Psychological definition of personality. What do you see first in the picture? Psychological determination of personality How to determine mental state from a drawing

Psychology studies human nature and can explain various forms of human behavior. Such an opportunity as the study of characteristic personality traits using drawings has grown into a whole technique. Research tests are suitable for both children and adults. The techniques are extremely simple and do not require special preparation. The results are striking in their accuracy. What are the most common psychological tests for unconscious drawings?

Drawing test “Draw a house”

The test task is easy to understand based on the name of the psychological test. It is also not difficult to interpret the results from the drawings; human psychology is structured in such a way that without meaning to, he will talk about his inner world.

This drawing test can act as an independent study, or it can become the key to other tasks in which a person depicts a house.

Drawing test “Choose a figure”

The sheet shows square, triangle, rectangle, circle and zigzag. A person is asked to first choose one figure that he associates with himself, and then arrange the remaining elements in order of personal preference. The psychological response consists of two components: the figure chosen first characterizes the dominant personality traits, the remaining details complement the image.

Incorrigible workaholics put first place square. Such people always finish what they start with perseverance and diligence; they have excellent memory and a sense of responsibility. Idealists do not lose sight of any details and like to “put everything on the shelf.” Undoubtedly, such qualities are useful at work, but they are very annoying in their personal life. Family happiness is guaranteed if you manage to find a soul mate with the same character.

Triangle They are chosen by true leaders who are strong, courageous, energetic, self-confident, able to soberly assess the situation and sensibly analyze what is happening. In all areas of life, these people reserve the right to a decisive vote, do not change their decisions and do not know how to admit their own mistakes. All life is spent in competition and struggle for first place.

Personalities - " rectangles“are in a state of constant change. They are inconsistent and unpredictable, always dissatisfied with something and always looking for something better. Naivety and curiosity generate not only a keen interest in everything unknown, but also incredible courage. Therefore, such people are rarely alone.

Selected circle always strive for harmony. Through the efforts of these philanthropists, a friendly atmosphere in the work team and a favorable atmosphere in the family union are maintained. They know how to listen and support, are very sensitive and insightful. Psychology can become their life's work.

Open zigzag- preference for creative creative people. They are often expressive and eccentric, almost always naive and impractical. Excellent intuition, a subtle sense of humor and the ability to find a common language with everyone compensate for shortcomings.

Drawing test “What do the doodles hide?”

Involuntary tracing of a pen on a piece of paper can tell a lot about a person's character.

This psychological test is considered one of the most truthful. After all, the information that a person gives out unconsciously is considered the most true. All secret thoughts, hidden experiences, unjustified hopes are projected onto paper.

Drawing test “Secrets of the inner world”

A very interesting and easy-to-perform psychological test that can ultimately provide significant answers to many life questions. To conduct this you will need a pen (or pencil), a blank piece of paper and a few minutes of free time.

First you need to divide the sheet into four equal parts. In the upper left sector you need to draw a dot, in the upper right sector - a rectangle, in the lower left part the “=” sign is drawn, and the lower right part remains empty. Now you need to discard all extraneous thoughts, calm down and start performing the test. To do this, you need to finish drawing in the first three fields everything that first comes to mind. You shouldn’t waste effort on masterpiece paintings, even if it takes no more than 15 seconds to create one image. And in the last square you should draw a boat floating on the waves. That's all, you can start decoding.

Answers to the psychological test “Secrets of the inner world”

1. Top left picture talks about interaction with the outside world. If more dots or other small scattered details were added, then we are talking about a sociable, open personality. And spirals, circles, ovals indicate a closed, alienated person.
2. Top right picture reveals the inner self. Selfish people try to reduce the area of ​​contact between the drawing and the rectangle or even draw elements away from the figure. Good-natured, sociable people associate their image with the one proposed. Most often this is a wall, a parallelepiped, or a brick. Altruists tend to draw a picture of the house.
3. Third drawing responsible for relationships with the opposite sex. The fewer details and the further they are from the lines, the easier and simpler the thread of communication is built. Unconfident individuals draw piled-up pyramids of various symbols and signs.
4. Last drawing- this is Love. Romantics add a lot of unnecessary details: sails, stars, clouds, oars, people, animals. Practical natures with a strong character and alien to sentimentality depict a simplified scheme without any frills or intricacies. Passionate dreamers rushing headlong into feelings will undoubtedly draw a stormy sea, on the waves of which the boat of love rocks.

Everyone wants to look at themselves from the outside, to evaluate the psychology of the inner world from a different angle. You can determine a psychological portrait using drawings. A person will spontaneously put on paper all his personality traits, even those that are difficult to admit to himself.

Psychological test: House-Tree-Person. How to decipher it correctly?

Psychological test is a tool that helps specialists understand the state of the psyche of an adult or child. The simplest testing method is an ordinary drawing. If you know how to decipher it correctly, you can find out about all the fears and problems of the person who drew it.

