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Interpretations for Human Figure Draw Hair
Drawing Expression D Hair given much attention • Narcissism
- Homosexual trend
- Infantile or repressed sex drives.
C
Sx Sx Hair emphasis (shaded) • Sensuality or sensual needs
Sx Sx Hair on female • Regression D Hair emphasis with heavy shading • Anxiety over sexual needs possibly Sx Balding male figures, hair white on male figures
- Feeling of masculine insufficiency and lack of virility Sx
Hair parted in middle, head split • Feminine identification dealt with by narcissism and obsessive-compulsive mechanisms
Sx
Sparse, unpressured hair • Inadequate virility Sx Hair mussed • Sexual acting out (sexual immorality) Sx Hair reinforced • Assaultiveness Sx
Head
Head clearly indicated • Feeling of anxiety or of inferiority relative to body functions
Sy
Appendages attached to head • Immaturity + primitive characters structure
- Regression
- Mental retardation + (denial or repression of physical drives-children as subjects)
C
D
I
Large head • Paranoid + concern about sufficiency of intellect (brain-damaged, retarded) + (emphasis on fantasy ; children as subjects)
- Fantasy preoccupied + intellectual aspirations (with possible grandiosity) + over-ideational subject + pride over intellect
- Introspection
P
Sy
T
Head enlarged on opposite sex • Opposite sex viewed as smarter or as possessing greater social authority
Ob
Head drawn last • Thought disorder possibly
- Conflict over interpersonal relations
P Ob
Hat plus buttons, hat but no clothes, hat on nude figure
Hat crease • Fantasy relative to female genitalia Sx Head malformed • Organicity Or Hat transparent • Primitive sexual behavior Sx Profile head • Poor judgment Sy Profile head, full face body • Social anxiety with need for contact Sy Head dim • Self-consciousness Sy Features dim with emphasis on head contour
Face turned toward page so that back of head shows
Face
Facial expression self-preoccupied • Prevailing attitude and mood
At C Confusion of full face and profile • Schizophrenia
- Mental retardation
- Primitive cultural origin
P
I
Sy Beard, moustache, other facial hair (male subject)
- Doubts about activity with compensatory virility striving + sexual inadequacy possibly
Sx
Entreating facial expression • Conception of self as dependent, helpless, insignificant
Sy
Facial scars on same-sex figure • Impaired self-esteem + possible expectation of aggression from environment + possible symbolization of psychic trauma
Sy
Facial expression placating • Insecurity Sy Face dim • Self-consciousness + shyness Sy Full face view • Social dependency + social accessibility
Sy T
Eye
Eye a circle (no pupil) • Egocentricity + immaturity
C
N
D
Eye large, no pupil • Voyeuristic tendency with guilt Sx Eye closed • Schizoid C Eye small • Self-absorption
C
Sx Eyes large • Homosexual trend Sx Eye a dot with pressure, unenclosed eye emphasized, large, staring.
- Paranoid
- Ideas of reference
P
Sy Eye emphasized • Aggression externalized or overt Sy Eye prominent • Assaultiveness + mach-over indices differentiating assaultive from nonassualtive subjects
Sy
Eye reinforced • Assaultiveness Sy
Eye Brow
Trim eye brow • Disdain
At T Eye brow brushy • Uninhibitedness T
Eye Lashes
Lashes long • Coquettishness + seductiveness + self-display Sx Lashes large; Lashes on male • Homosexual trend Sx
Nose
Ear emphasized or enlarged • Schizoid
- Auditory hallucinations + paranoid + schizophrenia
- Passive homosexual conflict or tendency
- Ear injury or hearing disability + ideas of reference + sensitivity to attitudes of others + sensitivity to criticisim
C
P
Sx Sy
Neck
Neck omission • Immaturity
C
Sy D Neck long • Schizoid
- Hysterical swallowing inhibition
- Problems with control of anger or primitive drives
C
So Sy Neck excessively large • Awareness of physical impulses with effort to control them
Sy
Neck short, thick • Self-indulgence
- Uninhibited impulse expression
C
T
Narrow neck • Depression N Neck like giraffe • Schizophrenia P Neck thin • Repression D V-neckline on female, male subject • Breast fixation + voyeuristic tendency Sx Neck emphasis (children as subjects) • Need for defensive intellectual control Sy
Shoulders
Shoulders massive on male • Compensation for felt inadequacy (male subject) D Shoulders exaggerated or other masculine details
