MANCHOVER TEST

Technical sheet of the human figure test

 Author: Karen Machover
 Classification: projective test
 Application: individual or collective
 Age: from 7 years
 Material: 2 sheets of white paper and pencil
 Time: approximately 20 minutes

What does the human figure test measure?

What does the human figure drawing test evaluate? What is the Machover test for?
“Personality,” says Karen Machover, “does not develop in a vacuum, but through the
movement, feeling and thinking of a given body.”
Graphic-projective methods were born thanks to the need to explore the motivations of
behaviors that cannot be manifested through direct communication between people. These
methods are better known as projective techniques or tests. An intense experience has
shown that drawings of the human figure represent a deep and intimate expression of the
personality of the drawer. When a subject tries to “draw a person”, they must solve
different problems and difficulties by looking for a model within their reach.

How Karen Machover's human figure test is applied

The Machover test can be applied to boys, girls, adolescents, women and men . The
person is asked to draw a whole person . If you draw just the head you are kindly asked to
complete your drawing. If he is reluctant to draw, it is explained to him that the drawing
only has to do with a psychological test and not with the quality of the drawing. It is
important to note the order that the drawing sequence follows, that is, which part of the
figure comes first and which comes last.
The second part of the drawing has to do with “associations”. The examiner takes the
drawing and says: "Okay, now let's see if we can make up a story about this person as if
he were a character from a theater or a novel." Depending on the subject's age, several
questions will be asked about the subject that have to do with the patient's attitudes toward
themselves and others. The information obtained in these associations is of great clinical
value and should not be ignored in order to interpret drawings.
How to interpret Karen Machover's human figure test
The basic assumption verified by clinical experience is that the drawn human figure is in
intimate relationship with the impulses, anxieties, conflicts and compensations
characteristic of the individual. In a sense, the figure drawn is the same person. For
example, if in a drawing a person erases the arms and changes their position, it means that
they do not know what to do with their own arms. Next, we show other aspects about the
interpretation of the drawn human figure .
Human figure
 According to their sex; indicates that they identify with and stereotype the behaviors of
their sex.
 Not according to their sex; indicates conflicts or ambivalence in sexual identification.
 If it is a profile figure; indicates an evasion of the environment and problems with the
environment.
 The figure in front; It indicates a desire to confront the demands of the environment, it is
frank and it is socially stable.
 If you have a background; indicates a need for support to reduce concern or anxiety about
conflicts with the environment.
Figure size
 If it is large, it will indicate an exaltation of the ego, an undervaluation of the environment,
a propensity for fantasy and internal self-control.
 If it is normal, with a height of 12 to 20 cm. Approximately, it will indicate emotional
balance.
 If it is small, it indicates overvaluation of the environment, possible concealment, going
unnoticed by the environment and a submissive reaction.
Drawing symmetry
 Excess symmetry can be interpreted as rigidity.
 The rigidity of the drawing can manifest itself as a defense against the environment.
 Very symmetrical drawings indicate perfectionism and exhibitionism.
Figure position
 If it is located at the top of the page, it indicates insecurity with a tendency to withdraw
and act out fantasy.
 If it is below, it will indicate pessimism, insecurity , a tendency toward depression, and the
presence of little physical activity.
 If it is on the right, it indicates problems with authority, negativism and resistance to
change.
 If it is on the left it will indicate inhibition, it also manifests insecurity, avoidance and
introversion.
 If it is in the upper left part, it reveals a tendency to withdraw from the environment, a
need for support and emotionality.
 If it is in the upper right part, it reveals the ability to actively confront the environment.
 If it is in the lower left part, it shows possible fixations with the conflicts that occurred in
previous stages.
 If it is in the lower right part, it shows the will and capacity for discipline, but at the same
time, stubbornness.
 If it is centered, and in the middle of the leaf, it indicates emotional balance, ease of
adapting to the environment, and making positive decisions.
Drawing theme
 You should investigate whether the drawn figure is a stereotype, a specific person or an
image of yourself.
