INTERPRETATION

INTERPRETATIVE CONCEPTS
CHECKLIST
Review the Normal Features section of the list and encircle Y for those that apply to each
drawing:
Y/N time 10-12 minutes, latency < 30 seconds
Y/N Few erasures
Y/N Symmetrical
Y/N Lines nlt sketched or overemphasized
Y/N Deficiencies accepted with good humor
SCORING
•The Post-Drawing Interrogation form consists of 60 questions varying from direct and
concrete to indirect and abstract. 
•Once the Post-Drawing Interrogation form has been administered and the interview has been
completed, the examiner records items of detail, proportion, and perspective in the Scoring
Folder.
•After completing the scoring tables, the examiner derives an IQ figure for the percentage of
raw G, a net weighted score, a weighted" good" score, and a weighted "flaw" sore, which
then comprise the items for the profile configuration.
GENERAL DRAWING
CHARACTERISTICS
•Attitude
A. Through eager acceptance to hyperegotism
B. Though indifference, defeatism, and abandonment to frank rejection. Refusal to draw.
C. Maladjustments and difficulties with interpersonal relationship
D. Human figure are more associated with the conscious level
E. Acute body awareness makes poorly adjuncted individual uncomfortable

•Time
• Must be justified on the details and method; unusually quick means getting rid of the task
GENERAL DRAWING
CHARACTERISTICS
•Criticalness and Erasing – view of own work (presence of emotional/organic process)
“I was never taught to draw” ; “This is all out of proportion”
Self-Criticism –
1. A hands overt of an incomplete drawing with resumption of the drawing elsewhere on the drawing from
page, without erasure of the abandonment of drawing.
2. Erasure without attempt to redraw (strong conflict), can produce detail once but not twice.
3. Erasure with redrawing. If then redrawing results in improvement, it is a favourable sign. It may,
however indicate pathology if the if the attempts at connection represent hypermeticulousness, a futile
attempts to attain perfection, or if erasure is followed by deterioration of quality. Implies strong
emotional reaction to the object drawn or its symbolic meaning, or the presence of organic deterioration
or both.
4. Resistant to redraw suggest conflict

 
GENERAL DRAWING
CHARACTERISTICS
•Comments
• Need to structure the situation as completely as possible, or a compulsive need to
compensate for an obsessive idea or feeling activated by something in the drawing.
Verbalization, suppressed during the interview
GENERAL DRAWING FEATURE
The proportion, perspective, and details in a drawing are general characteristics that
can provide information about the functioning of an individual in the context of their
expected level of functioning. Adequate and appropriate detailing is the earliest to
stabilize developmentally, next is the ability to represent realistic proportions, and
third is the ability to recognize and represent the need for perspective.
GENERAL DRAWING FEATURE
•Proportion - reveals the values assigned to the object, situation and persons by the
individual ability to assign objective values to elements of reality and to make
judgments easily and flexibility.
• Drawn image to drawing form , (1/3 to 2/3) small – inadequacy, withdrawal, rejection; large –
frustration, hostility to the environment and egocentricism.

•Details to drawn image - larger size implies over concern and preoccupation with
the item symbolizes for the individual producing the drawing. A detail of smaller
than average size usually implies rejection or a desire to reject what the item may
symbolize for the individual.
GENERAL DRAWING FEATURE
Perspective - individual’s insight
• Horizontal placement, left - impulsive and
seek immediate, frank, and motional
satisfaction of his or her needs and drives.
Concern with past.
• Right: stable, rigid - willing to delay the
satisfaction of immediate needs and drive;
and to prefer intellectual to emotional
satisfaction.
• Vertical placement, below – insecurity and
inadequacy leading to a depressed mood.
• Central – rigid in compensating anxiety and
insecurity.
• Page turning – negativistic and aggressive
tendencies
• Page quadrants – 1st upper left (regression)
and deteriorated psychotic or organic
individuals, conceptual maturity.
• Page edges – paper choppy, unwillingness to
draw because if unpleasant associations.
Organic damage. Below the proper
suppression to maintain integrity. Left-
fixation or part and fear of the future. Paper
edging – fantasy as source of satisfaction.
Side edges – insecurity and constriction
bottom edges, depression.
GENERAL DRAWING FEATURE
Perspective - individual’s insight
•Relationship to viewer – bird’s eye view
and worm’s eye view
•Apparent distance to viewer – strong need
to keep the self aloof and inaccessible.
• Position – drawing usually face the viewer but
with a suggestion of depth, or alternatively, one
drawn in practice profile. The absence of any
suggestion of depth suggest a rigid and
uncompromising style that compensates for
feelings of inadequacy and insecurity. A drawing
presented in complete profile, without suggestion
that another side are most frequently produced by
individuals. Experiencing paranoid states.
• Ground line, slopes downward, feeling of
isolation and exposure, maternal dependence or
exhibitionism. Downward to the right, the
individual may feel that the future is uncertain
and perhaps perilous.
GENERAL DRAWING FEATURE
•Transparencies - reality testing flow, personality organization is disrupted by
functional or organic factors or both.

•Movement - intensity or violence of the motion, pleasantries and unpleasantries

involved in the movement, and the degree to which the movement is voluntary.