- Feeling of masculine insufficiency and lack of virility Sx
Shoulders wide on female • Sexual conflict Sx Shoulders squared • Aggressive tendencies Sy Shoulders drooping • Dejection
- Guilt + lack of drive energy and vitality
D
Sy Broad shoulders • Physical power drive T
Breasts
Breasts small • Maternal figure un-nurturing Ob Breast area emphasized, buckle, buttons on clothing over breast of figure
- Dependency
- Affectional deprivation + identification with mother possibly
C
Ob
Breast emphasis male subject • Passive dependent (oral dependent) C Breast emphasis, female subject • Feminine identification with dominant mother Sx Breast emphasis, female figure, male subject
- Maternal dependency and domination Ob
Breast area emphasized • Homosexual trend + sexual immaturity Emotional Immaturity + insecurity
Sx Sy Buttons • Immaturity C
Body
Body emphasis (under-clothed) • Egocentricity + shizoid C Body of lower area of female visible through transparent skirt
- Involutional sex problems (male subject) Sx
Body omitted (no trunk) • Immaturity + primitive characters structure
- Regression
- Mental retardation +(denial or repression of physical drives-children as subjects)
C
D Sy
Dim line body or no body • Feeling of anxiety or of inferiority relative to body functions
I
Body distortions • Psychotic tendency P Full bodies with shaded or thin legs. • Feeling of decline associated with advancing age So
Hat clearly indicated / dim line body or no body
Trunk incomplete • Regression D
Trunk rounded • Feminine tendency (effeminacy) Sx Trunk rounded (male subject) • Homosexual trend Sx Trunk not closed at bottom • Sexual preoccupation Sx Emphasis on circles in depicting body • Feminine tendency (effeminacy) Sx Curved lines on body of male • Feminine tendency (effeminacy) Sx Angular body ; trunk angular or square • Masculine tendencies or masculinity Sx Angular body • Aggressive tendencies + criticality Sy Elongated anatomical areas • Phallic symbol Sy Emphasis on circles in depicting body • Submissiveness Sx
Arms
Arms long • Ambition for accomplishment or acquisition T Arms long, weak, over extended • Dependency + asthmatic
C
Ob So Arms long and powerful • Need for autonomy T Large arms • Assaultiveness + guilt Sy Arms omitted • Depression
N
P
Sy Armless figure of male (male subject) • Strong sexual drive associated with guilt + wish to be castrated
Sx
Arms heavy, shaded on opposite sex • Opposite sex viewed as punishing Ob Arms omitted or short arms on opposite sex
- Rejection by maternal or paternal figure of opposite sex
Ob
Arms long and hands prominent, female figure
- Wish for protective maternal figure (male subject) Ob
Arms extended from body and over-long • Aggression externalized or overt Sy
Arms tapering • Feminine tendency (effeminacy) Sx
Grape fingers • Immaturity C Fingers, fingernails carefully depicted • Compulsive body image problem, as in early schizophrenia
P
Claw fingers, Spear fingers, talon fingers • Paranoid P
Claw fingers • Aggression externalized or overt Sy Short fingers • Anxiety Sy Long fingers • Regression D Large fingers • Assaultiveness Sy Long fingers, spear fingers • Aggression externalized or overt Sy Stick fingers • Assaultiveness + infantile aggression + Mach-over indices differentiating assaultive from nonassualtive subjects
Sy
Finger omitted or over-extended • Masturbatory guilt Sx More than five fingers • Aggressive tendencies
Sy T
Less than five fingers • Helplessness Sy Fingers, no hands • Assaultiveness + infantile aggression Sy Fingers reinforced • Assaultiveness Sy Shaded fingers • Guilt (as masturbation or theft) Sy Grape fingers; petal fingers • Infantile traits + insecurity Sy Scissors fingers • Subject is castrating or views maternal or parental figures as castrating
Sy
Fingers without hands • Mach-over indices differentiating assaultive from nonassualtive subjects
Sy
Fingers with carefully indicated joints and nails
- Obsessive control of aggression Sy
Fingers articulated carefully and cut off by line
- Repressed aggression + withdrawal Sy
Knuckle
Knuckle emphasis • Schizoid
- Schizophrenia
- Maternal dependency
- Psychosexual immaturity
C
P
Ob Sx
Waist
Waist narrow (male subject) • Homosexual trend Sx
Back
Back of male figure to observer, male subject
- Desire to be a woman + feminine identification (men) Sx
Buttock
Buttock emphasis; buttocks on male • Homosexual trend Sx