Psychological test based on drawings - house, tree, person: decoding with interpretation for children

• If you want to find out how your baby really feels, then ask him to draw a house, a tree, a person, and then carefully examine the drawing, paying attention to all, even the smallest details. The first thing you should pay attention to is how hard your little one presses the pencil when creating her masterpiece. If the lines are weakly expressed and barely noticeable, then this indicates that you are growing up a timid and somewhere passive person who is trying to be invisible.
• It is also a bad sign if the child uses an elastic band very often. This indicates uncertainty and excessive anxiety. If a son or daughter draws with strong pressure, this indicates that they are quite tense. In addition, you must pay attention to what colors the picture is made of. The ideal option is to use pastel colors.
• Typically, this indicates that you have been able to develop a personality that lives in harmony with its environment. But still remember, so that the moral state of the children remains the same, it is extremely important for them to feel your love, and it will be better if you show it tactilely. To do this, it will be enough to hug and kiss your child a couple of times a day.

Interpretation of the colors of the picture:

• Red. This color scheme should not alarm you as it is most often used by open and restless children. Yes, sometimes they may disobey or even act out, but this speaks more about individual characteristics rather than mental disorders.
• Blue. Most often, this color scheme is preferred by calm, balanced children who sometimes like to be alone with themselves.
• Green. This color scheme should alert young parents as it indicates that your baby lacks attention. If you do not try to correct this state of affairs, then with a high probability we can say that your child will grow up withdrawn and will be afraid to trust people.
• Yellow. The predominance of such a color scheme indicates that a dreamy person is growing in your home, who looks at the world around him through rose-colored glasses.
• Dark shades(black, brown, gray). The use of such a color scheme indicates that your child has quite serious psychological problems, which without proper correction can turn into a rather severe depressive state.

• Another criterion that you must pay attention to is the placement of the house, tree and person in the drawing. If the child drew the figures you suggested as very large and cumbersome, this indicates that your baby’s anxiety is quite high, and he cannot relax even when he knows for sure that nothing threatens him. True, in this case there is one exception to the rule. If a hyperactive child is growing up in your house, then this arrangement of figures on a piece of paper can be considered quite normal.
• If the house, tree and person are located at the very top of the leaf (as a rule, the lower part remains completely clean), then this indicates that you raised a child with very high self-esteem. In the future, such a child may have problems at home, in kindergarten or at school. Due to the fact that the son will consider himself better than everyone else, he will not be able to find true friends and, worst of all, will not be able to fit into the children's team.
• A negative signal is very small figures located at the bottom of the sheet. Most often, children who have psychological problems draw this way. It is likely that your child is depressed or has very low self-esteem. Ideally, all the details of the drawing should be drawn as proportionally as possible and in no case overlap each other.

• Well, at the last stage, conduct a general analysis of what your child has drawn. Be sure to pay attention to how he depicted the person and where he placed him. If a person comes out very sad and very small compared to other objects, then this indicates that your child is very lonely and feels unnecessary to anyone. It is likely that you simply spend little time with your child, and in his subconscious there is an opinion that he is not that important to you.
• Also a bad signal is the complete absence of facial expressions in a person. This suggests that your baby has a rather poor emotional state, indicating terrible moral well-being. As for the house, it should also be as realistic as possible. Of course, a small child is unlikely to be able to draw an ideal home, but still, because he does this, you can understand how comfortable he feels in the family. So, if the house turns out to be very small and located as if far away, then it is likely that your baby feels rejected or alien.
• If the house has normal dimensions and is placed proportionally in the picture, then this indicates family harmony and openness of your baby. Also a good signal is the presence of doors and windows at the painted home. A reason to be wary is a tree that seems to be hiding behind the house. Most often, children of very strict and dominant parents who try to control every step of their child arrange their vegetation this way.

Psychological test based on drawings - house, tree, person: decoding with interpretation for adults

As you probably already understood, a drawing can tell a lot about a person. True, in the case of adults, more attention should be paid to the small details of the resulting picture. Unlike children, they can already control their emotions and very often try to deceive a specialist by using the right color scheme or drawing with the right pressure. Therefore, the first thing you should pay attention to is whether there is a wisp of smoke above the house.

If a very thin stream comes from the chimney, then this shows that the person is emotionally exhausted and does not feel warmth and care from his loved ones. Too thick smoke coming from the chimney indicates that a person is under very strong moral stress. And the thicker and darker the smoke coming out, the worse the internal state of the person undergoing the test.

Deciphering the house

• If a person draws a beautiful, proportional house that has all the windows and doors, then this indicates that he is in harmony with himself and with those around him. If the building is depicted without windows and doors, this is a sign of a closed person, which is most often provoked by quite strong problems at work. In this way he is trying to show that he is not going to let anyone into his life. Also a bad signal is the presence of steps or stairs that are not located near the door or window, but simply near a blank wall. As a rule, this is how a long-standing conflict manifests itself, which requires an immediate solution.