•Consitency - fatigue or negativism.

GENERAL DRAWING FEATURE
Detailing – index of the individual’s concern with and reaction to the elements
of everyday living
• Essential details – house and tree;
withdrawal conflict in represented data. I.D.
, brain damage, withdrawn or depressed.
Excess details over concern.
• Non-Essential details – limited in
nonessential details such as curtains or
windows, foliage on trees, clothing on
person and so on implies good reality
testing and a sensitive probably well
balanced interaction with the environment.
Excessive use if detailing suggest
pathoformic overconcern wih the
environment or the man symbolized or
represented by the details used or their
associates
GENERAL DRAWING FEATURE
Detailing – index of the individual’s concern with and reaction to the elements of
everyday living
• Irrelevant details – mild basic insecurities
or a need to structure the situation more
securely; when used excessively, they
suggest an existing or potential.
• Free-floating – anxiety about the subject
of the drawing strong need for withdrawal.
Sun – emotiona violence
• Bizarre details – reality testing
• Detail dimensionality – organic claw
mental act or brain damage.
• Detail shading – sensitivity to the
environment. Excessive indicates
pathology in form of anxiety and conflict.
The individual does not return to the
shading to reinforce it.
a. Detail Sequence - any worked duration from the average drawing sequence, such
as an unusual order of presentation, a compulsive return to something previously
drawn, indicates potential pathology. The different or of conflict with respect to
the detail in question. If several similar details are drawn, such as a number of
windows, they are usually all completed before another kind of detain is
introduced.
b. Detail Emphasis – Emphasis on a detail is displayed by an emotional expression,
unusual sequencing around that detail, excessive erasures, slowness in drawing
the detail, bizarre combinations, drawn impairments, such as scar. Omission or
incompleteness of a detai, as the refusal to commit, also be constructed as
emphasis on that detail such emphasis implies aniety or conflict about the detail
in questions.
GENERAL DRAWING FEATURE
•Line quality
• Heavy lines – tension, organic impairment; Details – fixations, hostility (supressed or overt
against the detail drawn).
• Heavy line on the outline (other lines not heavy) – striving to maintain ego integrity nd
uncomfortably aware of the fact.
• Heavy ground line – struggle to maintain contact with reality and to suppress a tendency
to secure satisfaction in fantasy.
• Extreme faint line – feeling of inadequacy, indecision, and fear of defeat, fainted during
the session, generalized anxiety and depression.
• Broken lines – indecision, overtly straight, line rigid
GENERAL DRAWING FEATURE
•Color
• Choice – slower and indecisive individual, greater significance of the detail.
• Application – black and brown – avoid emotions, highly emotional – in the use of many
colors, Children typically use more colors; regressed – use colors freely and less critically.
More than ¾ is colored – lack of emotional expression, spills on the peripheral lines –
impulsivity
• Conformity – outlines black and brown, breaking conformity
SPECIFIC DRAWING
FEATURES
THE HOUSE
•The house seems to be a mixture of conscious and unconscious association concerning love
and intimate interpersonal relationship.
• For the child, the house seems to stress adjustment to siblings and parents, especially the
mother.
• For the adult, adjustment to the domestic situation in general, and, more, specifically, the
spouse, and children (if any) are represented.
•The house meaning gives an indication of an individual’s ability to function under the stress
and stress of intimate relationships and to analyse critically problems created by the home
situation.
•Areas of interpretation of the house drawing also refer to an individual’s accessibility, level
of contact with reality, and degree of rigidity.
THE HOUSE
Proportion
• Roof: overly large – the individual may devote much time to seek satisfaction in fantasy.
• Horizontal dimensions of the wall are emphasized in relation to the vertical, the
individual may be functioning inefficiently because the past or the future interferes. The
individual may be presumed to be vulnerable to environmental pressure since so much of
him or her figuratively speaking is available for assault at the reality level.
• If the vertical dimension is overemphasized satisfaction is probably sought in fantasy and
the individual shuns as much as possible, contact with reality.
• Very small doors reflects feelings of inadequacy & reluctance to make contact.
• Very large doors reflects over dependence on other.
THE HOUSE
Proportion
 Windows in the living is typically to be largest, bathroom will be the smallest.
 When the bathroom window is the largest, the bathroom function is assumed to be
distant to the individual and conflicting concerns regarding sexual and eliminative
function would be suspected.
 A living room window is smaller than the others suggest distaste for social intercourse.
 Overly large chimney - sexual concerns & possible exhibitionism
 Disproportionately small chimney – home situation lacks satisfaction, for male it may
reflect a doubt towards masculinity.
 Walk way – narrow at its junction with the house but wide on its opposite connotes an
attempt to choose to remain aloof with an apparent but superficial friendliness.
THE HOUSE
Perspective
•Possible Intellectual Disability – double perspective, showing the wall flanked by both ends.
The end walls are usually smaller than the main wall in the drawings. *young children also
produce this type of drawing. *Individuals with Schizophrenia on the other hand draw end
walls that are larger than the main wall of the house; the schizophrenia seems to regard the
end walls as protecting the center of the main wall.
•Schizoid lose perspective in their house drawing organizational difficulty and perhaps
temporal blocking.
•An individual experiencing cripply exposure to environment pressures & over concern about
what others think will sometimes draw a house showing all four sides simultaneously. An
individual is experiencing crippling exposure to environment presumes & over concern
about what others think.
THE HOUSE
Perspective
•An individual experiencing severe conflict in home situation may draw a blueprint or floor
plan of the house reflecting an attempt to structure the entire situation. Reflecting an attempt
to structure the entire situation. The tendency of these individuals to illustrate their feelings
about problems presented by various rooms or room customary occupants by altering the
room size and or thru the location is startling.
•Page Edges- a roof is chopped off by the edge of the paper indicates a pathological need to
seek satisfaction in fantasy. Side page as side wall connotes general insecurity.
THE HOUSE
Perspective
• Relationship to the viewer- worm eye view- feelings of rejection, unattainable home situation, desire to
withdraw.
• Apparent distance to viewer – Interpreted as an expression of a strong desire to withdraw as far as
possible from the conventional society.
• Position – a home that is drawn in a partial profile with an end wall and a wall, usually indicates a
tendency to behave in a sensitive and flexible fashion. A complete profile presentation of the house
indicated strong withdrawal and oppositional tendencies.
• Transparencies – seriously retarded individual
• Chimney at the back of the house is visible through both the front and back walls, the individual may
be experiencing an overwhelming phallic preoccupation and feel that this preoccupation is obvious to
other. It is transparent or has no depth there is reflection of a phallic denial, repressed feelings of
impotence or fear of castration.
THE HOUSE
Perspective
•Movement- roof flying off, walls topping over – pathological of expressive of a
concomitant collapse of the ego under the assaults of extrapersonal or intrapersonal
pressures, or both, depending on the individual’s accounting for the collapse of the house.
•Feelings of environmental pressure can be expressed symbolically by smoke which instead
of rising straight up from the chimney it goes to one side indicating that the wind is blowing
– the magnitude of the pressure can be expressed by the degree of deviation. Smoke is
ordinarily drawn from left to right. The smoke indicates, that the wind is blowing from right
to left it is presumed that the individual is views the future pessimistically, smoke is seldom
drawn blowing both left and right, such a presentation is bizarre and has been produced only
by psychotic individuals. The magnitude of the individual’s feelings is frequently revealed by
the quantity of the smoke.
Essential details – 1 door, 1 window, one wall, a roof and must have a chimney or means of an
exhaust for the smoke.
Roof and wall depict the individual’s ego. Overemphasis of the peripheral indicates conscious
effort to maintain control. Faint& inadequate peripheral lines feeling of impending breakdown
and weak ego control.
 Roof is the area of thinking and fantasy. Emphasis on the eaves of the roof by reinforcement as extension beyond the
walls implies an over defensive, usually suspicious attitude.

