Projective technique drawing family practice. Test "My Family"

Goal: Identifying the characteristics of the child’s relationships in the family

Family drawing techniques

Family drawing techniques- group projective techniques for evaluation inside family relations. Based on analysis and interpretation of drawings. As a rule, it is used when examining children.

Drawing techniques are among the most common among projective tests. The idea of ​​using drawing techniques to diagnose intrafamily relationships arose among a number of researchers. detailed diagram conducting a survey and interpreting the results was first developed for the “Draw Your Family” test (W. Wolf, 1947). The experience of using the drawing technique for these purposes was accumulated in the works of V. Hules (1951-1952).

According to the interpretation scheme according to W. Wolf, the figure analyzes : a) the sequence of drawing family members, their spatial arrangement, the presence of omissions of individual family members; b) differences in the shapes and proportions of individual family members. According to W. Wulff, the drawing sequence indicates the importance of a given family member; The omission of a family member often expresses a desire to get rid of an emotionally unacceptable person. If the size of the depicted figures does not correspond to the real hierarchy, then such perception is attributed to the degree of subjective dominance and significance. V. Wulf also paid attention to the interpretation in the differences in drawing individual parts bodies, based on the possibility of experiences associated with their functions.

In the works of V. Huls, interpretative schemes for the “family drawing” technique were proposed, based on the drawing process itself (the use of colors, crossing out, erasing, doubts, accompanying emotional manifestations, comments).

The “family drawing” technique was further developed in the works of L. Corman (1964), R. Burns and S. Kaufman (1972). The instructions for L. Corman's method provide for the task: to draw not a “family” or “your family,” as in the methods of W. Wulf and W. Huls, but “the family as you imagine it.” Thanks to this installation, it is possible to use a less structured object (stimulus).

When interpreting the result, the authors pay attention to cases when the subject draws a larger or smaller family than it actually is. In the drawings according to L. Corman they analyze: a) their graphic quality (character of lines, proportions of figures, neatness, use of space); b) formal structure (dynamic design, arrangement of family members); c) content (analysis of the meaning of the picture). In parallel with the traditional conduct of the study (reading and completing the task), special questions are offered that prompt the subject to discuss the topic of family relationships and provide for a direct positive or negative choice, as well as questions that clarify the meaning of the situation drawn by the child.

The option that has become most famous in foreign psychodiagnostics is the “Kinetic Family Drawing” proposed by R. Burns and S. Kaufman. In it you need to draw each of the family members in action. The interpretation of the material is based on the symbolic interpretation of the depicted relationships, actions, and objects.

In Russian psychodiagnostics A.I. Zakharov (1977) developed his own version of the “Family Drawing” technique. The technique consists of two tasks. To complete the first of them, the child needs to draw one of the family members, including himself, in “four rooms” located on “two floors”. When interpreting the drawing, attention is paid to the placement of family members on floors and which of them is next to the child (i.e., is emotionally closest). The second task is to complete a free-form drawing without any instructions.

In addition to the above methods, there are many more psychodiagnostic techniques for identifying family problems. Here are just a few of them:

- “Analysis of family relationships” (AFV) E.G. Eidemiller - designed for parents of teenagers 14-18 years old;

- “Test Questionnaire of Parental Attitudes” (ORT) by A. Varga and V. Stolin - focused on studying parental positions (mother or father) in relation to a particular child;

- “Interpersonal Diagnosis Questionnaire” by T. Leary, R. Lafurger - determination of the psychological atmosphere in the family.

- “Marriage Satisfaction Test Questionnaire” (MST) by V. Stolin, T. Romanova, G. Butenko.

Used to study the interpersonal relationships of a child with his parents. This technique reflects, first of all, the child’s experiences and perception of his place in the family, the child’s attitude towards the family as a whole and its individual members.

The most productive use of the “Family Drawing” test is in senior preschool and primary school age.

For the study, you need a sheet of white paper measuring 15x20 cm or 21x29 cm, six colored pencils (black, red, blue, green, yellow, brown), and an eraser.

The child is given the instruction: “Please draw your family.” Under no circumstances should you explain what the word “family” means. If a child asks what to draw, the psychologist should simply repeat the instructions. Even if he asks a question like: “Should I draw a grandmother?” - do not answer the question directly, but rather say: “Draw the way you want.” There is no time limit for completing the task (in most cases it lasts no more than 35 minutes). When completing a task, the following should be noted in the protocol: a) the sequence of drawing parts; b) pauses of more than 15 seconds; c) erasing details; d) spontaneous comments of the child; e) emotional reactions and their connection with the depicted content.

After completing the task, you should strive to obtain as much information as possible verbally. The following questions are usually asked:

1. Tell me, who is drawn here?

2. Where are they located?

3. What are they doing? Who came up with this?

4. Are they having fun or are they bored? Why?

5. Which of the people drawn is the happiest? Why?

6. Which of them is the most unhappy? Why?

The last two questions provoke the child into an open discussion of feelings, which not every child is inclined to do. Therefore, if the child does not answer them or answers formally, you should not insist on an answer. During the interview, the psychologist should try to find out the meaning of what was drawn: feelings towards individual family members, why the child did not draw one of the members (if this happened); what certain details of the drawing (birds, animals, etc.) mean to the child. At the same time, if possible, you should avoid direct questions and insist on an answer, as this can cause anxiety and defensive reactions. Projective questions are often productive (for example: “If a person were drawn instead of a bird, who would it be?”, “Who would win between your brother and you?”, “Who will mom invite to go with her?”, etc. .).

After the survey, the child is asked to solve 6 situations: three of them should reveal negative feelings towards family members, three – positive ones.

1. Imagine that you have two tickets to the circus. Who would you invite to go with you?

2. Imagine that your whole family is going to visit, but one of you is sick and must stay home. Who is he?

3. You are building a house from a construction set (cutting out a paper dress for a doll) and you are having no luck. Who will you call for help?

4. You have “N” tickets (one less than family members) to an interesting film. Who will stay at home?

5. Imagine that you are on a desert island. Who would you like to live there with?

6. You received an interesting lotto as a gift. The whole family sat down to play, but there are one more of you than necessary. Who won't play?