• Also pay attention to how the walls of the home are drawn. If they are clear and clearly visible, then the person does not have any special problems. But if the lines denoting the outline of the house are very thin, almost transparent, then the person feels some kind of danger and is afraid that he will not be able to protect himself from it. Open doors at home indicate that a person has no problems either at home or at work, and is always happy to have guests. But if the doors are too large and occupy most of the wall, then this indicates that the man or woman has problems with self-esteem and at the moment they are trying to show their importance and irreplaceability.

• Another negative sign is the lock on the door, especially if it is very large. As a rule, in this way a person’s subconscious shows his hostility, closedness and aggressiveness. Windows can also tell a lot about a person. If they are of normal size and there are flowers on them, then this indicates that the person does not have any psychological pressures that interfere with his life. If the windows are almost completely covered with curtains, it means that it is difficult for a person to interact with the outside world, and he is trying to isolate himself a little from it.

Decoding a drawing of a person

• Most often, the presence of problems in men and women is indicated by the size of the person they depict in the picture. The smaller and more noticeable it is, the more insecure the person being tested feels. In this case, proportions are also very important. After all, if, for example, the person depicted has a very large head, then this indicates a desire to dominate others. A too small head shows that a person has problems with intellectual development, and he is very worried about this. If a man or woman does not like criticism and tries to distance themselves from unpleasant words, then the picture will depict a man without ears.

• The size of the neck can also tell about internal psychological problems. A wide, but at the same time short neck indicates that males and females have character traits that they do not like, but they are trying to get rid of them. A neck that is too long and thin is usually depicted by people who are prone to aggressive behavior and who do not know how to keep their emotions under control. And, of course, don’t forget to pay attention to the person’s arms and legs. If they are drawn as clearly as possible, with bright lines, then this indicates that in front of you there is a man or woman who stands firmly on the ground and is not afraid of any difficulties arising.

• As for the eyes, they also play a huge role in deciphering the drawing. If a person draws very small eyes, this indicates that he is too immersed in his internal problems. The presence of too large eyes indicates that the person being tested is rude and assertive. But beautiful and fluffy eyelashes reveal a flirtatious person who loves the attention of the opposite sex.

Decoding the tree drawing

• The more symmetrical and beautiful the tree is depicted in the picture, the more harmonious a person feels. If somehow part of the tree is larger or smaller than necessary, then this indicates the presence of psychological problems. For example, if a person draws a small tree and very massive roots, then this is a sure sign that he has some problems that he is trying to hide from strangers.

• Very often in a picture you can see a tree whose leaves are poorly drawn, but at the same time the trunk is very brightly painted. This state of affairs indicates that the test taker is not afraid to face difficulties. Branches hanging down seem to tell us that a person has given up and is not even trying to deal with the problems that arise on his life’s path.

• Pay special attention to the lines used to draw the tree. If all the lines are clear, smooth and are not interrupted anywhere, then we can definitely say that in front of you is an individual who is not afraid of life’s difficulties and always goes towards his goals. If the lines are crooked and periodically interrupted, then this is evidence of indecision, cowardice and inhibition.

Description of the drawing according to the method of house, tree, person: how to draw and draw correctly?

• If you decide to conduct a similar psychological test on your child or simply one of the adult family members, remember that in order to get the most accurate result, you need to give the person complete freedom of thought. You have no right to tell him how to draw this or that part of the drawing. It is also strictly forbidden to push the test taker to choose a certain color. The entire time the person is completing the task, you will have to sit silently on the sidelines. And it will be even better if you leave the room altogether for a while. This way you will allow the person to be alone with you.

• Also be sure to take care of the place where the testing will take place. You must create conditions in which the person will be as comfortable as possible. This means that on the table on which he will draw there should be no objects that distract attention. Ideally, only a piece of paper, pencils and an eraser should be on the table. If a child is being tested, then in addition to the above-mentioned things, you can also place markers and paints on the table.

• With their help, the baby will be able to reveal his inner world as well as possible. As for drawing, there are no clear rules. You just have to give the person a task, and he must decide for himself where he will start creating the drawing. All that will be required of you in this situation is to silently observe and wait patiently for him to finish.

While the person is being tested, you will need to record:

1. His reaction to the task
2. How quickly did he figure out what was required of him?
3. How quickly does a test taker decide on a color?
4. How long did it take for the person to complete the task?

After the drawing is ready, you can ask your child or adult questions that will help you get the most accurate result. But remember, you must do this in the most relaxed manner possible. In general, a conversation with a child is best done in a playful way. After all, the more relaxed he is, the more reliable information his subconscious will give out.