The door and window represent accessibility, back and side doors seem to emphasize escape.
Emphasis on doors forcing suggest a defensive sensitivity. Emphasis on Knob- over
consciousness of the door’s function and / or phallic preoccupation. A window with no panes
interstices, or indication of glass materials is after drawn by individuals with oppositional
tendencies, who are effect, A large number of interstices may express a feeling that room behind
the window is a prison. Locks on the window indicate an overly defensive attitudes. A large
number of uncovered window implies the individual tends to behvave bluntly and directly.
Sexually maladjusted tend to see door and windows as vaginal, oral, and rectal substitute.
Regressed individuals arrange essential details of the house anthropomorphically so that is
resembles a person.
THE HOUSE
Activity
•Essential details – 1 door, 1 window, one wall, a roof and must have a chimney or means of
an exhaust for the smoke.
•Roof and wall depict the individual’s ego. Overemphasis of the peripheral indicates
conscious effort to maintain control. Faint& inadequate peripheral lines feeling of impending
breakdown and weak ego control.
• Roof is the area of thinking and fantasy. Emphasis on the eaves of the roof by
reinforcement as extension beyond the walls implies an over defensive, usually suspicious
attitude.
THE HOUSE
Activity
•The door and window represent accessibility, back and side doors seem to emphasize escape.
Emphasis on doors forcing suggest a defensive sensitivity.
• Emphasis on Knob- over consciousness of the door’s function and / or phallic
preoccupation. A window with no panes interstices, or indication of glass materials is after
drawn by individuals with oppositional tendencies, who are effect, A large number of
interstices may express a feeling that room behind the window is a prison. Locks on the
window indicate an overly defensive attitudes. A large number of uncovered window
implies the individual tends to behvave bluntly and directly. Sexually maladjusted tend to
see door and windows as vaginal, oral, and rectal substitute.
•Regressed individuals arrange essential details of the house anthropomorphically so that is
resembles a person.
THE HOUSE
Activity
• Non-Essential details - Curtain, building materials, shutter, shades – controlled interaction with the
environment that is accompanied by some anxiety. If all are used the individual is defensive.
• Roof material is easily drawn appears to indicate a mild awareness of surface differentiation and a
good capacity for well-balanced interaction with the environment.
• Irrelevant details – shrubbery and walkways. Shrubs near the house assumes ego defensive barriers
and contact other in a formalized fashion.
• Trees – connotes the positive or negative valence for someone.
• Trees near shrubs means acceptance of siblings.
• Schizoid- daisy and tullips
• Proportional walk way – exercised control and contact with others. Long walk way – less
accessibility.
• Steps – facing blank wall suggest ambivalence in making contact with surroundings.
• Clouds – generalized anxiety, defensive attitude, dependency needs.
THE HOUSE
Activity
Detail dimensionality – Organic damage, three dimensional drawing.
Detail shading – shadows drawing spontaneously and before the sun is drawn represent
conflicts in which anxiety is experienced at the conscious level.
Detail Sequence – Insecure individual draw thins symmetrically, maladjusted draws
segmentally
THE HOUSE
Color Conformity
•Chimney – red, black, brown
•Smoke – black brown
•Roof – black, green, red, brown
•Walls- black brown green, red yellow, blue
•Door and windows – black, brown, green, red blue
•Shutters – black, green brown, blue, red
THE HOUSE: PDI
1. How many stories does that house 6. If you did own that house and could do
have? whatever you liked with it, which room
would you take for your own? Why?
2. What is the house made of?
7. Name would you like to have live in that
3. Is that your house? Whose house is it? house with you? Why?
4. Whose house were you thinking about 8. As you look at that have, does it seem to be
while you were drawing? close by or far away?
5. Would you like to own that house 9. As you look at that house, do you get the
yourself? Why? impression that it is above you, below you,
or about you living with you?
10. What does that house make you think of or
remind you of?
THE HOUSE: PDI
11. What else? 16. What kind of weather day a like?