To interpret, you also need to know: a) the age of the child being studied; b) the composition of his family, the age of his brothers and sisters; c) if possible, have information about the child’s behavior in the family, kindergarten or school.

The interpretation of the drawing can be divided into three parts:

1) analysis of the structure of the “Family Drawing”"; 2) interpretation of features of graphic presentations of family members; 3) analysis of the drawing process.

Analysis of the structure of the family picture and comparison of composition

drawn and real family

Child experiencing emotional well-being in the family, as a rule, he draws complete family. Distortion of the real composition of the family always deserves close attention, since behind this there is almost always an emotional conflict and dissatisfaction with the family situation. Extreme options are drawings in which: a) no people are depicted at all; b) only people not related to the family are depicted. Such defensive avoidance of a task is extremely rare in children. Behind such reactions most often lie: a) traumatic experiences associated with the family; b) a feeling of rejection, abandonment (therefore, such drawings are relatively common among children who have recently come to the boarding school from families); c) autism; d) feeling of insecurity, high level of anxiety; e) poor contact between the psychologist and the child being studied.

In practice, one has to deal with less pronounced deviations from the actual composition of the family. Children reduce the composition of the family, “forgetting” to draw those members who are less emotionally attractive to them, with whom they have conflicting relationships. Without drawing them, the child, as it were, discharges the unacceptable emotional atmosphere in the family, avoids negative emotions associated with certain people. Most often, there are no brothers or sisters in the picture, so the child “monopolizes” the missing love and attention of the parents. When asked why this or that family member was not drawn, the answers are usually defensive: “I didn’t draw because there was no room left,” “He went for a walk,” etc., and sometimes direct: “I didn’t want to.” – he fights”, “I don’t want him to live with us”, etc.

Of great interest are those drawings in which the child does not draw himself or, instead of his family, draws only himself. In both cases, this indicates that the child has an undeveloped sense of community. The absence of “I” in the picture is more typical for children who feel rejected and rejected. the depiction of only “I” in a drawing can be interpreted differently, depending on the context of other characteristics of the drawing. If the presentation of only the “I” is characterized by a positive concentration on drawing oneself (a large number of body details, colors, decoration of clothes, a large figure), then this, along with the lack of a sense of community, also indicates a certain self-centeredness, hysterical character traits. If the drawing of oneself is characterized by a small size, sketchiness, if the drawing contains other details and color scheme If a negative emotional background has been created, then we can assume the presence of a feeling of rejection, abandonment, and sometimes autistic tendencies.

An increase in family composition is also informative. This is due to unmet psychological needs in the family. Examples include drawings of only children - they are relatively more likely to include strangers in family drawings. If, in addition to family members, a child of the same age is drawn (a cousin, a neighbor’s daughter, etc.), this is a reflection of the need for equal, cooperative ties; if younger - the desire to take a protective, parental, leadership position in relation to other children (drawn dogs, cats, etc., in addition to family members, can give the same information).

Location of family members

It points to some psychological characteristics relationships in the family.

Family cohesion, drawing family members with joined hands, uniting them in general activities are indicators of psychological well-being, perception of family integrability, inclusion in the family, except for those cases when the close arrangement of figures is an attempt by the child to unite and unite the family. Drawings with opposite characteristics (disconnected family members) may indicate a low level of emotional connections.

Psychologically interesting are those drawings in which part of the family is located in one group, and one or more individuals are distant. If a child draws himself from a distance, this indicates a feeling of exclusion and alienation. In the case of separation of another family member, one can assume a negative attitude of the child towards him, sometimes judge the threat posed by him, or his low significance for the child.

Grouping family members in a drawing sometimes helps to highlight the psychological microstructures of the family and coalition.

The weakness of positive interpersonal connections is also indicated by the separation of family members by objects, the division of the picture into cells into which family members are distributed.

It is believed that the character who, in the child’s opinion, has the greatest power in the family is located highest in the picture, although he may be the smallest in linear size. Below everyone is the one whose power in the family is minimal. The principle of vertical hierarchy also extends to the world of objects.

Analysis of the features of drawn figures

Features of the graphic representation of individual family members provide valuable information about the child’s emotional attitude towards an individual family member, about how the child perceives him, about the child’s “I-image”, his complete identification, etc.

When assessing a child’s emotional attitude towards family members, you should pay attention to the following points:

1) number of body parts. Are there: head, hair, ears, eyes, pupils, eyelashes, eyebrows, nose, cheeks, mouth, neck, shoulders, arms, palms, fingers, legs, feet;

2) decoration(details of clothing and decoration): hat, collar, tie, bows, pockets, belt, buttons, hairstyle elements, complexity of clothing, jewelry, patterns on clothing, etc.;

3) the number of colors used to draw the figure.

Generally good emotional relationships with a person are accompanied by a positive concentration on his drawing, which as a result is reflected in more body details, decoration, and the use of a variety of colors. And vice versa, a negative attitude towards a person leads to a more schematic and incomplete image. Sometimes the omission of significant parts of the body (head, arms, legs) in the drawing may indicate, along with a negative attitude towards him, also aggressive impulses towards this person.

The perception of other family members and the “I-image” of the person drawing can be judged by comparing the sizes of the figures. Children usually draw their mother or father as the largest, which corresponds to reality. However, sometimes the ratio of the sizes of the drawn figures clearly does not correspond to the real ratio of the sizes of family members, since the size of the depicted character or object expresses its subjective significance for the child, i.e. what place does the relationship with this character or object have on this moment in the soul of a child. Some children draw themselves as the largest or equal in size to their parents, which is due to: a) the child’s self-centeredness; b) competition for parental love with another parent, in which the child equates himself to the parent of the opposite sex, excluding or reducing the “competitor”. Children who: a) feel insignificant, useless, etc.; b) requiring guardianship and care from parents. In general, when interpreting the size of figures, a psychologist should pay attention only to significant distortions of figures.

It can also be informative absolute value figures. Large figures across the West Sheet are drawn by impulsive, self-confident children prone to dominance. Very small figures are associated with anxiety and a feeling of insecurity. If a group of small figures is depicted at the top of the sheet, and the large lower part of the sheet is empty, then this indicates that low self-esteem combined with high level claims.

