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Clinical psychologists' ability to use the Draw-A-Person test as an indicator of personality adjustment

Clinical psychologists' ability to use the Draw-A-Person test as an indicator of personality... Journal of Consulting Psychology 1964, Vol. 28, No. 4, 383 CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGISTS' ABILITY TO USE THE DRAW-A-PERSON TEST AS AN INDICATOR OF PERSONALITY ADJUSTMENT* ROBERT W. SCHAEFFER Florida State University Although validational studies of specific Draw- normal subjects were hospital attendents rated as A-Person Test (DAP) hypotheses have typically "well adjusted" or "very well adjusted" by nurs- been negative, the DAP is, next to the Rorschach, ing supervisors on work attendance, work quality, the test clinicians most prefer. Since ABEPP and interpersonal relations. The judges were in- clinicians use the DAP to evaluate overall per- formed of the procedures used in obtaining the sonality adjustment, not specific DAP hypoth- subjects, then evaluated "level of adjustment" by eses, it has been suggested that past failures to indicating the 10 normal, 10 neurotic, and 10 psy- establish DAP validity have been due to inappro- chotic DAPs. priate validational criteria (Sundberg, 1961). The Despite wide differences in clinical training and present study investigated the ability of psychol- experiences, the judges did not differ in their ogists to use the DAP as an index of personality ability to correctly identify the DAPs; no judge's adjustment and the relation between this ability total correct identifications exceeded chance. Re- and clinical training and experience. peated applications of the Kruskal-Wallis test Seventeen clinical psychologists (PhDs = 12; showed no significant relation between total cor- MAs = 5) and 17 clinical trainees employed in rect DAP identifications and (a) judges' esti- university clinics and Veterans Administration mated level of correct identification, (6) fre- and state hospitals, and five nonpsychologists (a quency of use of the DAP in clinical evaluation, social worker, a vocational counselor, and three (c) familiarity with Machover's hypotheses, (d) secretaries) evaluated a total of 30 DAPs ob- clinical experience, (e) academic training. Special tained from normal, and hospitalized psychotic training in the use of the DAP was positively and neurotic female subjects who were matched correlated with total correct identifications, but for age, education, and socioeconomic level. The insignificant (rho = .13). All judges correctly neurotic and psychotic subjects disorders were identified several psychotic and normal DAPs, psychogenic, as indicated by medical, psychiatric, and all judges misclassified several normal DAPs neurological, and psychological evaluation. The as psychotic, and several psychotic DAPs as nor- mal. This interjudge consistency suggests that ob- 1 An extended report of this study may be obtained jective characteristics of some DAPs influence without charge from Robert W. Schaeffer (Psychol- judges' decisions, independently of clinical train- ogy Department, Florida State University; Tallahas- ing. The factors responsible for this interjudge see, Florida) or for a fee from the American Docu- consistency need further investigation, but it is mentation Institute. Order document No. 7945 from the author's subjective impression that this con- ADI Auxiliary Publications Project, Photoduplication Service, Library of Congress, Washington, D. C. sistency may be related to artistic quality of the 20S40. Remit in advance $1.75 for microfilm or drawings. $2.50 for photocopies and make checks payable to: REFERENCE Chief, Photoduplication Service, Library of Congress. This research was done partially under the auspices SUNDBERG, N. D. The practice of psychological testing of State Hospital Number 1, Fulton, Missouri, during in clinical services in the United States. Amer. Psy- the author's tenure as a United States Public Health chologist, 1961, 16, 79-83. Service Predoctoral Research Fellow at the Univer- sity of Missouri, (Received August 27, 1963) http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Journal of Consulting Psychology American Psychological Association

Clinical psychologists' ability to use the Draw-A-Person test as an indicator of personality adjustment

Schaeffer, Robert W.
Journal of Consulting Psychology , Volume 28 (4): 1 – Aug 1, 1964
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Publisher
American Psychological Association
Copyright
Copyright © 1964 American Psychological Association
ISSN
0095-8891
eISSN
1939-2117
DOI
10.1037/h0046925
Publisher site
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Abstract

Journal of Consulting Psychology 1964, Vol. 28, No. 4, 383 CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGISTS' ABILITY TO USE THE DRAW-A-PERSON TEST AS AN INDICATOR OF PERSONALITY ADJUSTMENT* ROBERT W. SCHAEFFER Florida State University Although validational studies of specific Draw- normal subjects were hospital attendents rated as A-Person Test (DAP) hypotheses have typically "well adjusted" or "very well adjusted" by nurs- been negative, the DAP is, next to the Rorschach, ing supervisors on work attendance, work quality, the test clinicians most prefer. Since ABEPP and interpersonal relations. The judges were in- clinicians use the DAP to evaluate overall per- formed of the procedures used in obtaining the sonality adjustment, not specific DAP hypoth- subjects, then evaluated "level of adjustment" by eses, it has been suggested that past failures to indicating the 10 normal, 10 neurotic, and 10 psy- establish DAP validity have been due to inappro- chotic DAPs. priate validational criteria (Sundberg, 1961). The Despite wide differences in clinical training and present study investigated the ability of psychol- experiences, the judges did not differ in their ogists to use the DAP as an index of personality ability to correctly identify the DAPs; no judge's adjustment and the relation between this ability total correct identifications exceeded chance. Re- and clinical training and experience. peated applications of the Kruskal-Wallis test Seventeen clinical psychologists (PhDs = 12; showed no significant relation between total cor- MAs = 5) and 17 clinical trainees employed in rect DAP identifications and (a) judges' esti- university clinics and Veterans Administration mated level of correct identification, (6) fre- and state hospitals, and five nonpsychologists (a quency of use of the DAP in clinical evaluation, social worker, a vocational counselor, and three (c) familiarity with Machover's hypotheses, (d) secretaries) evaluated a total of 30 DAPs ob- clinical experience, (e) academic training. Special tained from normal, and hospitalized psychotic training in the use of the DAP was positively and neurotic female subjects who were matched correlated with total correct identifications, but for age, education, and socioeconomic level. The insignificant (rho = .13). All judges correctly neurotic and psychotic subjects disorders were identified several psychotic and normal DAPs, psychogenic, as indicated by medical, psychiatric, and all judges misclassified several normal DAPs neurological, and psychological evaluation. The as psychotic, and several psychotic DAPs as nor- mal. This interjudge consistency suggests that ob- 1 An extended report of this study may be obtained jective characteristics of some DAPs influence without charge from Robert W. Schaeffer (Psychol- judges' decisions, independently of clinical train- ogy Department, Florida State University; Tallahas- ing. The factors responsible for this interjudge see, Florida) or for a fee from the American Docu- consistency need further investigation, but it is mentation Institute. Order document No. 7945 from the author's subjective impression that this con- ADI Auxiliary Publications Project, Photoduplication Service, Library of Congress, Washington, D. C. sistency may be related to artistic quality of the 20S40. Remit in advance $1.75 for microfilm or drawings. $2.50 for photocopies and make checks payable to: REFERENCE Chief, Photoduplication Service, Library of Congress. This research was done partially under the auspices SUNDBERG, N. D. The practice of psychological testing of State Hospital Number 1, Fulton, Missouri, during in clinical services in the United States. Amer. Psy- the author's tenure as a United States Public Health chologist, 1961, 16, 79-83. Service Predoctoral Research Fellow at the Univer- sity of Missouri, (Received August 27, 1963)

Journal

Journal of Consulting Psychology – American Psychological Association

Published: Aug 1, 1964

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