Karen Machover’s human figure drawing test uses an extremely simple application technique, as well as being economical and feasible. This facilitates the administration and diagnosis of this test to subjects with low performance and poor schooling or with difficulties expressing themselves orally.
The application of the Machover psychological test consists of presenting the examinee with a sheet of white paper, a pencil and an eraser and asking them to draw a person. While the subject works, the examiner is taking notes secretly from his identification, the approximate time he spends drawing each part of the body and the sex he drew first, the comments he makes while drawing, etc. When she finishes, she is given another sheet of paper and asked to draw another human figure of the opposite sex.
Next, in this Psychology-Online article, we explain in detail What is the human figure test for and how to do it and interpret it.
Test of the human figure by Karen Machover
Given the difficulty of evaluating the personality and psychological state of children through language and reasoning, a widely used option is project tests, which consist of interpreting drawings. Among them is the human figure drawing test by Karen Machover or DHF test. Other widely used projective tests are the , the and the .
If you want to know more about the interpretation of projective techniques, we recommend reading this article on
Technical sheet of the human figure test
The data from the Machover test technical sheet are:
- Author: Karen Machover
- Classification: projective test
- Application: individual or collective
- Age: from 7 years
- Material: 2 sheets of white paper and pencil
- Time: approximately 20 minutes
What does the human figure test measure?
What does the human figure drawing test evaluate? What is the Machover test for?
“Personality does not develop in a vacuum, but through the movement, feeling and thinking of a specific body.” Karen Machover
Graphic-projective methods were born thanks to the need to explore the motivations of behaviors that cannot be manifested through direct communication between people. These methods are better known as projective techniques or tests.
An intense experience has shown that drawings of the human figure represent a deep and intimate personality expression of the one who draws. When a subject tries to draw a person, he must solve different problems and difficulties by looking for a model within his reach.
How Karen Machover’s human figure test is applied
The Machover test can be applied to boys, girls, adolescents, women and men. The person is asked to carry out the drawing of a whole person. If you draw just the head you are kindly asked to complete your drawing. If he is reluctant to draw, it is explained to him that the drawing only has to do with a psychological test and not with the quality of the drawing. It is important to note the order that the drawing sequence follows, that is, which part of the figure comes first and which comes last.
The second part of the drawing has to do with “associations”. The examiner takes the drawing and says: “Okay, now let’s see if we invent a story about this person as if he were a character from a theater or novel.” Depending on the subject’s age, several questions are asked about him/her related to the patient’s attitudes toward himself/herself and toward others. The information obtained in these associations It is of great clinical value and should not be dispensed with in order to interpret drawings.
How to interpret Karen Machover’s human figure test
The basic assumption verified by clinical experience is that drawn human figure is related with impulses, anxieties, conflicts and compensations characteristics of the individual. In a sense, the figure drawn is the same person. For example, if in a drawing a person erases the arms and changes their position, it is because he does not know what to do with his own arms. Next, we show other aspects about the interpretation of the drawn human figure.
Human figure
One of the aspects to interpret of the Machover test are the following characteristics of the human figure:
- According to your sex: indicates that you identify with and stereotype the behaviors of your sex.
- Not according to their sex: indicates conflicts or ambivalences in sexual identification.
- If it is a profile figure: indicates an evasion of the environment and problems with the environment.
- The figure in front: indicates a desire to confront the demands of the environment, is frank and socially stable.
- If you have a background: indicates a need for support to reduce concern or anxiety about conflicts with the environment.
Figure size
The size of the human figure influences the following way:
- If its big: indicates an exaltation of the ego, an undervaluation of the environment and a propensity for fantasy and internal self-control.
- Yes it’s normal: with a height of 12 to 20 cm. Approximately, it will indicate emotional balance.
- Yes it’s small: indicates overvaluation of the environment, possible concealment, going unnoticed by the environment and a submissive reaction.
Symmetry of a drawing of a person
The symmetry of the drawing is also an important factor in the human figure test. Find out what it reveals:
- Excess symmetry can be interpreted as rigidity.
- The rigidity of the drawing can manifest itself as a defense against the environment.
- Very symmetrical drawings indicate perfectionism and exhibitionism.
Figure position
The position of the human figure in the drawing has the following interpretations:
- If it is located at the top of the sheet: indicates insecurity with a tendency to withdraw and act out fantasy.