You should also pay attention to drawing individual parts of the body, since individual parts of the body are associated with certain areas activities, are means of communication, control, movement, etc. Let's analyze the most informative parts of the body.

Hands are the main means of influencing the world, physically controlling the behavior of other people. If a child draws himself with his arms raised up, with long fingers, then this is often associated with his aggressive desires. Sometimes such pictures are drawn by outwardly calm, easy-going children. It can be assumed that the child feels hostility towards others, but his aggressive impulses are suppressed, or he seeks to compensate for his weakness, wanting to be strong and dominate others. The latter will be more reliable if the child, in addition to “aggressive” hands, also draws broad shoulders or other attributes, symbols of “masculinity” and strength. Sometimes a child draws all the family members with hands, but “forgets” to draw them for himself. If at the same time the child draws himself as disproportionately small, then this may be due to a feeling of powerlessness, his own insignificance in the family, with the feeling that those around him are suppressing his activity and controlling him excessively. Interesting drawings in which one of the family members is drawn with long arms, thumbs. Most often, this indicates the child’s perception of the aggressiveness of this family member. The more powerful a given character is perceived to be, the larger his hand. The image of a family member without arms at all can have the same meaning - in this way the child limits his activity by symbolic means.

If there are more than five fingers on the hand, then the child feels (or the corresponding character) more equipped, strong, powerful (if on the left hand, then in the sphere of family relationships, if on the right, then in the world outside the family: at school, garden, in the yard, etc.), if less, then weaker than others.

Legs perform the function of support in reality and freedom of movement. How larger area supports at the feet, especially since this character is perceived as standing firmly on the ground.

Head– center of localization of the “I”, intellectual and perceptual activity; The face is the most important part of the body in the communication process. Already children from the age of 3 in the drawing must draw the head and some parts of the body. If children over five years of age (of normal intelligence) omit parts of the body (eyes, mouth) in the drawing, this may indicate serious impairments in communication, isolation, or autism. If, when drawing, the head, facial features are omitted or the entire face is shaded, then this is often associated with a conflictual relationship with this person, a hostile attitude towards him. It is assumed that the child considers the “smartest” member of his family to be the person whom he has endowed with the largest head. The facial expressions of the drawn people can also be an indicator of the child's feelings towards them. However, remember that children tend to draw smiling people. Therefore, facial expressions are only meaningful when they are different from each other. Girls, more than boys, pay attention to drawing faces, depicting more details. Therefore, concentration on drawing a face may indicate good gender identification in girls and preoccupation with physical beauty, the desire to compensate for one’s physical shortcomings, and the formation of stereotypes of female behavior in boys.

You should know that with age, a person’s drawing becomes enriched with new details. Each age is characterized by certain details, and their omission in the drawing is associated with the denial of some functions, with a conflict.

Characters with large, wide eyes are perceived by the child as anxious, restless, and in need of being saved. Characters with eyes like “dots” or “slits” carry an internal ban on crying, expressing the need for dependence, and are afraid to ask for help. The character with the biggest ears, more than all the others, must listen to those around him. A character depicted without any ears at all may ignore what other people say about him.

Neck symbolizes the ability to rational self-control, control of the mind (“head”) over the feelings (“body”). The character who has a neck in the drawing is able to control his feelings in the perception of the author of the drawing, but the one who does not have a neck is not capable. If the neck in the drawing is long and thin, then in the mind of the person drawing the conflict between the mind and feelings is resolved through self-removal from the world of one’s own strong emotions. on the contrary, if the neck is short and thick, then this character has harmony between the mind and feelings.

Distortions child's image of a man walking along right side drawn character, reflect the problems of relationships with the world social norms and those people who express them for the child. Distortions on the left side of the body reflect problems in relationships with the closest people in the area of ​​emotional attachments. A circuit break literally means the permeability of the corresponding locus of the body for external influence, especially if the outlines of other body parts are drawn without a break.

Analysis of the drawing process

When analyzing the drawing process, you should pay attention to:

A) the sequence of drawing family members;

B) the sequence of drawing parts;

B) erasure;

D) return to already drawn objects, details, figures;

E) spontaneous comments.

Interpretation of the drawing process requires the practical experience of a psychologist and his intuition. Often it is this level of analysis that provides the most meaningful, deep, significant information, since behind the dynamic characteristics of drawing lie changes in thoughts, actualization of feelings, tension, and conflicts.

Drawing teeth and highlighting the mouth is a sign of oral aggression. If a child draws this way not of himself, but of another family member, then this is often associated with a feeling of fear, the perceived hostility of this person towards the child.

The child is the first to portray the main or most significant, emotionally loved one. As a rule, this is the mother. The fact that children draw themselves first indicates their egocentrism as age characteristics. Based on this, the drawing sequence is more informative in cases where the child draws first not himself or his mother, but another family member. When a child draws his mother last, this is associated with a negative attitude towards her.

The sequence of drawings of family members can be more reliably interpreted in the context of analyzing the features of the graphic representation of the figures. If the first drawn figure is the largest, but is drawn schematically and not decorated, then such an image indicates the child’s perceived importance of this person, strength, dominance in the family, but does not indicate the child’s positive feelings towards him. However, if the first figure is carefully drawn and decorated, then one can think that this is the most beloved family member whom the child reveres and wants to be like.

Usually children, having received the task of drawing a family, begin to draw family members. Some children first draw various objects, the base line, the sun, furniture, etc. and only lastly do they begin to depict people. It is believed that this sequence of task completion is a kind of defensive reaction, with the help of which the child postpones an unpleasant task in time. This is most often observed in children with dysfunctional family situations, but it can also be the result of poor communication between the child and the psychologist. There is another opinion that if a child’s drawing shows many inanimate objects and few people, then this does not indicate emotionally poor relationships in the family, but about what these emotions are directed towards. Images of a large number of objects related to the same activity emphasize the special significance of this activity for family members. for example, the abundance of upholstered furniture and the presence of adult characters on it means a particular value for this family of rest and relaxation.

Returning to drawing the same family members, objects, details indicates their significance for the child.

Pauses before drawing certain details or family members are most often associated with conflicting relationships and are an external manifestation of internal contradiction. At an unconscious level, the child seems to decide whether or not to draw a person or detail associated with negative emotions.