 If a ridiculous character is drawn as a representation of a person, it will indicate avoidance
of feelings of physical inferiority. These are usually smaller figures and will be towards
the introverted (left) side of the page.
 If the figure drawn is older, it could indicate identification with the parents.
 The content implied by the details of the body and the arrangement of the figure's clothing
are interpreted according to the meaning given to them.
Interpretation of a drawing of a person: the face
It is the most expressive part of the body , generally, it is the first thing that is drawn of a
person. It is the social aspect par excellence of the drawing and the center of
communication and must be proportional.
The person who omits facial features indicates an aggressive delineation to his
environment, and is evasive regarding his character in relationships with those around him.
If facial features are omitted it indicates that your relationships with people are poor and
hostile.
Shy people darken their facial features, and outline their head to a greater extent, giving
importance to the “SELF” and a tendency to repress social participation.
Giving exaggerated emphasis to facial features indicates fantasies compensated with
aggression and dominance.
Facial expression
 It is one of the characteristics of drawing that is judged directly with considerable
confidence. The most frequently marked lines are found in the area of the nasolabial fold
and on the forehead.
 The large number of variants places individual facial features as one of the main sources in
the content analysis.
 The subjects unconsciously give the figure an expression of fear, surprise, aggression,
admiration, etc.
Mouth
 The mouth appears in children's drawings almost as early as the head.
 If the mouth is very emphasized, it manifests being verbally aggressive and a tendency to
become easily irritated.
 With forced smiles he indicates that he wants to please or have forced sympathy.
 If it has teeth it indicates aggression.
 If the language is drawn, orality is intensified at a more primitive level.
 If it has full lips it indicates effeminacy.
 If your beard is emphasized, it indicates that you have dominance tendencies and decision
problems.
 If the mouth is omitted, it indicates communication problems with your environment and
shyness.
 If the mouth is excessively marked, it can express a whim towards food, indecent language
and bad mood.
 If the mouth is drawn with a thick broken line, it indicates aggression.
 If the mouth is in the shape of a wide line and turned upward, giving the shape of a clown's
mouth making faces, it indicates that one wants people's approval, or an inappropriate
affection, its meaning depending on other aspects of the drawing.
The lips
 The lips contribute to the tone of facial expression. If they are thick on the male figure, it
is considered a trait of effeminacy.
 A somewhat more complex way to demonstrate interest in the oral erotic zone is to include
a cigarette, pipe, etc. in the drawing.
Chin
The chin is an area that is given little importance, however it has it, it is often symbolic
when it is accentuated, erased, shading this region can indicate a strong tendency to be
socially powerful, aggressive and dominant.
The eyes
 The eyes concentrate the social function of social communication, they are the basic organ
for contact with the outside world.
 The eyes serve to warn the individual of the threatening elements that surround them.
 If they are large, they tend towards extroversion, hypersensitivity to social opinion and
aggression problems. If they are small, it indicates introversion problems.
 If the pupils do not appear in the eyes, it indicates introversion and egocentrism problems.
Furthermore, he perceives the world vaguely, with little discrimination of details.
 If you draw them closed, it indicates a tendency to deviate from reality, they close
themselves off from the world with the purpose of isolating themselves in their own
narcissism.
 If they are provided, it does not show any type of conflict.
 The penetrating eye indicates a socially aggressive attitude.
 A large, dark, pointed, or threatening eye indicates hostility or suspicion.
 There are differences; Women draw their eyes larger and more elaborate than men.
 Drawing an empty eye indicates emotional immaturity.
Hair
 Hair is related to sexuality.
 If hair is abundant, it indicates narcissistic tendencies, a desire for virility and vitality.
 If it is excessively shaded it indicates aggressiveness.
 If it is omitted, it indicates little physical activity.
 Its emphasis on the head, chest, beard or mustache indicates a strength in virility.
Nose
 The nose in the drawings is considered to have a sexual meaning.
 If the nose is too elaborate it can be interpreted as extreme attention to opinion and
sensitivity.
