House-Tree-Person

PROJECTIVE DRAWING
TECHNIQUE
Hayalee Joy C. Vicente-Estoya
• H-T-P Drawing Form OR
A blank 8.5-by-11-inch
sheet of paper
• No. 2 pencils (or softer) with
erasers
Let’s take the test (PENCIL
DRAWING)
■ “I want you to draw a house. You may draw any kind of house you wish, and do the best you
can You may erase as much as you like. You may take as much time as you need. Just do your
best.”

■ “I want you to draw a tree. You may draw any kind of tree you wish, and do the best you can
You may erase as much as you like. You may take as much time as you need. Just do your
best.”

■ “I want you to draw a person. You may draw any kind of person you wish, and do the best
you can You may erase as much as you like. You may take as much time as you need. Just do
your best.”
Topics to be covered

01 introduction

02 Administration

03 interpretation

Case illustration:
04 MORRIS
Introduction
General Description
Purposes and Clinical Applications
Principles of Use
General description
• Design of H-T-P
• Includes a minimum of two steps: nonverbal, creative drawing, and structured inquiry.
• First step: Freehand drawing of house, tree, and person, optionally another person of opposite
sex.
• Second step: Structured inquiry about associations to drawings.
• Third step: Drawing with colored crayons.
• Fourth step: Follow-up questions about colored drawings.
• Procedure duration: 30 minutes to an hour and a half.
• Evaluation based on content, drawing characteristics, and post-drawing inquiry responses.

• Revisions in H-T-P Manual

• Substantial revision in current version (H-T-P Manual and Interpretive Guide)
• Consolidated and reorganized material for improved access to clinical interpretive concepts.
• Added sections on differences between child and adult drawings, and research on drawings by
abused children.
General description
• New Resource
• Revised H-T-P Drawing Form (WPS Product No. W-6A).
• Comprehensive H-T-P Interpretation Booklet (WPS Product No. W-282).
• Booklet includes Post-Drawing Inquiry section for each drawing, Interpretive Concepts
Checklist, and indexed interpretive features.
• Allows recording and storage of essential information from drawing session in an integrated,
consistent manner.
Purposes and Clinical Applications
• Clinical Utility of Projective Drawing:
• Provides an initial behavior sample for assessing reactions in an unstructured situation.
• Helps establish and maintain contact between client and clinician.
• Encourages interest, comfort, and trust between interviewer and client.

• Diagnostic Significance of H-T-P:

• When combined with other assessment tools, it reveals general conflicts and specific
environmental concerns.
• Offers insight into individual's psychological state and areas of distress.

• Therapeutic Use:
• Projective drawings reflect overall changes in psychological state during ongoing therapy.
• Serve as a tool for monitoring progress and identifying areas for further exploration and
intervention.
Principles of Use
• Respondent Population
• Suitable for individuals over 8 years of age.
• Most commonly used with children, but also applicable to adults.
• Differences in drawing characteristics between adults and children exist.
• Particularly effective when direct verbal communication about conflictual material is difficult
due to motivational or verbal obstacles.

• Test Users
• Require training and supervised experience with individually administered clinical instruments
for both children and adults.
• Novice users should work under the supervision of experienced clinicians until a mutually
agreed-upon level of skill in administration and interpretation is attained.
Administration
Administering H-T-P
Setting the Administration Time
Test Materials
Pencil Drawings
Post-Drawing Inquiry
Interpretive Concepts Checklist
Color Drawings
Administering H-T-P
• Setting and Administration Time:
• Client seated at a table in a comfortable position.
• Room or area should be quiet and distraction-free.
• Administration time: 30-90 minutes, depending on requested drawings.
• Minimum of three drawings requested with inquiry conducted for each.
• Interpretation time varies with the clinician's experience level.