Erasing what has been drawn or redrawn can be associated with both negative and positive emotions towards the family member being drawn. The final result of the drawing is decisive. If erasing and redrawing did not lead to noticeably better graphic image– one can judge the child’s conflictual attitude towards this person.

The child’s spontaneous comments often clarify the meaning of the content being drawn and reveal the most emotionally “charged” parts of the drawing. Therefore, you need to listen to them carefully. It is possible that they can help guide both post-drawing questions and the interpretation process itself.

** Other researchers recommend using only a simple pencil for drawing (the pressure is better visible) and in no case allowing the use of an eraser. “If the child considers that his drawing is completely “spoiled,” notes V.K. Losev, - then, as a last resort, offer him another sheet, and then compare the difference between the first drawing and the second” (Loseva V.K. Drawing a family: Diagnostics of family relationships. M., 1995).

While he is drawing, do not interfere with the process itself, but watch the order in which household members appear on the paper. When the drawing is ready, ask your child what the names of all the characters in his picture are and start analyzing.

By order: the sequence of appearance of family members indicates the attitude towards them young artist. Usually, children draw their most beloved or most significant family member first. If he forgot to draw someone, this means that the child has a strained relationship with this person. The child often portrays himself in the very center - this means he is confident that his parents love him. And vice versa, he feels abandoned and lonely if he has not drawn himself at all.

By composition: If one of the family members is missing from the picture as a group photograph, ask the child why he forgot him. Such an incomplete portrait is a serious reason to think.

By distance: When there is peace and quiet in the house, all the characters are depicted almost close to each other. The closer the baby draws himself to one of the parents, the stronger his attachment to this person. Any object drawn between people symbolizes a barrier in the relationship between these family members.

By color: He will paint everything that your child loves in warm tones. It will express special affection with rich, bright colors. If a child paints someone’s clothes with blue paint, it means that he feels comfortable next to this person. If it’s green, it means this person is respected and significant to the child. Yellow will mean impulsiveness and guidance to action, red will mean aggression, black color will signal emotional rejection of one of the relatives.

By body part: Carefully drawn facial features signify the love and importance of the parent for the child. If the author of the drawing highlighted his face, this is a sign of narcissism or increased attention to his appearance, but up to 4 years old, such a drawing can be considered the norm. If little artist depicted the mouth of one of the parents as too large, then perhaps this person makes a lot of comments to the child.

If there is no mouth or it is very small, the character in life hides his feelings. Drawn teeth indicate aggression. Characters with big eyes they feel afraid, and with little ones they hide something. Long arms, as well as their complete absence, mean that this person is very powerful and puts psychological pressure on the child. Short arms betray inner weakness. And if a child draws himself with his hands raised up, he wants to assert himself in the family, he lacks attention.

Your child can help not only find, but also neutralize pain points family relationships.
If you are confused in the interpretation of your child’s masterpiece, then just turn over a piece of paper and take the test on the topic “The Family I Want” with it. Ask your child to draw the family of his dreams, and you will see what each of you needs to be happy and give love to your loved ones.

The article will tell you how to correctly conduct the Family Drawing test with your child and how to interpret it.

Family drawing - drawing test for preschoolers: interpretation of test results

A drawing test called “My Family” should be administered to a child over 5 years of age. It was at this time that a conscious picture of the relationship between the parents, their behavior with each other and with the rest of the family had already fully formed in the child’s head.

You can carry out such a test at home yourself (if you have the appropriate psychological education or know how to interpret a drawing). In other cases, the test is performed professional psychologists at kindergartens and schools to learn about mental state child and provide him with timely help by talking with his parents.

IMPORTANT: Timely psychological help, which can be done based on the “My Family” test, can protect the child from trauma, get to know the baby from the other side, and reveal his secret thoughts.

A good test for analyzing relationships in the family and the child and his mental state

Instructions for the “Family Drawing” test, how to do it correctly?

How to conduct the test. Attributes:

• Find a quiet place to do the test that is comfortable and calm. A desk and a comfortable chair are a must.
• Give it to the child Blank sheet landscape or printer paper (it must be completely clean, without any lines, stains or extraneous writing). Allow your child to position the sheet in a way that is comfortable for him: vertically or horizontally.
• For writing instruments, give your child either a set of pencils or a set of felt-tip pens (they are most convenient, since paints or crayons can leave stains and smudges that can interfere with the interpretation of the test). The child should have a full palette of shades (10-12 colors or more) so that he can accurately choose the color that he feels.

Test instructions:

• After you give your child all the paraphernalia, tell him: “Draw your family.”
• Pay attention to how the child reacts to this request. Some children may immediately say “I don’t know”, “I don’t want”, “What is this?” In this case, this characteristic indicates that the child has not yet been given an understanding of the family. If things don’t work out, you can ask your child to draw not his own family, but a family, for example, animals. Such a drawing is also interpreted personally.
• Watch the mood of the child with whom he draws: what grimaces he has, whether he does it silently or constantly tells something, whether he is angry or smiling.

IMPORTANT: If you know that a quarrel or divorce occurred in the family not long ago, it is better not to conduct such a test with your child at this time, since in most cases the child will express all his negative thoughts on paper.

Things to consider:

• Give your child complete freedom of action
• Don't tell him what he needs to draw and where
• Don't stand over the child
• Don't ask him to change pencils
• You should not comment on all of your child’s drawings.
• Interpretation should be carried out only after the drawing is completely completed.
• The drawing should not be interpreted in front of a child.
• Silently observe who the child draws first and who last.