Test questions:

• Who did you depict in the drawing, boy or girl (man or woman)?
• Is it you or your relative?
• Do you like what you drew?
• What kind of tree did you draw?
• Why do you like it so much?
• Is this your house?
• What is your home made of?

In principle, the questions can be different, as long as they are relevant to the picture. For example, during a post-drawing survey, you can ask the test taker why some significant details are missing in his drawing (leaves on a tree, windows and doors on a house, or ears on his head). You should also be interested in the not entirely correct arrangement of the elements of the picture.

For example, obliquely growing trees or very skewed walls of a house. A person must definitely try to explain why he sees his world in a slightly distorted form. After you find out all the details that interest you, you can begin the final analysis of what the person has drawn.

Video: Psychoriunok. An example of analysis of the drawing test “House Tree Man”

Surely each of us has scribbled something more than once during boring lectures, meetings, or while talking on the phone. We draw some curlicues, draw animals and little men and do not even suspect that they can say more about us than we know ourselves.

The fact that you can learn a lot about a person’s personality, character, and mood from drawings has been confirmed by many psychological studies. Psychologists have been using various drawing tests and techniques in their diagnostics for a long time. The meaning of reflecting a person’s inner world on paper is this: any of our thoughts, processes, ideas in the psyche ends in movement. So, our fears, unconscious desires, feelings accumulate in the form of a certain energy in the muscles, and when a pencil and paper appear in front of us, the hand itself, as it were, splashes all this onto the surface of the sheet.

Pattern position Regarding the free space on paper, it can also say something, even if it is a small piece of a notebook page or a corner of a telephone directory. If it is located closer to the upper edge, then you have a very high , but at the same time you may be dissatisfied with your position in society (at work, parties) and feel a lack of recognition from others. The picture at the bottom means that you are unsure of yourself, indecisive, or uninterested in increasing your own importance. If the pictures are predominantly on the left, you are emphasizing your past experiences, focusing on past experience. The right edge of the sheet is drawn - this indicates a desire to quickly bring the events of the future closer; your life and emotions are always turned to something in the future.

If lines your drawings are “shaggy”, bold, then perhaps something is bothering you or you are very worried about some unresolved problem. Weak and thin “web-like” lines indicate energy savings, body fatigue, etc. If your drawings are rather angular, the lines are perpendicular, then this indicates some unexpressed aggression, that at the moment it is difficult for you to adapt to something or someone new. Jagged, uneven lines reveal insolence and hostility. And if the lines are smooth and rounded, then you are a soft, calm, feminine person. When you “draw” one contour for a long time, outlining a figure in one movement, this means that you require privacy, you strive for isolation from external events.

Sometimes it happens that we we shade some fragment of our drawing. Short strokes mean you are an excitable person, long strokes mean you are measured and calm. The strokes are straight and clear - you are persistent and persistent, and if they are sketchy and light - you are slightly anxious and unsure of yourself. When you slowly and rhythmically shade some fragment, you are relaxed and free. Horizontal strokes mean femininity and weakness, while vertical strokes mean stubbornness and determination.

Your “I” can easily be seen in size your creations. The picture is large - this indicates that you have quite high self-esteem, you are expansive, prone to vanity and even arrogance. And if you strive to occupy all the free space, then perhaps, with a feeling of self-doubt, you extol your status in your imagination in a compensatory way. A small drawing means anxiety, emotional dependence and stiffness.

If you are drawing stars, then you want to be the center of attention, it is important for you to be bright and always noticed. But if your star has too many rays or you depict them separately from it, this may indicate.

When you're drawing out patterns like wallpaper, this indicates that you are bored, tired of a telephone conversation or a lecture, or maybe even your whole lifestyle. Come up with something new, buy an interesting thing or clothes that are unusual for you, do an extravagant act - and the melancholy will go away by itself.

Build on paper honeycomb– you strive for peace, harmony, you want to streamline your life. It is also quite likely that.

Spirals, circles or wavy lines mean that other people's problems do not concern you too much or do not interest you at all. Maybe you are even experiencing a slight emotional crisis: you are walking in a circle of your ambiguous experiences. Now you need to monitor your behavior so as not to lose your temper and lash out at others.

Squares, triangles and other geometric shapes– you have clear goals and beliefs, you almost never hide your opinion, you are always persistent and persistent. You are usually overly vigilant and cautious, so try to keep things simple.

Circle figure(especially if empty) symbolizes a tendency towards secrecy and isolation. You close your inner world and do not want to give information about yourself. You don’t like it when not only strangers, but also fairly close ones, meddle in your life and your affairs.

If you are constantly doing something shade or draw grids, then you are probably in an awkward position or have entered into a risky business, and in such a situation you will not take the initiative into your own hands, but will agree to everything that is offered to you, endure the insult and restrain your irritation. The drawing resembles grille- then you feel driven into a corner or try to isolate yourself from such an obstacle.