12. Is that a happy, friendly, sort of house? 17. Who does that house remind you of? Why?

13. What is there about, that gives you the 18. What does the house need most? Why?

impression? 19. If this were a person instead of a ( any

subject drawn separate form the house)
14. Are most house that way? Why do you
who would it be?
think so?
20. What does the chimney lead in the house?
15. What is the weather like in this
21. Floor plan inquiry (Draw and label floor
picture? plan which room is representable each
window? Who is usually there?
THE TREE
•The tree which seem to arouse few concerns and more subconscious and
unconscious association than the 2 drawings, is a graphic expression of the
individual felt experience balance and view of his or her personality resource for
deriving satisfaction and from his or her environment.
•The quality of the tree drawing seems to reflect an individual’s ability to critically
evaluate his or her relationship to the environment. Additional areas of interpretation
include the individual’s subconscious picture of his or her development, contact with
reality, feeling of intrapersonal balance and interpersonal pressures.
THE TREE
Proportion
• Tiny tree – inadequacy in coping with the environment
• Huge tee – over compensatory satisfaction - seeking in action, fantasy, or both, connotes, at
bestly sensitivity.
• Slender trunk – tiny trunk and a large bark – preconscious personality balance because of
excessive satisfaction.
• Small branch structure with much larger trunk suggest a preconscious personality balance
because of frustration engendered by inability to satisfy strong basic needs.
• A trunk that has a broad base but becomes very slender, distance above the base influences an
early environment looking warmth and healthful stimulation.
• A trunk that is narrow at the base than at a point higher is a strong indication of pathology,
suggest striving beyond the individual’s strength, with the concomitant implication of a
possible collapse of ego-control.
THE TREE
Perspective
• Vertical – higher that house and person
• Page edges – paper side as tree trunk, aggressive reactive tendencies.
• Relation to viewer – below viewer means depression and defeat; uphill – feeling of striving or a need
for shelter and security.
• Position – Side to the test taker.
• Transparencies – roots that are obviously beneath the ground, but nonetheless visible, strongly
suggest a pathological reality testing flow.
• Movement – Blowing wind, the tree is moved, extreme environment pressures, struggle to maintain
individual’s impression of being stripped psychologically losing the ability to hide thoughts and
emotions, and strong guild feeling.
• Falling branches – losing the ability to cope with environment pressure.
THE TREE
Detailing
• Essential Details – Trunk –basic power; Branches (by their size and positional relationship to the
trunk) indicate satisfaction-seeking source. Branch turn toward the tree’s center, imply ruminative
tendencies. Thick and short as if cut off near the trunk, suicidal tendencies. Broken and dead branch,
traumatic event. Reinforced branches – feeling of inadequacy in satisfaction seeking. Greater
flexibility branch structure organization and ability to satisfied from the environment .
• Trunk – is readily seen as a phallic; is a substitute by sexually maladjusted individual.
• Non-essential details – Bark , well balance interaction, heavily drawn- anxiety. Concern with the
relationship with the environment.
• Leaves – cosmetic and functional. Vines on a trunk or Vines like bark – feeling the hear of
forbidden ideas. Root – superficial level sources of elemental satisfaction, represent basic elemental
droves, Roots that taper easily and gently into the group imply good reality contact. Talon like roots
that seem to clutch the ground rather than enter in argue for the presence of strong paranoid
aggressive attitude.
THE TREE
Detailing
• Irrelevant details – birds,high valence with self. Subtle drawing on the tree – obsessive guilt feeling on
unhappily free from control and had destructive potentialities. A groundline – arc-like convex-maternal
dependence, with feeling of isolation and helplessness of the tree is relatively smaller inadequately organized.
• Ragged and large tree – dominance and exhibitionism. Christmas tree – typical for children, Adults – gaily drew the
chirstmas tree presence of well-developed narcissism, regressive tendencies, and a need for strong nurturance are
suggested. Person drawn near the tree – pathology.
• Detail Dimensionality – One dimensionality, trunk and branch – individual satisfaction seeking
resources one inferior, particularly if there is no branch to brach organization with branches
connected with each other as well as to the trunk. Individual with advanced organic damage draw
one dimensional trunk and branches that do not form a system.
 Two dimensional – branches like clubs or fingers with limited organization implies strong hostility. Phallic like two
dimensional branches suggest castration fear. Branches in two dimension but it closed at distal indicated a lack of