• Test Materials:
• H-T-P Drawing Form (WPS Catalog No. W-6A) and Interpretation Booklet (WPS Catalog No.
W-282) required for each set of house, tree, and person drawings.
• Additional H-T-P Person Drawing/Interpretation Booklet used for extra person drawings
(optional).
• No. 2 pencils (or softer) with erasers.
• Set of crayons with at least eight colors: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, brown, and
black for color drawings.
• Clock, watch, or stopwatch needed to record latency and total drawing time.
H-T-P
Drawing Form
Pencil Drawings
• Instructions for House Drawing:
• Fill in identifying information on the first page of the H-T-P Drawing Form.
• Present the house page with "HOUSE" at the top, horizontally oriented.
• Instruct the client to choose a pencil and draw a house.
• Emphasize that the drawing should be their best effort, regardless of artistic skill.
• If attempting to use a straight edge, emphasize that the drawing must be freehand.
• Begin timing when instructions are completed and understanding is confirmed.

• Verbatim Instruction:
• “I want you to draw a house. You may draw any kind of house you wish, and
do the best you can You may erase as much as you like. You may take as much
time as you need. Just do your best.”
Recording/ interpretation
booklet
• Recording During Drawing:
• Record initial latency, order of details
drawn, length of pauses, verbalizations,
emotions displayed, and total time taken.
• Record under General Observations on
page 1 of the Interpretation Booklet.
Pencil Drawings
• Tree and Person Drawing Instructions:
• Present tree and person drawing pages in the same manner as the house.
• Name of the figure should be at the top from the client's point of view (vertically oriented for both
tree and person drawing
• Record time and behavioral observations for each drawing.

• Additional Person Drawing:

• Consider requesting an additional drawing of a person of the opposite gender to the first person
drawn.
• Optional and based on time constraints and clinician preference.
• If requested, tear off the first page of the H-T-P Person Drawing/Interpretation Booklet for the
additional drawing.
Post-Drawing Inquiry
• Purpose of Post-Drawing Inquiry:
• Essential to allow individuals to define, describe, and interpret each drawing.
• Provides opportunity for individuals to express associated thoughts, ideas, feelings, or memories.
• The main purpose is to gain an understanding of the client by eliciting information about each
drawing's content and context.

• Procedure:
• Use the Post-Drawing Inquiry section of the Interpretation Booklet with suggested questions.
• Follow any line of inquiry that appears fruitful and time permits.
• Note and investigate unusual positions, details, or relationships between details.
• Investigate implied details and unclear aspects of drawings.
• Identify details added during the inquiry.
• Towards the end of the inquiry, ask the individual to add a sun and groundline if not already present
in the drawing.

• Guidance for Probing:

• Rely on experience and basic principles of clinical interviewing to determine appropriate probing.
Interpretation booklet (page 2 and 3)
Post-Drawing Inquiry - house
Examples of verbalizations or details that may elicit significant clinical material:
• Would you like to own that house yourself?
• Ask the individual to describe the differences between the house drawn and the house he or she actually
occupies, and the likelihood that he or she would ever own a house similar to the one drawn.

• Which room would you take for your own?

• Determine how this compares with the location of the room the individual occupies in his or her current
residence.
Post-Drawing Inquiry - tree
Examples of verbalizations or details that may elicit significant clinical material:
• Where is that tree actually located?
• If the response is “in the woods” or “in a forest,” ask about the significance of the woods or forest for the
individual.

• What is the weather like in this picture?

• If the response exactly duplicates the actual weather at the time of the interview, determine if that is the sole
influence of the individual’s response or if other factors are determining his or her response.

• What sort of wind is it?

• Always continue with a probe to determine the way the individual feels about the type of wind described.

• Is it a healthy tree? Is it a strong tree?

• If the individual cannot answer, have him or her draw the root structure of the tree, if he or she has not
already done so, and make a note of the request.
Post-Drawing Inquiry - person
Examples of verbalizations or details that may elicit significant clinical material:
• What is he[she] doing? Where is he[she] doing it?
• If the response is “just standing there,” ask where “there” is and perhaps what the person has been doing or is
going to do.
• If the response is “walking” or another motion, ask where the person is going and what they are going to do when
they get there.
• If the response is “I don’t know” or “It’s only a drawing,” help the individual to become engaged in the projection
safely either by suggesting that he or she make up a story about the person in the drawing or by asking what the
person in the drawing seems to be doing.