When they appear on your piece of paper chess fields, then, apparently, you find yourself in a very unpleasant or at least difficult situation. If such images appear frequently, then you most likely suffer from hidden complexes associated with the inability to resolve some situation or are in search of yourself, your life path, and doubt the correctness of your life.

Interweaving circles– it seems to you that you are outside of some important events, you want to take part in something, join some kind of community. And here intertwining hearts means you are full of feelings and ready

Drawing for a child is not art, but speech. Drawing makes it possible to express what, due to age restrictions, he cannot express in words. In the process of drawing, the rational goes into the background, prohibitions and restrictions recede. At this moment the child is absolutely free. A child's drawing most often clearly demonstrates the area of ​​interest of the youngest artist. In the early stages of development (up to three years) these are dashes, lines, circles. The child “tests” a pencil or brush and experiments. Usually he first makes a drawing, and then comes up with what he depicted, what This it might be similar. Later (by the age of four) appears concept of the drawing . From a certain age (3.5 – 4 years), a person becomes the object of close attention and study. From the point of view of psychodiagnostics, a person’s drawing is one of the most accurate and reliable sources of information. The only difficulty is that the information contained in such a message is figuratively “encoded”, and the drawing must be “read” correctly. Psychologists who use drawing techniques in their work must have sufficient qualifications and experience working with children. However, attentive parents can always notice something unusual in a child’s creative work, sense his mood, and sense hidden tension. Therefore, as “first aid”, we offer several lessons on analyzing a child’s drawing.

The details of a child's drawing depend on age

The child should be asked to draw his family. Moreover, so that everyone is busy with some kind of activity. Let him have a selection of colored pencils and enough paper - a regular landscape sheet (A4 format) will do just fine. Do not rush your child or comment on his drawing during the drawing process. And when he finishes the family portrait, it’s time to ask questions: who exactly did he paint and what are all these characters doing? When starting to analyze a drawing, adults should take into account that its content and, relatively speaking, quality depend on the age of the young artist. In three-year-old children, people most often look like “cephalopods”: certain creatures whose body and head are a single “bubble” with legs. A face may also appear. But, strictly speaking, It will be more accurate to analyze a drawing from the point of view of personal development and psycho-emotional state from the age of 4-5 . By the age of four, a child usually already depicts a person in the form of two ovals with arms and legs - sticks. In the drawings of five-year-old children, the head, eyes, torso, arms, and legs appear. At six years of age, the nose, mouth, and fingers are added to the above (their number is not significant). By the age of seven, “painters” no longer lose sight of such details of the human image as the neck, hair (or hat), clothing (at least in schematic form), and depict arms and legs with double lines. Typically, these criteria are used when assessing a child’s mental development.

Analysis of a child's drawing based on... one's own feelings

Home hierarchy

Particular attention is paid to the analysis of the structure of the family picture. It is necessary to compare its real composition with that depicted by the child on paper. You should also evaluate the order of drawing, the size of the figures and their location on the sheet. The first and largest, as a rule, is depicted the most significant family member in the understanding of the young artist. Children usually draw themselves next to those to whom they feel the greatest affection. And farthest away in the picture is the child’s most unsympathetic relative. The image in profile or from the back also indicates a tense relationship between this family member and the author of the drawing. Children live by momentary experiences. And often an emotional relationship with someone close (a recent quarrel, resentment) can make adjustments to the drawing. In this case, the baby may even “forget” someone. For example, 6-year-old Alyosha does not draw his father, who pays little attention to him and is rude. And his absence in the picture is explained by the fact that “dad went on a business trip.” Alisa (4 years old) did not draw her little sister Ksyusha, explaining her absence by saying that the baby was “sleeping in another room.” The girl cannot come to terms with the fact that her mother does not pay as much attention to her as before because of her sister. The opposite situations also occur, when the child depicts in the drawing really non-existent family members. Sasha (5 years old) surprised his mother a lot when he drew a picture of a baby playing next to him and announced that he finally had a brother! Such “adjustments” to the composition of the family are made by children who are dissatisfied with their emotional situation. They need more friendly attention from adults and games “on equal terms”, or better yet, entertainment in the company of other similar kids. What family members are doing also plays an important role when analyzing a child’s drawing. If they are united by some common cause, most often this indicates a favorable family climate. Very significant an indicator of psychological closeness is the real distance between the depicted figures . By drawing himself separately from others, a child can “signal” his isolation in the family. If he separates his family from each other with partitions or places them in different “rooms,” this may indicate problems in communication. The size of the image indicates the place this person occupies in the emotional life of the family. For example, if a child draws a younger brother or sister larger than himself, then we can assume exceptional attention to him from his loved ones. He "occupies a lot of space in their lives." The absence of the smallest artist in the drawing is a frequent sign that the child feels lonely in the family and has “no place” in relationships between loved ones. You can check this by asking your child the question: “Perhaps you forgot to draw someone?” It happens that a child ignores even a direct instruction: “you forgot to draw yourself” or explains: “there is no space left,” “I’ll finish drawing it later.” This situation is a serious reason to think about family relationships. A very dense image of figures, as if overlapping each other, speaks of equally close relationships between people close to the baby or his need for such connections.