control over the expression of drives.
 Key hole tree – no line closing the base of its circular unshaded branch structure and no line closing the base of its
trunk implies strong oppositional tendencies produced by individuals with rigid compartmentalized personalities
THE TREE
Detailing
• Detail Shading – White shading – schizoid thinking. Branches – are implied without using
shading, oppositional tendencies may be present.
• Detail sequence – trunk, branches, foliage and trunk base. Pathology is indicated in two
dimensional branch are drawn one below and the after beginning at the top of the tree,
followed by similar branches to the right but which do not join one another or the trunk.
Two trunk lines not joined at the top or bottom and not touching the branches are then
drawn followed by a single, peripheral line joining the outer tips of the branches.
• Detail emphasis – Left side of the three, number and size, strong tendency to seek
immediate, frank, emotional satisfaction. Over emphasis on the right side suggest
imbalance produced by a strong tendency to ward or delay emotional satisfaction to instead
seek intellectual effort. Absolute symmetry implies feeling of ambivalence and an inability
to grant dominance to any course of action.
THE TREE
Color Conformity
• Trunk – brown or black
• Branches – brown or black
• Foliage – green, yellow, red, brown, black
• Fruit – red, yellow, green ; blossom – red, yellow, orange, blue, and purple
THE TREE: PDI
22. What kind of tree is that? 32. If that were a person instead of a tree,
23. Where is that tree actually located? which may would the person be facing?
24. About how old is that tree? 33. Is that tree by itself or in a group of trees?
25. Is that tree alive? 34. As you look at that tree, do you get the
26. What is there about it that gives you the impression that it is above you, below you,
impression that it is alive? or about on a level with you?
27. What caused it to die? (if not alive) 35. What is the weather like in this picture?
28. Will it ever be alive again?
36. Is there any wind blowing in this picture?
29. Is a part of the tree dead? What part? What do you Show me in what dimension it is blowing?
think caused it to die? How long has it been dead?
37. What does the tree remind you of?
30. Which does the three look more like to you, a
man or a woman? 38. What are…..
31. What is there about it that gives you that 39. Is it a healthy tree? What is there about it
impression? that gives you that impression?
THE TREE: PDI
40. Is it a strong tree?
41. What does that tree remind you of?
42. What does that tree need most? Why?
43. Has anyone ever….
44. If this were a person instead of a ( anything
draw separate from the tree) , who might it
be?
PDI
22. What kind of tree is that?
23. Where is that tree actually located?
24. About how old is that tree?
25. Is that tree alive?
26. What is there about it that gives you the impression that it is alive?
27. What caused it to die? (if not alive)
28. Will it ever be alive again?
29. Is a part of the tree dead? What part? What do you think caused it to die? How long has it been dead?
30. Which does the three look more like to you, a man or a woman?
31. What is there about it that gives you that impression?
32. If that were a person instead of a tree, which may would the person be facing?
33. Is that tree by itself or in a group of trees?
34. As you look at that tree, do you get the impression that it is above you, below you, or about on a level with you?
35. What is the weather like in this picture?
36. Is there any wind blowing in this picture? Show me in what dimension it is blowing?
37. What does the tree remind you of?
38. What are…..
39. Is it a healthy tree? What is there about it that gives you that impression?
40. Is it a strong tree?
41. What does that tree remind you of?
42. What does that tree need most? Why?
43. Has anyone ever….
44. If this were a person instead of a ( anything draw separate from the tree) , who might it be?
THE PERSON
The person drawing elicits more conscious association that the house and tree,
including lived expression of body image. The quality of the drawing reflects an
individual’s ability to function in relationships and to subject the self and
interpersonal relationship to objective critical evaluation. This drawing arouses such
intense feelings that paranoid or psychopathic individuals may refuse to draw it.
Additional area of interpretation for the person drawing may refer to the individual’s
concept of his or her sexual role & attitude toward a specific interpersonal
relationship in general. 
THE PERSON
Proportion
• Proportional difference on the left and right
side of the person suggest sexual role confusion
specifically and personality imbalance in
general.
• Large head- maladjusted individual who place
undue emphasis on the intelligence and fantasy.
• Small head – denial to see as little as possible.
• Large mouth – oral eroticism and oral
aggressive tendencies.
• Long thin neck – schizoid characteristics
• Large Trunk – presence of unsatisfied