How to draw a family correctly for interpretation psychological test: instructions and rules

Interpretation of the Family Drawing test: rules

Rules:

1. The drawing has nothing random. If there is a stranger on a piece of paper, it definitely has meaning for the child. Or on the contrary: an absent family member is also absent in the child’s sensory understanding: negative feelings towards him, resentment, jealousy, or that person behaves badly and in the drawings the child tries to erase him from his life.
2. If the picture does not show the child himself. This trait characterizes the baby not very the best side: either he does not have his own realization, or he understands that he feels good without his family.
3. Pay attention to the image size. It is believed that the size of the characters on a sheet of paper has a direct meaning: big characters– more significant than small ones.
4. Find out who is where. After the child finishes his drawing, be sure to ask him about who is depicted and where, even if everything is extremely clear to you. Based on the nature of the baby’s interpretation, draw your own conclusions about how he relates to different family members.
5. Fictional character. In some cases, a child may replace an existing family member fictional character and that's just as important. Most likely, this person is not around often.
6. Location. It also matters where each character and family member is located. Those who are at the top of the leaf are the most important and influential in the family, those below are those who must obey.
7. Distance. It also matters how far apart the characters are from each other. Closest to the child will be those family members with whom the child is comfortable and further away those who cause negative emotions.
8. Small child. If a child draws himself very small, this only means that he has very low self-esteem.
9. Close location. If in the picture family members have physical contact (hugging, holding hands, kissing each other, etc.), then this only means that in real life this happens very often.
10. How a baby draws. If a child draws individual elements of a drawing with strong pressure from the pencil, this means that he is most anxious about the object or person he is depicting. If the drawing is uncertain (for example, a thin or trembling line), this indicates that the child is afraid to draw, because he is afraid in real life.
11. Head. Its size matters. The smartest and most sensible member of the family, according to the baby, will have the biggest head, and the one who is stupid and often makes mistakes will have the smallest.
12. Eyes. For a child, eyes are something to cry with, and therefore the ones who are often upset and shed tears will have the largest eyes. The eyes are also what express sadness.
13. Ears. IN children's understanding ears are what you need to listen and “obey.” Those with the largest ears should follow the instructions of adults.
14. Mouth. It is believed that the mouth is given in order to scream and the largest (as well as the open mouth) will be the one who raises his voice the most in the family. In the same time big lips will be the one who kisses often and who often shows his love.
15. Neck. In children's understanding, this part of the body is self-control. If the drawn family member has a neck, he knows how to control his emotions and feelings. If the child himself in the drawing does not have a neck, this is a sign that a lot is demanded of him.
16. Hands. They symbolize mutual understanding and attitude towards other people. If the hands are large and there are many fingers, this character is strong; if not, he is weak in soul and character.
17. Legs. This part of the body is the character's self-confidence. If his feet are in the air, a person has little respect and is not confident in himself; if he stands firmly on the ground, this is his status both in life and in the family.
18. Sun. It always symbolizes warmth and positivity. If the sun is present in the drawings, it means the family is kind and happy. A child in such a family feels protected and loved .
19. House. This element is present in the drawings of those children who love a homely atmosphere, atmosphere and love to always return home because there are no quarrels, scandals and misunderstandings, but only coziness, comfort and affection.
20. Toys. Other elements may also be present: bright clothes, food and sweets, balls and gifts, pets, flowers and much more. All these elements only indicate that the child’s life is happy and filled with pleasant moments.

How to explain to your child the rules for drawing the “My Family” test and what to pay attention to?

Test - drawing of a family: examples

Examples of drawings and indicative interpretations:

Figure: example No. 1

Interpretation: The family has relationship problems. Not the least role in leadership is played by the grandmother, who is present very often and controls the lives of the parents. However, parents know how to manage their emotions, and children are obedient and friendly.

Figure: example No. 2

Figure: example No. 3

Interpretation: The family is happy and friendly. Children love each other very much. Smiles on faces indicate that all family members love and make each other happy. Mom is calm, reasonable and makes important decisions in the family. Dad comes first, which means he is the leader and provider.

Figure: example No. 4

Interpretation: Children love their home very much. There is harmony and understanding in the family. All family members trust each other. Dad is the leader in the family.

Figure: example No. 5

Interpretation: There is some misunderstanding in the family, this can be seen by how far all family members are located from each other.

Figure: example No. 6

Interpretation: Dad knows how to manage his emotions, makes decisions in the family and dominates mom. Mom is sometimes emotional, but the children consider her smart. Children love their parents and try to imitate them in everything (this can be seen by the way they are all dressed).

Figure: example No. 7

Interpretation: The family is unsteady on its feet (there is no soil, perhaps they move often or do not have a home or job). Nevertheless, everyone is confident in themselves and feels their strength in society.

Figure: example No. 8

Interpretation: The children are happy in the family and are friendly with each other and with their mother. Dad is also nearby, but perhaps he is often at work. However, children consider their parents to be reasonable and role models.

Video: “Psychological analysis of a child’s drawing; Methodology for conducting independent analysis step by step”

Methodology "Kinetic Family Drawing" (KFA)

General psychodiagnostics /Ed. A.A.Bodalev and V.V.Stolin. M.: Publishing house Mosk. University, 1987.

Test description

The "Kinetic Family Drawing" test is aimed not so much at identifying certain personality anomalies, but at prognosis individual style behavior, experience and affective response in significant and conflict situations, identifying unconscious aspects of personality.

The experimental procedure is as follows:

For the study you need a sheet of white paper (21x29cm), six colored pencils (black, red, blue, green, yellow, brown), and an eraser.

Instructions to the subject

"Please draw your family." Under no circumstances should you explain what the word “family” means, as this distorts the very essence of the study. If a child asks what to draw, the psychologist should simply repeat the instructions.

The task completion time is not limited (in most cases it lasts no more than 35 minutes). When completing a task, the following should be noted in the protocol:

a) the sequence of drawing parts;

b) pauses of more than 15 seconds;

c) erasing details;

d) spontaneous comments of the child;

e) emotional reactions to their connection with the depicted content.

After completing the task, you should strive to obtain as much information as possible verbally. The following questions are usually asked:

1. Tell me, who is drawn here?

2. Where are they located?

3. What are they doing?

4. Are they having fun or are they bored? Why?

5. Which of the people drawn is the happiest? Why?

6. Which of them is the most unhappy? Why?

The last two questions encourage the child to openly discuss feelings, which not every child is inclined to do.

Therefore, if the child does not answer them or answers formally, you should not insist on an answer. During the interview, the psychologist should try to find out the meaning of what the child drew: feelings for individual family members; why didn’t the child draw a picture of one of the family members (if this happened); what certain details of the drawing (birds, animals) mean to the child. In this case, if possible, you should avoid direct questions and insist on an answer, as this can induce anxiety and defensive reactions. Projective questions are often productive, for example: “If a person were drawn instead of a bird, who would it be?”, "Who would win in a competition between your brother and you?", “Who will mom invite to go with her?” and so on.