• How does he[she] feel?

• Always ask “Why?” unless there is reason to believe that doing so will seriously compromise rapport.

• What is there about that person that gives you the impression that he[she] is happy (sad, angry, etc.)?
• If the response is a simple description of facial expression (“he[she] is smiling”), ask what the person drawn is
smiling about and how customary it is for the person drawn to fee] that way.

• What kind of clothing does this person have on?

• If the drawn person is nude, ask why he or she is nude and whether he or she is comfortable.
Interpretive Concepts Checklist
• Interpretive Concepts Checklist:
• Review the Normal Features section for each drawing.
• Circle Y for applicable features.
• General Observations:
• Record any unusual pauses, comments, or behaviors noted during the drawing session.
• Note in the General Observations section on the first page of the Interpretation Booklet.
• Proportion, Perspective, Detailing, and Color:
• Check aspects of proportion, perspective, detailing, and color (for color drawings) present in the
drawing by using A ruler is provided on the back of the drawing booklet.
• Identify those aspects that may indicate the presence of pathology.
• Clinical Hypotheses and Moderating Interpretation:
• Common clinical hypotheses related to each drawing feature are presented.
• Interpretive Concepts Checklist serves as a guide for generating clinical hypotheses.
• Degree of certainty in applying hypotheses depends on additional information such as patient
history and presenting problem.
• Interpretation should be moderated by clinical experience, knowledge of the H-T-P Manual, and
familiarity with projective drawing literature.
Interpretation booklet (page 4 and 5)
Color Drawings Procedure
• Begin by asking the individual to name the colors of the crayons provided.
• Note any indication of color blindness in the Interpretation Booklet and consider referral for a
formal test.
• Check the "Color" box on the first page of the Interpretation Booklet.
• Present each house, tree, and person drawing with the same instructions as pencil drawings.
• Record time and behavioral observations in the Interpretation Booklet as with pencil drawings.

• Purpose and Inquiry:

• Elicit clear information about the content and context of each drawing.
• Consider asking only suggested post-drawing inquiry questions marked with an asterisk (*) to
minimize time and fatigue.
• Inquire about differences between pencil and color drawings, and the significance of unusual
treatment of details or omissions.

• Interpretive Concepts Checklist:

• Utilize color drawings in the same manner as pencil drawings.
• List of conventional uses of color provided for evaluating color drawings.
• Use the "General Use of Color" section to note color-specific drawing features associated with
psychopathology.
interpretation
Drawing Evaluation Figure-Specific Drawing Features
General Drawing Characteristics House/ Tree/ Person
Attitude Proportion
Time, Latency, Pauses Perspective
Criticalness and Erasing Detailing
Comments Color Conformity
General Drawing Features Post-Drawing Inquiry
Proportion
Perspective
Detailing
Color
Post-Drawing Inquiry
Drawing Evaluation
• Inspection of Drawing:
• Examine placement, size, orientation, and general quality of the drawing.
• Look for deviations in areas listed in the checklist of drawing features with possible
clinical significance.
• Place a check () next to any area where drawing characteristics appear deviant.

• Evaluation:
• Assess the possible significance of deviations for the individual based on interpretive
sections.
• Evaluate post-drawing inquiry responses, consistency of quality across figures, client's
history and age, and results of other assessment procedures.
Drawing Evaluation -
EXAMPLE
Drawing Evaluation
• Refer to the appropriate section of the Figure-Specific Drawing Features for interpretive
hypotheses associated with this aspect of the drawing. (example: chimney)
• Assess the placement, size, orientation, and general quality of the drawing (chimney).
• Consider any deviations from the norm and their potential significance for the individual.

