Historically, the Draw-a-Person test (also called the Goodenough-Harris Draw-A-Person test or Draw-AMan test) was used as a relatively culture-free means of assessing nonverbal intelligence or to screen for emotional or behavior disorders, primarily in children and young adolescents. There are also versions that encompass the lifespan.
This test is quite simple to administer, and the directions readily understood by most clients, even young children. They are asked to do their very best job of drawing three separate figures: a man, a woman, and themselves. They are not instructed on order of presentation, nor are they offered a time limit in which to complete the drawings, although most people finish their drawing within about 10 to 15 minutes.
There is a detailed, standardized and normed scoring system that incorporates a number of different areas:
See also Assessment, psychological ; Intellligence; Mental age ; Projective techniques.
BOOKS
Cohen, Ronald Jay, et al. Psychological Testing and Assessment: An Introduction to Tests and Measurement. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2013.
Shneidman, Edwin S. Thematic Test Analysis. New York: Grune & Stratton, 1964.
Tiliopoulos, Niko, and Simon Boag. Personality and Individual Differences: Theory, Assessment, and Application. New York: Nova Science, 2011.
PERIODICALS
Arteche, Adriana, et al. “Draw-a-Person Test: The Sex of the First-drawn Figure Revisited.” The Arts in Psychotherapy 37, no. 1 (February 2010): 65–69.
WEBSITES
infosources.org. “Draw-A-Person Test.” http://www.infosources.org/what_is/Draw-A-Person_Test.html (accessed September 17, 2015).