Three of them should reveal negative feelings towards family members, three - positive.

1. Imagine that you have two tickets to the Circus. Who would you invite to go with you?

2. Imagine that your whole family is going to visit, but one of you is sick and must stay home. Who He?

3. You. you build a house from a construction set (cut out a paper dress for a doll), and you are out of luck. Who will you call for help?

4. You have “N” tickets (one less than family members) to an interesting film. Who will stay at home?

5. Imagine that you are on a desert island. Who would you like to live there with?

6. You received an interesting lotto as a gift. The whole family began to play, but there was one more of you than necessary. Who won't play?

To interpret you also need to know:

a) the age of the child being studied;

b) the composition of his family, the age of his brothers and sisters;

c) if possible, have information about the child’s behavior in the family, kindergarten or school.

Interpretation of test results "Family Drawing"

The interpretation of the drawing is conventionally divided into 3 parts:

1) analysis of the structure of “Family Drawing”;

2) interpretation of the features of graphic images of family members;

3)analysis of the drawing process.

1. Analysis of the structure of the "Drawing of a Family" and comparison of the composition of the drawn and real family

A child who experiences emotional well-being in the family is expected to draw a picture of a complete family.

Distortion of the real composition of the family always deserves. steely attention, since behind this there is almost always an emotional conflict, dissatisfaction with the family situation.

Extreme options are drawings in which;

a) no people are depicted at all;

b) only people not related to the family are depicted. These reactions most often lie behind:

a) traumatic experiences associated with the family;

b) feeling of rejection, abandonment;

c) autism (i.e. psychological alienation, expressed in the child’s withdrawal from contact with the surrounding reality and immersion in the world of his own experiences);

d) feeling of insecurity, high level of anxiety;

e) poor contact between the psychologist and the child being studied.

Children reduce composition families,“forgetting” to draw those family members who are less emotionally attractive to them and with whom conflict situations have arisen. By not drawing them, the child seems to avoid negative emotions associated with certain people. Most often, brothers or sisters are missing from the picture, which is due to the situations of competition observed in families. The child, thus, in a symbolic situation, “monopolizes” the missing love and attention of the parents for him.

In some cases, instead of real family members, the child draws small animals, birds. The psychologist should always clarify with whom the child identifies them. Most often, this is how brothers or sisters are depicted, whose influence in the family the child seeks to reduce, devalue, and show symbolic aggression towards them.

If a child does not draw himself in his drawings, or only draws himself instead of his family, then this also indicates a violation of emotional communication.

In both cases, the person drawing does not include himself in the family, which indicates a lack of sense of community. The absence of “I” in the drawing is more typical for children who feel rejected or rejected.

Presentation in the drawing is only "I" may indicate different psychological content depending on other characteristics.

If the image of “I” has a large number of body details, colors, clothing decoration, and a large figure, then this indicates a certain self-centeredness and hysterical character traits.

If the drawing of oneself is characterized by a small size, sketchiness, a negative background is created by the color scheme, then one can assume the presence of a feeling of rejection, abandonment, and sometimes autistic tendencies.

It can also be informative increase in family composition, inclusion of strangers in the family drawing. As a rule, this is due to the unsatisfied psychological needs of the only children in the family, the desire to hush up a protected, parental, leadership position in relation to other people’s children (drawn dogs, cats, etc., in addition to family members, can give the same information).

In addition to parents (or instead of them) drawn, Not family-related adults indicate the perception of family negativity, the search for a person who can satisfy the child in close emotional contacts, or the consequence of a feeling of rejection, uselessness in the family.

2. Location of family members

It indicates some psychological features of relationships in the family. Analysis makes it necessary to distinguish what the drawing reflects - the subjectively real, the desired, or what the child is afraid of and avoids.

Family cohesion, drawing of a family with joined hands, their unification in common activities are indicators of psychological well-being.

Drawings with opposite characteristics (disconnected family members) may indicate a low level of emotional connections. Close arrangement of figures conditioned by the plan to place family members in a limited space (boat, small house, etc.), may indicate the child’s attempt to unite, unite the family (for this purpose, the child resorts to external circumstances, because he feels the futility of such an attempt).

In drawings where part of the family is located in one group, and one or more individuals are distant, this indicates a feeling of non-inclusion, alienation. If one family member moves away, one can assume a negative attitude of the child towards him, and sometimes judge the threat posed by him.

3. Analysis of the features of drawn figures

Features of graphic drawing of individual family members can provide a wide range of information: about the child’s emotional attitude towards an individual family member, about how the child perceives him, about the child’s “self-image”, about his gender identification, etc.

When assessing a child’s emotional attitude towards family members, you should pay attention to:

1) the number of body parts. Are there: head, hair, ears, eyes, pupils, eyelashes, eyebrows, nose, mouth, neck, shoulders, arms, palms, fingers, nails, feet;

2) decoration (clothing details and decorations): hat, collar, tie, bows, pockets, hairstyle elements, patterns and trim on clothes;

3) the number of colors used to draw the figure.

Good emotional relationship with a person are accompanied by a large number of body details, decoration, and the use of a variety of colors.

Much sketchiness the incompleteness of the drawing, the omission of significant parts of the body (head, arms, legs) may indicate, along with a negative attitude towards the person, also aggressive impulses towards him.

Children, as a rule, draw their father and mother as the largest ones, which corresponds to reality.

Some children draw the largest or equal in size to their parents myself.

This is due to: a) the child’s self-centeredness; b) competition for parental love, excluding or reducing the “competitor”.

Children who: a) feel insignificant, useless, picture themselves as significantly smaller than other family members; b) requiring guardianship and care from parents.

The absolute size of the figures can also be informative. Large figures spanning the entire sheet are drawn by impulsive, self-confident children prone to dominance.

Very small figures are associated with anxiety and a sense of danger.

When analyzing, you should pay attention to drawing individual body parts:

1. Hands are the main means of influencing the world, physically controlling the behavior of other people.

If a child draws himself with his arms raised up and long fingers, this is often associated with aggressive desires.