• Overall Evaluation:
• After assessing each figure in this manner, evaluate the post-drawing inquiry responses.
• Consider the consistency of quality across figures, the client's history and age, and the
results of other assessment procedures.

• Formulation of Analysis:
• Utilize information gathered to formulate an appropriate analysis of the drawing
session.
• Incorporate interpretive hypotheses associated with specific drawing features, post-
drawing inquiry responses, and overall client information to generate a comprehensive
understanding of the individual's psychological state.
General Drawing
Characteristics
• Attitude
• Time, latency, pauses
• Criticalness
• Erasing (uncertainty, conflict, indecisive-ness, self-criticism,
anxiety)
• Spontaneous Comments
General Drawing Characteristics -
attitude
• Attitude Towards H-T-P:
• Provides a rough measure of overall willingness to engage in a new and potentially challenging
task.
• Usual attitude is reasonably willing acceptance.
• Deviations can range from a) eager acceptance to hyper egotism, or from b) indifference and
defeatism to frank rejection.
• Rarely will an organically impaired individual completely reject the H-T-P due to feelings of
impotence.
• Hostile individuals may not refuse outright, despite rejecting other formal psychological
examinations.

• Influence of Drawing Objects on Attitude:

• Attitude towards each drawing influenced by associations aroused by the object of the drawing.
• Drawing of the person is most frequently refused.
• Reasons include difficulties in a) interpersonal relationships, b) increased associations at
conscious or near-conscious level, and c) discomfort due to acute body awareness in poorly
adjusted individuals.
General Drawing Characteristics -
Time, Latency, Pauses
• Time Taken to Complete Drawings: • Delay in Beginning Drawing:
• Provides valuable information about the • If an individual does not start drawing
significance of drawn objects and their parts. within 30 seconds of receiving instructions,
• Duration typically ranges between 2 and 30 potential for psychopathology is present.
minutes for the three drawings. • Such a delay suggests conflict; factors
• Unusually quick drawing may indicate a contributing to this conflict should be
desire to quickly rid oneself of an unpleasant explored during the post-drawing inquiry.
task.
• Excessive time spent may indicate a • Pauses during Drawing:
reluctance to produce anything or the intense • Pausing for more than 5 seconds during each
emotional significance of symbolism. drawing strongly suggests conflict.
• Manic individuals may spend a great deal of • The part of the object being drawn, just
time due to irrelevant detailing, while drawn, or subsequently drawn may represent
obsessive-compulsives meticulously the source of conflict.
produce all possible relevant details. • These areas should be addressed during the
post-drawing inquiry.
• Investigate pauses during comments or
answers during the inquiry phase as well.
General Drawing Characteristics -
Criticalness and Erasing
• The ability to view one's work objectively and criticize it diminishes in the presence of strong
emotionality or organic processes.
• Common verbal comments about artistic ability, when excessive, may indicate potential
pathology if not corrected.
• Behavioral indications of self-criticism include:
• 1) Abandonment of an uncompleted object without erasure, followed by resumption
elsewhere on the page.
• 2) Erasure without attempt at redrawing, particularly of a detail that arouses strong
conflict.
• 3) Erasure followed by redrawing, indicating improvement if successful but potentially
pathological if hyper meticulousness or futile pursuit of perfection is evident.
• Persistent erasure and redrawing of any part of a drawing strongly suggests conflict with the
detail or its symbolic meaning.
General Drawing Characteristics -
comments
• Comments During Drawing Phase:
• Written comments often include names, streets, trees, numbers, or geometric figures.
• These may indicate a compulsive need to structure the situation or compensate for obsessive
ideas or feelings.
• Superfluous remarks may assist an insecure individual in structuring the situation, while
irrelevant remarks may ease the interview situation.
• Excessive, irrelevant, or bizarre comments warrant concern.