drives.
• Small Trunk – denial of bad drives and
feeling of inferiority.
• Tall, narrow trunk – schizoid connotations.
• Shoulder size – basic strength physical and
psychological health
 Long arms – over ambitious striving
THE PERSON
Proportion
 Short arms – absence of striving
 Broad arms – basic feeling of strength for
striving
 Thin arms – feeling of weakness
 Large hands – impulsivity
 Tiny hands – reluctance to make useful
and intimate contacts
 Long legs – strong striving for autonomy
 Short legs – feelings of constriction
 Disparity in leg size – ambivalence
concerning the striving for autonomy.
 Long fee – need for security and suggest
need to democratic unity.
 Tiny feet – constriction and dependence.
THE PERSON
Perspective
 Page Edges – legs are chopped by the bottom
page, feeling of a lack of autonomy is probably
almost overwhelming
 Relationship to viewer – the person is drawn
above the viewer, When it’s implication seems
to be that the individual desires to hold himself
relatively aloof from psychosocial intercourse
or feels oppressed and dominated by the person
represented.
 Position – person drawn full face without
suggestion and arms fully unextended at right
angles to the trunk, implies that the individual
is essentially rigid and uncompromising, has
profound need to cloak feelings of inadequacy
and insecurity with a suggested willingness to
face everything directly. Partial profile- strong
withdrawal and opposition tendencies.
THE PERSON
Perspective
 Position of the arms can be revealing. Relaxed,
flexible arms indicates good adjustment these
arms held tightly to the body suggest rigidity.
Arms folded to the chest – suspicious. Arms
behind back – reluctance to meet others. Arms
crossed in volutional melancholic - Sexually
maladjusted female. Compulsive arms – acting
in an uncontrolled fashion. Hands in pockets –
evasion.
 Legs drawn tightly – rigidity, tension, sexual
maladjustment. Position of feet, tip toe – strong
need for flight. Feet painting in diametrically
opposite directions with the person in full face
may indicate ambivalent feelings.
 Transparencies – visible organs – pathology
 Movement – satisfactory adjustment
THE PERSON
Detailing
 Essential details – head , trunk, two legs, two
arms, facial features (2 eyes, nose, lips, 2 ears)
 Head – area of intelligence, control and fantasy
 Omission of eyes – hallucination should be
suspected.
 Omission of ears – presence of auditory
hallucination, well-adjusted Intellectual Disability.
 Mouth – aggression, teeth – masculinity
 Trunk – physical needs and drives, absence –
denial of drives
 Shoulder – basic strength or power
 Round shoulders – smooth, flexible , - well-
balanced expression or power.
 Sharply squared – over defensive, hostile attitudes.
 Arms – omission – feeling of inadequacy, survival
 Arms like wings – Schizophrenia
 Lower trunk – sex drives – great difficulties,
maladjusted individuals. Inability to close pelvis
pathology.
 Legs – view of autonomy and locomotion,
Absence, strong feelings of constriction and strong
castration concerns.
THE PERSON
Detailing
 Non-essential details – omission of a chinline
in a full face presentation or a neck baseline in
profile, happily free flow of basic body drives
(some with neck).
 Genitalia – pathology
 Hands – defence and offence to the
environment, absence of hands implies feeling
of inadequacy. Spike like fingers with
rudimentary hand – hostility, Petal like –
infantile presentation.
 Feet – omission strong feelings of constriction.
 Irrelevant details - pipe, cigar – oral eroticism ,
canes, swords and weapons – aggressive
tendencies.
 Detail Dimensionality – stick figures by
individuals with intellectual disability. Drawn
in lagging line, conscious effort to suppress
aggressive impulses.
 Detail shading – heavily shaded hands are
suggested to be pathogenic of masturbatory
guilt but since such guilt is common and
shaded (must not be routinely interpreted this
way)
THE PERSON
Detailing
 Detail Sequence – pathological when start with
the foot and head and face last. Delayed
presentation of the face reflects a tendency to
deny reception of external stimulation.
 Draw of the finger and hand last - marked
reluctance to make immediate and intimate
contact with the environment.
THE PERSON
Detailing
Detail Emphasis - Overemphasis on nose –
phallic preoccupation and castration fear.
Ears – paranoid; Chin – need for social
dominance, under emphasis feeling of social
impotence.
Waistline – coordination of drives, over emphasis
– conflict in control of sex drives.
Emphasis on knees and buttocks – of a male,
heterosexual impulses ( drawn by a male).
Over detail on feet – obsessive characteristics
with narcissistic and exhibitionist output.
Over emphasis on belt – sexual preoccupation
and over concern, phallic preoccupation and
feeling of impotence.
Multiplicity of buttons – suggesting regression.
Line quality – peripheral lines of the head
suggest strong effort to maintain control in the
face of disturbing fantasy or of obsessive or
delusional ideation.
THE PERSON
Color Conformity