Sometimes such pictures are drawn by outwardly calm and docile children. It can be assumed that the child feels hostility towards others, but his aggressive impulses are suppressed. Such drawing of oneself may also indicate the child’s desire to compensate for his weakness, the desire to be strong, to dominate others. This interpretation is more reliable when the child, in addition to “aggressive” hands, also draws broad shoulders or other attributes of “masculinity” and strength.

Sometimes a child draws all the family members with hands, but “forgets” to draw them for himself. If at the same time the child draws himself as disproportionately small, then this may be due to a feeling of powerlessness, his own insignificance in the family, with the feeling that those around him are suppressing his activity and controlling him excessively.

2. Head - center for localization of “I”, intellectual activity; The face is an important part of the body in the process of communication.

If parts of the face (eyes, mouth) are missing in the drawing, this may indicate serious impairments in communication, isolation, or autism. If, when drawing other family members, a child omits the head, facial features, or shades the face, then this is often associated with a conflictual relationship with this person, a hostile attitude towards him.

The facial expressions of the drawn people can also be an indicator of the child's feelings towards them. However, children tend to draw smiling people; this is a kind of “stamp” in drawings, but this does not mean at all that children perceive others this way. For the interpretation of a family drawing, facial expressions are significant only in cases where they differ from each other.

Girls pay more attention to face drawing than boys, this indicates a good gender identification of the girl.

In the drawings of boys, this moment may be associated with preoccupation with their physical beauty, the desire to compensate for their physical deficiencies, and the formation of stereotypes of female behavior.

Teeth presentation and mouth protrusion are common in children prone to oral aggression. If a child draws this way not of himself, but of another family member, then this is often associated with a feeling of fear, the perceived hostility of this person towards the child.

Each adult is characterized by certain details in a person’s drawing, which become enriched with age, and their omission in the drawing, as a rule, is associated with the denial of some functions, with a conflict.

In children's drawings, there are two different schemes for drawing individuals of different genders. For example, a man’s torso is drawn in an oval shape, a woman’s – triangular.

If a child draws himself in the same way as other figures of the same sex, then we can talk about adequate gender identification. Similar details and colors in the presentation of two figures, for example a son and a father, can be interpreted as the son’s desire to be like his father, identification with him, good emotional contacts.

Analysis of the drawing process

When analyzing the drawing process, you should pay attention to:

a) the sequence of drawing family members;

b) the sequence of drawing parts;

c) erasure;

d) return to already drawn objects, details, figures;

e) spontaneous comments.

The interpretation of the drawing process in general implements the thesis that behind the dynamic characteristics of drawing there are changes in thoughts, actualization of feelings, tensions, conflicts; they reflect the significance of certain details of the child’s drawing.

In the drawing, the child is the first to depict the most significant main or the most emotionally close person. Often the mother or father is drawn first. The fact that children often draw themselves first is probably due to their egocentrism as an age characteristic. If the first child to draw is not himself, not parents, but other family members, which means these are the most significant persons for him emotionally.

Notable cases are when a child draws last mother. This is often associated with a negative attitude towards her.

If the figure drawn first is the largest, but is drawn schematically and not decorated, then this indicates the child’s perceived importance of this person, strength, dominance in the family, but does not indicate the child’s positive feelings towards him. However, if the first figure is carefully drawn and decorated, then one can think that this is the most beloved family member whom the child reveres and wants to be like.

Some children first draw various objects, a base line, the sun, furniture, etc. and only lastly do they begin to depict people. There is reason to believe that such a sequence of task completion is a kind of defense with the help of which the child postpones an unpleasant task in time. Most often this is observed in children with a dysfunctional family situation, but it can also be a consequence of poor contact between the child and the psychologist.

Return to drawing the same family members, objects, details indicates their significance for the child.

Pauses before drawing certain details, family members are most often associated with a conflictual attitude and are an external manifestation of the internal dissonance of motives. On an unconscious level, the child seems to decide whether or not to draw a person or detail associated with negative emotions.

Erasing what was drawn redrawn can be associated with both negative emotions in relation to the family member so drawn, and with positive ones. The final result of the drawing is decisive.

Spontaneous comments often explain the meaning of the child’s depicted contents. Therefore, you need to listen to them carefully. Their appearance reveals the most emotionally “charged” places in the picture. This can help guide both post-drawing questions and the interpretation process itself.

The family is a small model of the world in which the younger generation learns to interact with others. Quite often, teachers and psychologists working with children pay attention to the fact that children may experience inconvenience in relationships with their families, but mom and dad - the closest people - do not notice this or do not want to notice. The “Family Drawing” test will help to clearly show adults that there are tense moments in the life of their social unit.

The essence of the “Family Drawing” test

The idea of ​​creation projective test to determine relationships within the family is not new. IN different time it arose in the works of prominent domestic and foreign psychologists - V. Hules, A.I. Zakharov, L. Corman and others. During the test, the child will have to depict his relatives, so he will need to be able to hold the instrument in his hands and connect the lines in the drawing. These skills come to children at different times. The approximate period when diagnostics can begin is the age of 4 years (+/-1 year).

The objectives of the test are the following:

• definition characteristic features relationships within the family;
• identifying the child’s value judgments regarding his loved ones;
• assessment of the subject's role in the family;
• identifying points that cause anxiety in the child.

The experimenter's task is to look at a specific social unit through the eyes of its small member.

French writer Anre Maurois said: “Adults too often live next to the world of children without trying to understand it. Meanwhile, the child closely observes the world of his parents; he tries to comprehend and appreciate it.”

Psychologists recommend throughout preschool and junior school age repeat the test once every 6 months, and then once a year (up to grade 11). This frequency will allow timely detection and elimination of possible intra-family conflicts.

You can learn more about the relationships within a child’s family by simply asking him to do a simple drawing.

Research procedure

Before starting the test, the adult must make sure that everything necessary is prepared:

• sheet A4;
• colored pencils (blue, red, green, brown, yellow, black);
• eraser.

Some diagnostic interpretations do not involve the use of colored pencils. However, the interpretation of the shades chosen by the test subject is important aspect analysis. An eraser is also, according to some scientists, optional. Meanwhile, ideally, the experimenter should record in the protocol, having free form how often does the baby use an elastic band? In order not to turn the test into a drawing “I’ll wipe it until it’s perfect,” you don’t need to focus the child’s attention on this accessory. It is enough to put it on the side, but in plain sight.