 Shadowed or cut nose indicates internal fears.
 If the nostrils are very marked and open, it is considered a specific accent of aggression.
 Ears
Ears usually have little importance in normal drawings, they are often omitted. However,
when it is given a prominent role in the drawing because it is too large, transparency
through the hair, shading, it can indicate that it has had a special importance for the drawer;
It may be overly sensitive to criticism or social opinion, or it may reflect a notable social
deficiency.
The neck
 The neck is a last indicator that children draw. When it is of a proportionate size, it
indicates that you manage your mood well.
 If the neck is short and wide, it indicates problems with the environment and stubbornness.
 If the neck is long it indicates rigidity in behavior, formality and moralism, as well as
problems interacting.
 If it is long and thin, it indicates feelings of weakness and problems managing impulses.
 The omission of the neck indicates immaturity in children's drawings and poor ability to
manage impulses.
Interpretation of the human figure test: the body
The image of the body changes due to physical or mental illness, with frustrations,
adaptation disorders, etc. Movements or contacts with the outside world give unity to the
body image. People who have experienced problems in their mobility or in their contacts
with the outside are tied to the perceptions and sensations derived from their own bodies,
they can project an elaborate expression of the activity of their inner fantasy; or lacking
those active compensations of their fantasies, they can draw an empty, vegetative,
regressive and sometimes even silly figure, reducing the image of the personality to the
most crude and essential.
Children and young people show more movement and tend to project socio-heroic
stereotypes, because they have more fantasy.
The arms
The arms usually have a great relationship with the development of the self and adaptation.
In general, the direction and flow of the lines of the arms are related to the degree and
spontaneity of interpersonal contact within their environment, but it is also important to
observe the direction and type of drawing of the drawing to understand it.
 Arms appear in children's drawings from a very early age.
 If the arms are vigorous and extended, it indicates being an ambitious and aggressive
person.
 If they are attached to the body, it indicates being a defensive person and having problems
interacting with their environment.
 If they are very large, it indicates the need for protection.
 If you have a muscular emphasis you tend to be an aggressive person with a desire for
physical power.
 If they are short, it indicates a lack of ambition, with feelings of inferiority in their
environment.
 If they are in the shape of jugs, it indicates being a person who tends to be anarchic and
arrogant towards weak people.
 If they are very extensive, it indicates being a person who appears to be simple, withdrawn
and without affection.
 If the arms are stiff at the sides, it indicates rigidity with their social environment.
 If they are shaded, it indicates anxiety regarding social contact.
 If the arms are very reinforced, it indicates a tendency towards aggressiveness and desire
for power.
 If they are bent, they indicate a hostile attitude and feeling of rejection.
 If they are relaxed and flexible, it indicates being a normal person.
 If they are omitted in the drawing of the opposite sex, it indicates a feeling of rejection by
the opposite sex.
 If the arms are drawn in simple dimensions and appear fragile or consumed, they indicate
deficiency and weakness of their physical reality.
 The omission of the arms should never be taken as a casual oversight. Without arms
indicates conflict with others.
 Extremely long arms are associated with ambition.
Hands
 Functionally they are related to the Self and social adaptation.
 The hands are the most commonly omitted feature and then the feet.
 If they are blurred, it indicates a lack of confidence in yourself and in doing any work.
 If they are shaded, it indicates anxiety in social contact activity, aggressiveness and
impulsivity. If they appear strongly shaded, they indicate guilt.
 They can be placed behind the back in an evasive manner.
 If they are very small, it indicates a lack of contact with people.
 If they are in the pockets it indicates problems with authority.
 If they are in the shape of mittens, it indicates aggressive repression.
 Excessive size in the hands indicates some compensation for weakness, or reaction against
some improper use of them. If they are very large, it indicates having problems with their
environment.
The fingers
 They are very important for being the point of contact with their social environment.
 In children, fingers usually appear before hands.
 Short, round fingers indicate poor manual dexterity.
 If the fingers are very shaded or forced, they indicate guilt.