- If it is below it will indicate pessimism:, tendency to depression and presence of little physical activity.
- If it is on the right: indicates problems with authority, negativism and resistance to change.
- If it is on the left: indicates inhibition, manifests insecurity, evasion and introversion.
- If it is at the top left: reveals a tendency to withdraw from the environment, need for support and emotionality.
- If it is at the top right: reveals the ability to actively confront the environment.
- If it is at the bottom left: shows possible fixations with conflicts that occurred in previous stages.
- If it is at the bottom right: shows the will and capacity for discipline, but at the same time stubbornness.
- If it is centered, and in the middle of the sheet: indicates emotional balance, ease of adapting to the environment and making positive decisions.
Drawing theme
The theme of the drawing of the person also influences the interpretation of the human figure test. We tell you how below:
- It must be investigated if the drawn figure is a stereotypea specific person or an image of yourself.
- If a ridiculous character is drawn as a representation of a person: indicates avoidance of feelings of physical inferiority. They are usually smaller figures and are towards the introverted (left) side of the page.
- If the drawn figure is older: may indicate identification with parents.
- He content involving body details and the arrangement of the figure’s clothing are interpreted according to the meaning given to them.
Interpretation of a drawing of a person: the face
Face It is the most expressive part of the body and, generally, it is the first thing that is drawn of a person. It is the social aspect par excellence of the drawing and the center of communication and must be proportional. If people omit facial features, it indicates an aggressive delineation to their environment and is evasive with those around them. If facial features are omitted it indicates that relationships with people are poor and hostile.
Shy people darken their facial features, and outline their head to a greater extent, giving importance to the “SELF” and a tendency to repress social participation. Giving exaggerated emphasis to facial features indicates fantasies compensated with aggression and dominance. If this is your case, we recommend you read this article where you will see.
Facial expression
Facial expression is one of the characteristics of a drawing of a person who is directly judged with considerable confidence. The most frequently marked lines are found in the area of the nasolabial fold and on the forehead.
The large number of variants places individual facial features as one of the main sources in the content analysis. The subjects unconsciously give the figure a expression of fear, surprise, aggression, admirationetc…
Mouth
- The mouth appears in children’s drawings almost as early as the head.
- If the mouth is very emphasized, it manifests being verbally aggressive and a tendency to become easily irritated.
- With forced smiles he indicates that he wants to please or have forced sympathy.
- If it has teeth it indicates aggression.
- If the language is drawn, orality is intensified at a more primitive level.
- If it has full lips it indicates effeminacy.
- If your beard is emphasized, it indicates that you have dominance tendencies and decision problems.
- If the mouth is omitted, it indicates communication problems with your environment and shyness.
- If the mouth is excessively marked, it can express a whim towards food, indecent language and bad mood.
- If the mouth is drawn with a thick broken line, it indicates aggression.
- If the mouth is in the shape of a wide line and turned upward, giving the shape of a clown’s mouth making faces, it indicates that one wants people’s approval, or an inappropriate affection, its meaning depending on other aspects of the drawing.
The lips
- The lips contribute to the tone of facial expression. If they are thick on the male figure, it is considered a trait of effeminacy.
- A somewhat more complex way to demonstrate interest in the oral erotic zone is to include a cigarette, pipe, etc. in the drawing.
Chin
The chin is an area that is given little importance, however it has it, it is often symbolic when it is accentuated, erased, shading this region can indicate a strong tendency to be socially powerful, aggressive and dominant.
The eyes
- The eyes concentrate the social function of social communication, they are the basic organ for contact with the outside world.
- The eyes serve to warn the individual of the threatening elements that surround them.
- If they are large, they tend towards extroversion, hypersensitivity to social opinion and aggression problems. If they are small, it indicates introversion problems.
- If the pupils do not appear in the eyes, it indicates introversion and egocentrism problems. Furthermore, he perceives the world vaguely, with little discrimination of details.
- If you draw them closed, it indicates a tendency to deviate from reality, they close themselves off from the world with the purpose of isolating themselves in their own narcissism.
- If they are provided, it does not show any type of conflict.
- The penetrating eye indicates a socially aggressive attitude.
- The large, dark, pointed or threatening eye indicates hostility or…