 Person – black , brown

 Outline – black, brown, yellow, red
 Hair – blue, brown, black
 Eyes – black
 Lips – red , black
 Suits – black , brown
 Shoes – black, brown, green ,red, blue
THE PERSON: PDI
45. Is that a man or a woman? 56.What is there about him (her) that gives you the
46. How old is he (she)? impression?
47. Who is he (she)? 57.Are most people that way? Why?
48. Is he (she) a relation or friend or what? 58.Do you think you would like that person?
49. Who were you thinking about while you were 59.Why?
drawing? 60.What is the weather in this picture?
50. What us he (she) doing? Where is he (she) doing 61.What does the person remind you of?
it? 62.What does that person remind you of?
51. What is he (she) thinking about? 63.Has anyone ever hurt that person? How?
52. How does he (she) feel? Why? 64.If this were a person instead of (anything drawn
53. What does that person make you think of or separate from the main person drawn) who might it
remind you of? be?
54. What else? 65.What kind of clothing does the person has on?
55. Is that person well? 66.(Have the client draw a sun and a ground line on
56. What is there about him (her) that gives you that each drawing) Suppose that the sun were some
impression? person you know who would it be?
57. Is that person happy?
HTP TEST REPORT
oBackground oPerspective
oTime oDetailness
oComments oColor
oCriticalness oPDI
oProportion oPrognosis
ADVANTAGES AND
DISADVANTAGES
Advantages Disadvantages
•Requires little time and is simple to •Verbal patients are less responsive to
administer. graphic techniques than to other
projectives, like the TAT or Rorschach.
•Culture-free technique – do not need
elaborate command of language to get •Psychomotor difficulties such as
information. physical handicaps or tremulousness
(geriatric patients) impede the analysis.
Their personality expression is held
back by their motoric handicap.
ADVANTAGES AND
DISADVANTAGES
Advantages Disadvantages
•Requires little time and is simple to •Patients with a paucity of inner life,
administer. such as the schizoid patient, provide a
barren personality profile. These
•Culture-free technique – do not need patients need something external to
elaborate command of language to get stimulate their mental processes.
information.
HTP SAMPLE PICTURE:
PERSON A
HTP SAMPLE PICTURE:
PERSON A
HTP SAMPLE PICTURE:
PERSON A
HTP SAMPLE PICTURE:
PERSON B
HTP SAMPLE PICTURE:
PERSON B
HTP SAMPLE PICTURE:
PERSON B
RELATED RESEARCH
House-Tree-Person Drawing Therapy as an Intervention for Prisoners’ Prelease Anxiety
Yu, Y.Z., Ming C.Y., Yue, M., Lai, J.H., & Ling, L.
Method Results
•105 male inmates (2 to 6 months sentence
•Increasing anxiety level as the date of release
before release) becomes nearer.
•Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAM-A), Zung Self-
Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), H-T-P •HTP drawing therapy has been so effective
may be that it is a natural, easy mental
•Administer SAS, HAM-A intervention technique through which
counselors can guide prisoners to form helpful
•Intervention : HTP
cognition and behaviors within a relatively
relaxing and well-protected psychological
environment.
RELATED RESEARCH
House-Tree-Person Drawing Therapy as an Intervention for Prisoners’ Prelease Anxiety
Yu, Y.Z., Ming C.Y., Yue, M., Lai, J.H., & Ling, L.
Results •HTP test, the topics and issues that prisoners
usually avoid can be presented in their
•HTP drawing therapy offers an effective and drawings and the visualized or persuasive
reliable intervention for psychological intervention results will follow
counseling and in-depth interviews through
collecting comprehensive, real, and useful
information.
•HTP test, with the help of their drawings, the
prisoners were able to express their inner
feelings in words.
RELATED RESEARCH
 
The Use of Objectively Scorable House-Tree-Person Indicators to Establish Child Abuse
Blain, G.H., Bergner, R.M., Lewis, M. L., & Goldstein, M.
Method Result
1. 109 students ages 5 and 12 •HTP was obtained from the Normal Sample of
2. Abused-Clinical group 32 45 students
3. Non abused-Clinical group 32
4. Normal group 45 •2 trained HTP raters (graduate students in
clinical or counseling psychology who had
completed their psychodiagnostic courses and
had been given further training in HTP scoring
for this research)
RELATED RESEARCH
 