 The hand with the fingers carefully articulated, but closed by a line, expresses aggression.
 Elongated fingers indicate aggressiveness. Another expression of aggression is seen in
drawings with fingers projecting like claws.
The legs
 The legs, like the feet, are a source of difficulty in many drawings.
 The person who is confined to bed, the depressed, the disillusioned, or the physically
disabled may show resistance to drawing legs and feet.
 In children with developmental disorders, large bodies with small, thin legs are observed,
as an expression of a feeling of decline or deficiency.
 If they are emphasized, it indicates depressive problems.
 If they are very long it indicates autonomy.
 If they are very short, it indicates that they do not know how to make their own decisions.
 If they are very reinforced, it indicates a tendency towards aggressiveness.
 If they are unequal, it indicates a need for independence.
 If they are very close together, it indicates being very rigid in their social environment.
feet and shoes
 Women tend to draw small feet and men large feet.
 If they are highly emphasized, it indicates aggressive tendencies.
 If they are barefoot it indicates a sign of aggression.
 If they are elongated, it indicates being an insecure person and therefore will have conflicts
when making decisions.
 If they are small, it indicates insecurity and dependence.
 If they are omitted it indicates independence.
 The foot also refers to personal safety, it also has aggressive implications that stem from
its function of propelling and driving the body forward and as an instrument of attack
(kicking).
The log
 The trunk is often limited to a square, round, etc. unit.
 If it is round it indicates a less aggressive personality
 If it is wide and fat it indicates that one is projecting oneself.
 If it is very small and thin, it indicates a feeling of inferiority.
 If it is very large, it indicates that you have a lot of desire to improve.
 When it is more angular it indicates being more masculine.
 The especially thin body, as a representation of one's own sex, is usually indicative of
discontent with one's own body and also appears as compensation through an unpleasant
roundness of the figure.
The chest
 The chest usually presents greater interest when it is shadowed, with erasures, these are
symptoms that correspond to sexually immature men.
 The breast is commonly accentuated in the context of people who have a strong and
powerful image of the mother, both in the drawings of men and women.
 Excessively large shoulders are found in ambivalent subjects, from a sexual point of view,
as an overcompensation for feelings of inadequacy.
Interpretation of the human figure test: clothing
 Body image can be increased, altered or improved by clothing.
There are two types of individuals who care about clothing: those who dress the figure in
too much detail (dress narcissists) and those who draw half naked, marking the muscles
(body narcissists). Both groups are immature and have egocentric emotionality.
The buttons
 Buttons are frequently seen in the representations of immature and dependent individuals
and have a general obsessive-type character.
 The emphasis on buttons occurs especially in children, and even more so in men.
 They are used as indicative of clothing.
 The buttons are related to the attitude of maternal dependence.
The pockets
 Like buttons, boys put emphasis on pockets.
 If a child in the process of growing draws a large pocket full of sweets, it is an indication
of a self in full development and a certain maturity appropriate to his age.
 Pockets are also used by children as an expression of struggle for virility that antagonizes
emotional dependence on the mother.
Conflict indicators according to the Machover test
The most important thing is erasing and shading. Deletions usually occur in obsessive-
compulsive neurotics. The tendency to erase is considered an expression of anxiety, but
they differ from shadowing in that they demonstrate conscious dissatisfaction.
Motor restlessness is a common symptom in people who use erasers a lot. Strong and
vigorous scratching also usually represents a form of aggressiveness and is often found in
children.
This article is merely informative, at Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make
a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your
particular case.
If you want to read more articles similar to Human Figure Drawing Test , we recommend
that you enter our Personality Test category.
Bibliography
 Scribe, J. M. (1976). Test of the human figure by Karen Machover (practical assessment
manual).
 Hammer, E. F., Bernstein, J., & Brodesky, A. (1969). Graphic projective tests . Buenos
Aires: Paidós.
 Machover, K. (1963). Drawing the Human Figure: A method of investigating personality.
Projective techniques of psychological diagnosis, Anderson and Anderson. Madrid, Rialp.