figure unusually emphasized or large and rounded Buttocks emphasized • Sexual conflict Sx
Hip
Hip emphasis on male figure (male subject)
Legs
Shaded legs • Homosexual anxiety Sx Legs tapering • Feminine tendency (effeminacy) Sx Legs show through; pants transparent • Homosexual anxiety Sx Leg distortion or reinforcement (left side, male figure, male subject)
- Sexual role conflict or confusion Sx
Legs masculine on female figure • Sexual role conflict or confusion Sx Legs of male figure large • Assaultiveness Sy Legs reinforced • Assaultiveness Sy Legs omitted • Discouragement + withdrawal Sy Profile legs • Poor judgment Sy Legs long • Need for autonomy T
Feet
Feet omitted or dim • Schizoid
C
Sy Feet omitted • Withdrawal Sy Feet and legs drawn first • Depression
N
N
Foot of male emphasized • Involutional impotency Sx Phallic foot • Sexual inadequacy and preoccupation Sx Foot emphasized • Assaultiveness
- Mach-over indices differentiating assaultive from nonassualtive subjects
Sy Sy
Feet small (male subject) • Insecurity Sy Feet on base of page • Need for stability because of disturbance produced by a conflict
Sy
Shoes shaded • Insecurity Sy
Heel
High heel on male (male subject) • Homosexual trend Sx
Organs
Organs shown • Manic tendency
P
P
Internal organs shown (internal anatomy), • Schizophrenia P
Pressure • Aggressive tendencies
Sy Sy Excessive and heavy pressure • Antisocial personality (psychopath)
- Paranoid
- Epileptics
- Organicity
- Extreme tension
- Assertiveness
- Energy
C
P
P
Or Sy Sy T Fluctuating pressure • Impulsivity
C
C Sy
Light pressure • Repression
- Feeling or insignificance or lack of worth
D
Sy T Pressure variations • Adaptability
T
T
T
Lines
Rhythmic stroking • Responsiveness
T
T
Energetic, unhesitant stroke • Perseverance
T
T
Constricted stroking • Tension
Sy Sy Length of stroke movement decreases • Excitable subjects Sy Circular strokes • Dependency
Sy Sy Right to left strokes • Introversion (self-oriented) T Left to right strokes • Need for help or support
- Extroversion (environment oriented)
Sy Sy Stroking in (toward the body) • Introversion (self-oriented) T Circular strokes; trunk rounded • Feminine tendency Sx Circular strokes • Emotionality T Short strokes • Impulsivity C Short sketchy strokes / sketchy lines • Anxiety
Sy Sy Sy Long strokes(children as subjects) • Controlled behavior T Strokes away from subject • Aggressive tendencies
- Extroversion (environment oriented)
Sy Sy Rounded curves • Sexual inadequacy Sx Horizontal stroke; rounded lines • Femininity Sx Horizontal stroke • Emphasis on fantasy
Sy Sy Vertical stroke • Hyperactivity
Sy T
- Determinedness T indeterminate vacillating stroke • Insecurity
- Lack of perseverence
Sy Sy Straight line strokes (children as subjects) • Assertiveness T Midline emphasis (stressed midline) • Dependency
- Schizoid
- Conversion or somatic preoccupation
- Maternal dependency
- Insecurity
C
C
D
Ob Sy Body line reinforced, varied pressure • Explosive personality (emotional instability) C Emphasis on curves in depicting body • Narcissism C Very faint line • Inadequacy
- Apprehensive neurotics (apprehension with neurosis)
- Chronic schizophrenia
- Withdrawn schizophrenic
C N N P P P
Body line heavy • Apprehensive neurotics (apprehension with neurosis)
N
Sy Fading line • Hysteric tendency N Heavy thick lines • Depersonalization fears
P
Sy Disconnected lines • Psychotic tendency
P
Sy Broken lines • Anxiety
Sy Sy Reinforced lines • Anxiety
Sy Sy Sy Pressured lines • Assertiveness T Straight lines • Aggressive tendencies Sy Light lines, light pressure • Low energy So Heavy lines • Hostility
- Mach-over indices differentiating assaultive from nonassualtive subjects
D
Sy
Jagged lines • Assaultiveness Sy Fluctuating line • Tension Sy Thin elongated line • Tension Sy Dim line • Timidity Sy Firm lines • Ambition
T
T
Unbroken reinforced lines outlining figure • Isolation D Uninterrupted straight lines • Decisiveness T Measurement lines or stick frame • Perfectionism Sy Combination of firm, heavy and light lines • Assaultiveness Sy Few curves, many sharp edges • Aggressive tendencies
Sy Sy Uneven line pressure • Anxiety Sy
Sy Sy Knife • Aggressive tendencies
Sy Sy Weapons • Aggressive tendencies Sy Strong wind in scene of H.F.D. • Felt rejection to strong environmental pressure or stress with fear of psychoses
Sy
Mask • Secretiveness T