The Use of Objectively Scorable House-Tree-Person Indicators to Establish Child Abuse
Blain, G.H., Bergner, R.M., Lewis, M. L., & Goldstein, M.
Result
•Obtained data from the clinic (Abused-Clinical
group and Non-abused Clinical group)
•Trained raters independently rated each of
them for the presence or absence of 15 items.
(15 items employed were those that emerged
as most discriminating from an earlier pilot
study in which the H-T-P protocols of 20
Abused-Clinical Ss, 20 Nonabused- Clinical
Ss, and 20 Normal Ss were examined for the
presence or absence of 100 items).
RELATED RESEARCH
The Use of Objectively Scorable House-Tree-Person Indicators to Establish Child Abuse
Blain, G.H., Bergner, R.M., Lewis, M. L., & Goldstein, M.
Results •from the ground floor of the house
•15 experimental items were analysed through •item 9, noticeable differences in the size of
Frequency distribution and Chi-square •the legs or arms of the person
•6 items occurred significantly in the Abused- •item 14, the absence of feet on the person; and
Clinical group •item 15, disproportion in the size of the head
•Item 2, smoke present from the chimney of the of the person (specifically, the head
house •is 25% or more of the total size of the figure).
•item 5, the absence of windows •item 12, the body of the person is comprised of
geometric figures
RELATED RESEARCH
The Use of Objectively Scorable House-Tree-Person Indicators to Establish Child Abuse
Blain, G.H., Bergner, R.M., Lewis, M. L., & Goldstein, M.
When Paired (Abused vs. Nonabused-Clinical,
Abused vs. Normal, and Nonabused-Clinical
vs. Normal groups) for each of the 15 items
using a chisquare test, only 1 item (item 2,
smoke present form the chimney of the house)
was presented significantly more often by the
Abused-Clinical group than by the Nonabused-
Clinical group.
RELATED RESEARCH
Personality Traits and Color Choices for House-Tree-Person Drawings
Marzolf, S.S., & Kirchner, J.H.
Method Results
•299 students (146 men and 153 women) , The findings having greatest statistical
enrolled in elective undergraduate psychology significance, presented in this report, the
courses, drew HTP chromatic after they had majority involve the person drawing and the
produced an achromatic drawing. use of one color only, six or more colors,
purple, and orange. The use of a color may
•16PF , Motivational Distortion (MD). have one meaning for some Ss and another
meaning for others. One may be green with
envy, be bilious, or be longing for green
pastures.
RELATED RESEARCH
 
The Effect of Formal Art Training upon the Quantitative Scores of the H-T-P
Bieliauskas, V.J. & Bristow, R.B.
Methods •The control group (non-art group) consisted of
30 students enrolled in undergraduate
•The experimental (art) group consisted of 30 psychology (17 in number) and physical
college junior and senior art majors: 23 education (13 in number) courses. The original
commercial art students and 7 fine arts number of the control group consisting of 89,
students. All subjects of this group had two or was reduced to 30 in the process of matching
more years of formal art training and were of the groups.
pursuing studies leading toward a professional
bachelor's degree in either commercial or fine
arts.
RELATED RESEARCH
 
The Effect of Formal Art Training upon the Quantitative Scores of the H-T-P
Bieliauskas, V.J. & Bristow, R.B.
Results •This finding seems to justify the conclusion
that the art training was a factor responsible for
•Accordingly the assumption that there is no raising the H-T-P scores, and suggest caution
difference between the quantitative H-T-P in using the quantitative evaluation of the H-T-
scores of the subjects of this study with art P drawings produced by subjects with
training and those without art training could extensive art training.
not be supported empirically.
•The subjects of the experimental group who
had art training scored consistently higher on
the H-T-P and thus obtained significantly
higher IQ scores as compared to the subjects of
the experimental group, although both groups
were matched on the ACE.
RELATED RESEARCH
An Investigation of the Validity of the HTP as an Intelligence Test for Children
Bieliauskas, V.J. & Moens, J.F.
Methods Results
•63 grade school children, 23 2nd graders (7yrs •In this study the mean IQ's tended to be lower
2mos. – 9yrs. 1 mo.) and 40 5th graders (10 yrs than K-A IQ's in using the original IQ scores,
9mos. , 9yrs 11mos. – 12 yrs 2mos.). but it excelled the K-A IQ's when correction
was used.
•Administered HTP, K-A, and SB scores ; HTP
IQ compared to K-A •It was concluded that for the population
studied the present H-T-P scoring system could
legitimately be used for group prediction, but
that it needs considerable modification for its
application for the purposes of individual
prediction.
REFERENCES:
Buck, J.N. (1977). House-tree-personTM (H-T-PTM ) projective drawing technique. In a
W.C. Warren (Eds.). California: Western Psychological Services
Fallahi,C.R. (n.d.). The house-tree-person test. [PowerPoint slides]. Unpublished
manuscript, Central Connecticut State University, Connecticut, United Stated of
America.
Killian, G.A., House-Tree-Person Technique. Retrieved from:
http://www.killianphd.com/Portals/0/House-Tree-Person%20(H-T-P).pdf
REFERENCES:
Bieliauskas, V.J. & Bristow, R.B. (1959). The effect of formal art training upon the
quantitative scores of the h-t-p. Journal of Clinical Psychology,15(1):57-9.
Bieliauskas, V.J. & Moens, J.F. (1961). An investigation of the validity of the htp as an
intelligence test for children. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 17( 2), 178–180
Blain, G.H., Bergner, R.M., Lewis, M. L., & Goldstein, M.(1981). The Use of Objectively
Scorable House-Tree-Person Indicators to Establish Child Abuse. Journal of Clinical
Psychology, (37) 3, 667-675.
Marzolf, S.S., & Kirchner, J.H.(1973). Personality traits and color choices for house-tree-
person drawings. Journal of Clinical Psychology,29 (2), 240-245.
Yu, Y.Z., Ming C.Y., Yue, M., Lai, J.H., & Ling, L. (2016). House-tree-person drawing therapy
as an intervention for prisoners’ prelease anxiety. Social Behavioral and Personality,
44(6), 987-1004