“Writing manner” assessment

A fairly common sign of increased anxiety in a child is self-correction. Especially those that do not lead to improved image quality. There are drawings made from individual small strokes - the child seems to be afraid to draw a decisive line. Sometimes the entire drawing or some of its parts is hatched. In such cases, one can also assume increased anxiety in the young artist. It is worth paying attention to the exaggeratedly large eyes in the portrait, especially if their pupils are densely shaded. Perhaps the baby is experiencing a feeling of fear. Numerous decorations, the presence of additional details and elements of the costume from the author of the drawing indicate the child’s demonstrativeness, his desire to be noticed, and his craving for external effects. This is more common in girls. Very weak pencil pressure, low (not for age) detail pattern is found in children who are asthenic, prone to fatigue, emotionally sensitive, and psychologically unstable. And children, whose mood changes easily, for no apparent reason, usually often change the pressure during the drawing process: some lines are barely noticeable, others are drawn with noticeable effort. Impulsive kids often do not complete the lines or, conversely, draw in a sweeping manner, which is why their drawings give the impression of being careless and uncontrolled. Here, strong pressure and gross violations of symmetry attract attention. Sometimes the drawing “does not fit” on the sheet. There are drawings where everything the figures are depicted very small. Usually the entire composition is oriented towards some edge of the sheet. This means that the baby feels weak and does not believe in his own strength. Perhaps one of his relatives is very strict with him or the requirements for the child do not correspond to his real capabilities. If baby depicts himself in an open pose (arms and legs are widely spaced, the figure is large, often round), this indicates his sociability and cheerfulness. On the contrary, a “closed” pose (arms pressed to the body or hidden behind the back, elongated, angular figure) rather indicates a closed person who tends to restrain his feelings and thoughts. Both in the drawings of boys and in the drawings of girls one can often notice symbols of aggressive tendencies behavior: large accented fists, weapons, intimidating pose, clearly drawn nails and teeth. Despite the apparent hostility, they can be an expression of defensive behavior . Adults should figure out what is a source of increased emotional danger for their child, and why he needed such a demonstration of his strength. A special place is occupied drawings that violate accepted image standards . In particular, the image of the genitals. For young children (under 4 years old) this is rather a common occurrence. This reflects the tendency towards naturalness of life in all its manifestations. For older preschoolers, such a drawing speaks of demonstrativeness, a desire to attract attention in a provocative way, and serves as an expression of aggression.

Is the palette a mirror of the soul?

Children very early begin to “feel” color and select it according to their mood and attitude. Dr. Max Lüscher, a psychologist and color researcher, studied different people's color choices. He came to the conclusion that the choice of color reflects the psychological qualities of a person and his state of health. Number of colors the child uses can be viewed from several perspectives. First of all, this is a characteristic of the level of development of the emotional sphere as a whole. Usually children use 5-6 colors. In this case, we can talk about a normal average level of emotional development. A wider palette of colors suggests a sensitive nature, rich in emotions. If a child over 3-4 years old draws with 1-2 colored pencils, this most likely indicates his negative state at the moment: anxiety (blue), aggression (red), depression (black). Using only a simple pencil (if there is a choice) is sometimes interpreted as a “lack” of color, thus the child “reports” that there is a lack of bright colors and positive emotions in his life. The most emotionally significant figures are highlighted with a large number of colors. And openly rejected characters are usually drawn in black or dark brown. Colors can also convey certain character traits and states. Each color has its own symbolic meaning :

• Navy blue – concentration, focus on internal problems, need for peace and satisfaction, introspection;
• green – balance, independence, perseverance, stubbornness, desire for security;
• red – willpower, eccentricity, outward focus, aggression, increased activity, excitability;
• yellow – positive emotions, spontaneity, curiosity, optimism;
• violet – fantasy, intuition, emotional and intellectual immaturity (children often prefer this color);
• brown – sensory support of sensations, slowness, physical discomfort, often negative emotions;
• black – depression, protest, destruction, urgent need for change;
• grey – “lack” of color, indifference, detachment, desire to leave, not to notice what is disturbing.

From theory to practice

So, the kid spent a few minutes over a sheet of paper with pencils in his hands, and the picture is ready. How much that is important for him and for his parents is hidden in this drawing! Let's try to read it? Here the child has depicted himself, but the pose is unstable and there is no face. How to communicate without a face? - Difficult! Here is the baby in the crib, lying down to rest. Perhaps he was tired. Or maybe he's sick? And the color I chose was brown. Yes, that’s right – temperature! Why do all the girls draw princesses? This is exactly how they feel or...really want it. Just to be in the center of attention, to be the most... And what is the demand for a princess? Here is a boy, armed to the teeth. He needs protection. Maybe someone offended him.

