use in analysing children’s drawings•
She observed the art habits of children, allowing them
practically unlimited choice of material and subject matter
Ho attempt was made to draw up a scoring scale. However,
she made some interesting observations on size and motion
elements in the drawings and offered her speculations con-
cerning their possible implications. She found that child­
ren preferred to make large drawings
"unless their energy output was very small.
It seems .. that small sizes are more sig­
nificant for reduced aggression than are
large ones for increased aggression." (18 p.96)
Although she found the motion element in the picture diff­
icult to measure, Schmidl-Waehner ixaa this to say,
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