The research can be carried out either in individual form(which is desirable) and in a group, but in order to concentrate the attention of the subjects there should not be more than five of them.

It is possible to conduct the test in a group form, but it is not recommended

Instructions for organizing diagnostics:

1. The subject is given a piece of paper located horizontally with the words: “Here is a piece of paper, please draw your family. You can use colored pencils."
2. The child begins the test, and the adult, minding his own business, watches him.
3. After the drawing is completed, invite your child to sign the characters so that it is clear who is who. If the subject does not know how to do this, ask him for permission to write in his own hand.
4. Then you should ask your child questions:

• Who did you draw?
• Who didn't you draw and why?
• Where did you draw the family?
• What is everyone doing in the picture?
• What is your mood here: are you happy or bored?
• Who is the funniest, saddest, happiest in the picture? Why?
• Who do you like more than others? Why?
• How are children punished for disobedience or bad behavior in the depicted family?
• How do you feel in the drawing? What would you like to change to feel better?

If it is difficult to come to an accurate conclusion regarding family relationships based on the answers to the questions, then it is worth offering the child 6 problem situations, 3 of which reveal the subject’s negative feelings about the family, and 3 others - positive:

1. Imagine that you have two tickets to the circus. Who would you invite?
2. Imagine that your whole family is going to visit, but one of them is sick, and therefore has to stay home. Who will it be?
3. You are putting together a puzzle (making a craft, sculpting it from plasticine), and not everything works out for you. Who will you ask to help you?
4. Imagine that the ship you were traveling on ended up on a desert island. Who would you be comfortable living with there?
5. They gave you board game, the whole family has gathered to play, but one turns out to be too many. Who won't participate?
6. Which family member can be left at home if one movie ticket is missing?

It is important to remember some nuances of drawing diagnostics:

• There is no need to test when your baby is overexcited or not feeling well. Otherwise, the data obtained will not be objective.
• There is no need to decipher who is meant by family. If your child starts bombarding you with questions like “Should I draw my grandma/aunt/uncle?”, just repeat that you need to draw a family.
• Do not direct the “artist”, even if you notice that he forgot to draw someone’s ears, and, for example, completely overlooked his grandmother.
• Don't make assumptions. After the image is ready, you should not puzzle the child with questions from the series: “Who is this, uncle?”
• Do not insist if the subject does not express a particular desire to talk.
• Do not discuss test results in front of your child.

Interpretation of the result

For a more complete understanding of the situation, the experimenter needs to consider:

• time spent on the entire drawing and on the image of each character (for example, the baby took 10 minutes to draw mom, 3 minutes to draw dad);
• image order (whom the child presented first, second, last);
• breaks in work for more than 15 seconds with an indication of the reason (for example, if the subject is wondering who to portray next);
• what lines or details the child erased;
• any comments during the work;
• emotions that arise during the drawing process (for example, the baby portrayed his grandmother with a smile, his brother with a frown, and so on).

Psychomotor indicators

The harder the baby presses on the pencil, the higher his self-esteem. If the tool breaks through the paper, this indicates that the child is hyperactive, perhaps often showing aggression.

The sweeping strokes and the scale of the drawing itself indicate that the author is very decisive in his actions and confident in himself. If the contours are blurred and the lines intersect, then the baby suffers from increased excitability. However, when thin or thick lines are used only in the image of an individual family member, this indicates the excitement that the child experiences for this person. Not completed and going beyond the contours - an indicator psycho-emotional stress test subject.

The higher the plot of the drawing is located, the higher status the child ascribes to himself.

Image characteristics

Color

How brighter picture, the more favorable the actual situation in the child’s family

The brighter and lighter the gamma, the higher the baby’s vitality, the more optimistic he looks at life. If a child depicts himself with a predominance of one color and then repeats the same shade in someone else, then the subject considers this person an authority for himself.

Psychologists say that the predominance of red indicates the psychological discomfort that the baby experiences in the family.

If the test taker has given up coloring altogether, then he is likely experiencing severe anxiety and problems with self-esteem. Perhaps the child is being discriminated against or even humiliated in the family.

Size, order and arrangement The larger the character, the more significant his prototype is for the subject. For example, if a pet

the same size as the parents, then relationships with family are less important for the baby than caring for a cat or dog. The ratio of the size of family members is analyzed using the same principle: if mom is larger than dad, then the baby considers her more significant in his life. The image of oneself speaks of how much a full member of the social unit the child considers himself to be. If he is represented by a small figure somewhere on the side, then the “artist” takes the place of a helpless “appendage” to his parents. When own image

the child is placed between adult relatives, this signals that the baby needs care and protection, but this is an absolutely natural need, so this arrangement is considered the norm. In this case, it makes sense to say that the child suffers not only from lack of attention, but also, possibly, from physical abuse. Such situations require analysis by a specialist in child psychology. It also happens that the subject draws only himself, without other family members. This usually happens if the baby is raised by one parent and there are no other relatives in his environment, or when mom and dad are completely uninterested in the child’s life and are rarely at home.

If a child draws himself first, then most likely the family spoils him and his whole life is built around him. If the last one, after the pets and signatures, suddenly remembered that he had forgotten himself, this means that the subject does not feel like a stranger. It is considered the norm when a child first portrays his parents, then himself, and then other relatives: grandparents, aunts, and so on.

The closest and loved one the test taker draws closest to himself (usually these figures are holding the child’s hand). And vice versa, the more difficult it is for him to find mutual language

with someone, the further the character will be from the author. Completely “forgotten” relatives, whose images are absent, are those towards whom the child feels negative or does not feel any emotional connection with them.

Body parts The image with the largest head is the smartest member of the family, according to the child. Large eyes indicate that a person has problems and is asking for help. At the same time, independent and calm relatives will be depicted with slitted eyes. “Forgotten” ears are a sign that this person does not understand the child at all, does not hear. Open mouth - indicator hidden threat

for a baby, but a small dash instead of lips is a symbol of the character’s isolation. Huge hands combined with big amount