Examples of analysis of specific drawings:

Children's drawing 1

The author of this “family portrait” is Alyosha (6 years old).

Age criterion The child’s behavior contains features characteristic of an earlier age; the emotional-volitional sphere is characterized by immaturity. All characters in the picture are depicted in the same way. Clothing, with its inherent details, is missing. Hairstyle acts as a symbolic sign of gender. The characteristic absence of a neck in the depicted people in this case indicates the difficulty of controlling the mind over bodily impulses, that is, Alyosha’s behavior is characterized by high mobility, and at times, disinhibition and impulsiveness. Emotional characteristics The drawing is bright, light, cheerful, orderly, rather friendly. Features of the family image The family in the picture is shown in its entirety. In the center of the composition is dad as an important subject in the domestic hierarchy. We can assume with reasonable confidence that mother is physically and emotionally closer to Alyosha. The pairs formed are noteworthy: mother - son (the youngest in the family), father - daughter. Sister Lena is the furthest from the author of the drawing. Probably, not everything is going well in their relationship. It is significant that of all the family members, only dad “stands firmly on the ground.” The rest are floating, a little “in the clouds.” In general, we can talk about fairly warm and close relationships between family members. This is evidenced by the small distance between them, the choice of a common color and the image in the same color scheme of a house with smoke from a chimney, symbolizing the “warmth of the family hearth.” "Manner of writing" All lines of the drawing are made with confident, decisive movements. It is probably this style of behavior that is most characteristic of Alyosha. But strong pressure and accentuated shading of the boy’s body speak of internal restlessness, anxiety, perhaps physical (literally bodily) malaise. The hairstyle reveals an active, sometimes perhaps aggressive, nature. An interesting detail is the peculiar antennas (according to Alyosha), which in the picture “grow” from the boy’s ears. They symbolize the need for information to compensate for difficulties in communication (the child in the image does not have a face). The poses of all the characters are open, their figures are round, which suggests cheerful, sociable people. In the case of Alyosha, this apparent contradiction may mean: “I want to communicate, play, but they don’t always understand me.” Palette The color scheme of the picture is very symbolic. The little artist chose the signal red color for all family members, especially for himself. This indicates an outward orientation, sociability, and increased activity of the author of the drawing. Additional green emphasizes the desire for independence and the desire to insist on one's own as a habitual way of behavior. An important detail of the drawing is the clearly drawn surface of the earth. If Alyosha spent a lot of time on her image, this is probably something important to him. In this case, we can consider the earth as a need for support, greater stability and stability. The goal of analyzing a drawing is always to gain a deeper understanding of the child, look at the family through his or her eyes, and identify paths to positive change. In this case, I would like to recommend to Alyosha’s parents that they pay more attention to deep, confidential communication with their son, talk to him more often just like that, and ask his opinion on various issues. They should also consider what is the difficulty of contact between son and daughter. And active recreation and outdoor games can significantly reduce emotional and physical stress.

Children's drawing 2.

Its author is Maxim (4 years 10 months)

Age criterion This pattern is more typical for six-year-old children. We can say that the boy is developing intellectually ahead of his age. Emotional characteristics The drawing is bright, dynamic, but restless. Features of the family image. The family is depicted in its entirety. Noteworthy is the sexual identification of the young author with his father (see clothes). However, emotionally the child is still closer to his mother, which is typical for a preschooler. It’s interesting that the boy doesn’t seem to have enough space in the drawing; he’s unsteady on his feet. His position is unstable and changeable. Palette The child chose the color purple for himself, which, combined with his insecure position in the family (this was mentioned above), indicates possible psycho-emotional instability and frequent mood swings. For mom, the little artist chose an energetic, somewhat chaotic, yellow color. Dad is brown. In his image, attention is concentrated on the physical body. This is how a child sees his parents. "Manner of writing" The figures are large, angular - most likely, in the child’s communication there is some straightforwardness and a tendency to conflict (sharp corners). Noticeable shading and clearly drawn pupils suggest the presence of hidden anxiety.

Children's drawing 3

Petya, 6 years old.

The drawing is bright, rich, energetic, well organized. It is quite consistent with the artist's age. The family structure is divided into “adult” and “children” groups. The younger brother and sister strive to be emotionally and physically closer to Petya. Probably the family has psychologically close, equal relationships. Mom is the most vivid, emotional image. The child identifies the image of the mother with the help of color and draws it first. Petya portrays himself as an adult. The arms are somewhat shortened compared to other images. This is usually found in the drawings of children who consider themselves insufficiently skilled and are critical of their practical skills and capabilities. The sun and flowers are very often found in children's drawings. It is worth paying attention if their appearance is unjustified by the situation. For example, the sun appears in a drawing of a room. Then we talk about the need for warmer relationships in the family. In Petya’s drawing, these symbols most likely indicate a positive attitude towards his family.

Children's drawing 4

Polina, 7 years old.

Often children draw arbitrarily, without a special task or request: “I’m drawing a girl like me.” In this case, we observe a somewhat idealized child’s idea of ​​himself. Let's pay attention to Polina's drawing. It is located at the top of the leaf, quite large and bright. We can talk about the child’s positive self-esteem, activity, and emotionality. The girl is probably distinguished by high self-control, developed intelligence, and sociability. But she lacks stability (note the accentuated drawn line of the ground and the child’s small legs). From a psychological point of view, we are talking about self-doubt. This usually happens in a family where one child is being raised: he is given, as paradoxical as it may sound, too much attention, every step is controlled and directed. Thus, the child is deprived of the opportunity to somehow demonstrate independence. Gradually getting used to this situation, the child is afraid to take the wrong step and waits for “valuable instructions.” Maybe Polina should sometimes make her own mistakes and learn from them?

Children's drawing 5

Alexandra, 4 years old.

The drawing is dynamic, bright, somewhat chaotic. The emotional center of the family is undoubtedly the mother: warmth (the sun), the child, and the dog are concentrated around her. Her dress is decorated with a pattern. Please note that Sasha portrays herself as equal to adults and only her legs do not reach the ground. The girl's character is probably combative, impulsive, and boyish. The lines of the drawing are sweeping, with strong pressure, suggesting a low level of self-control. For such children, games with simple rules and involving several players are useful. Active sports will also teach you to better understand yourself and relate your desires to the interests of the team.

Children's drawing 6

Petya, 4 years 6 months

A completely unusual drawing for a 4.5 year old child. The cephalopods immediately turned into mature drawings. This is especially true for images of adults. Undoubtedly, this is a drawing of a very observant, developed and at the same time anxious child. Abundant shading, density, tightness of the image, and emphasized eyes indicate the presence of anxiety. The most prominent and significant figure is the pope. Pay attention to how the shading of clothing varies among family members. Dad’s is in a strictly defined direction, his suit is official. Probably in life, dad is a very organized, business person. The figures in the figure are depicted very tightly. This may indicate an equally close relationship in reality. But our main character seems to need more physical and psychological space for an active life. At first glance, it may seem that analyzing children's drawings is not such a difficult task. However, I would like to warn parents against harsh formulations and making a psychological diagnosis. Indeed, behind the apparent simplicity and elegance of the method there are many nuances, interconnections of individual manifestations and features. In addition, the person analyzing the drawing views it through the prism of his personal experience and state at a given moment in time. Therefore, you should not draw far-reaching conclusions on your own. And if something in the child’s drawing alarms or puzzles the parents, it is better not to postpone a visit to a specialist. Let him help you figure it out!

Often talking on the phone or sitting at a meeting at work, we unconsciously draw simple figures. No one attaches any importance to this, it just calms the person down, and there’s something to do with his hands. But in fact, the psychology of the drawing indicates your emotional state at the moment.

Also, our drawings have a hidden meaning. These are peculiar, about possible problems or joys in life. Find out the meaning of drawings in psychology; the symbolism of the subconscious will reveal your desires and experiences.

Decoding drawings in psychology

1. Lots of wavy lines, circles, spirals. The drawing characterizes you as an independent person who does not care about the opinions of others. You think about your own well-being first and don't care much about other people's problems.

2. Numbers. You are completely absorbed in material matters. Build business ideas, think about how to find a higher paying job.

3. Interweaving of straight lines, lattice. Now is not the best time in life. There are many problems that require decisive action, and you feel like an “animal in a cage,” frantically trying to find a way out of the trap.

4. Flowers, sun or holiday garlands. Psychology based on human drawing indicates that people who depict joy on paper experience stress in life, wanting with all their might to get out of the current situation as quickly as possible. Try to give more warmth to your loved ones, and they will answer you in kind.

5. Hearts. Love and positive emotions overwhelm your soul, but for some reason you hide it. Share your joy with the world, smile and be truly happy.

6. What does a drawing say about a person if any geometric figures. A born leader who knows how to bring luck to his side. The sharper the angles of the figure, the more leadership qualities prevail. It is practically impossible to deceive such a person.

7. Crosses. They symbolize feelings of guilt. Perhaps you are ashamed of your action, you want to fix everything, apologize, but have not yet decided.

8. Grass, trees. The drawing reflects the state of your soul at the moment. If a tree is depicted with numerous leaves and fruits, then at the moment you are happy. If the tree has only leafless branches, then perhaps you are now experiencing depression.

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