• Example Case:
• “I don’t know whether the foundation’s solid, to begin with and the windows… Now, where’s my door? I’ve got
my windows in the wrong place. I’ll put my door here; how would that do, doctor? Let’s see, would I be cheating
if I looked to see which side the doorknob’s on? Have some steps going up to it, would that be all right? There’s
the foundation. Think it would be better architecture to have the small windows in the side? I believe it would. Is
that a baby crying? Does it cry that way all the time? Not very neat construction that isn’t. Is this a test of your
nervousness? Your neatness? It could be interesting if you didn’t get so nervous.”
• Constant reference to the foundation of the house drawing symbolized feeling of shattered home
situation due to husband's unfaithfulness.
• Symptoms included marked distractibility, overwhelming uncertainty, and feelings of
inadequacy.
General Drawing Characteristics -
comments
• Verbalizations:
• Verbalizations during drawing phase often include suppressed materials, such as ideas of
reference and persecution.
• Drawing task engages energies previously involved in defending the ego by suppressing
verbalization of this material.
• Spontaneous remarks are most meaningful when evaluated relative to the part of the drawing
being completed.

• Emotional Expression:
• Many individuals become highly emotional during drawing or questioning due to expression of
previously suppressed material.
• Persistent minor emotional expressions, major emotional expressions, or marked flattening of
expression indicate personality imbalance, maladjustment, or organic impairment.
Other General Drawing
Characteristics
• Proportion, Perspective, and Details in Drawings:
• Provide information about the individual's functioning relative to their expected level.
• Adequate and appropriate detailing stabilizes developmentally earliest.
• Ability to represent realistic proportions follows detailing, followed by recognition and representation
of perspective.

• Adequacy and Appropriateness of Details:

• Index of the individual's ability to recognize and employ elements of everyday life conventionally.
• Reflects ability to critically appraise elements of reality.

• Proportion in Drawn Figures:

• Reflects ability to efficiently use judgment in solving basic, concrete, and immediate problems.
• Involves critical judgment of environmental problems.

• Perspective in Drawings:
• Establishes spatial relationships of elements, indicating ability to recognize relationships of each whole
to other objects.
• Demonstrates ability to function with critical insight in abstract and broader relationships of everyday
life.
Other General Drawing
Characteristics
proportion
• Proportional Relationships in Drawings:
• Reflect values assigned to objects, situations, and persons by the individual.
• Provide a crude index of the individual's ability to assign objective values to elements of reality and make
judgments easily and flexibly.

• Drawn Image to Drawing Form:

• Average drawing occupies one-third to two-thirds of the standard drawing area.
• Extremely small use of space indicates inadequacy, tendency to withdraw, or rejection of central subject.
• Oversized drawings, nearly filling the available space or having portions chopped off, indicate frustration
and hostility toward a restrictive environment.
• May signify great tension, irritability, feelings of helpless immobility, or egocentric view of individual's
own importance.

• Detail to Drawn Image:

• Larger-than-average detail implies overconcern and preoccupation with what the item symbolizes for the
individual.
• Smaller-than-average detail implies rejection or desire to reject what the item may symbolize.
Other General Drawing
Characteristics
perspective
• Perspective in Drawings:
• Delineation of spatial relationships reflects the individual's ability to grasp and react successfully to
broader, more complex, abstract, and demanding aspects of life.
• Perspective can be considered a measure of insight.

• Horizontal Placement on Drawing Form:

• Midpoint placement indicates behavioral tendencies
• Farther left: Impulsivity, immediate emotional satisfaction, past-oriented and greatly concerned with self
• Farther right: Stable behavior, intellectual satisfaction, future-oriented and to be overly concerned about
those sharing the environment and their opinions of him or her

• Vertical Placement on Drawing Form:

• Below average midpoint: Insecurity, inadequacy, depressed mood, concrete thinking.
• Above average midpoint: Striving for unobtainable goals, intellectualization, fantasy-oriented.
Other General Drawing
Characteristics
perspective
• Central Placement on Drawing Form:
• Drawings centered around geometric midpoint suggest rigidity in behavior to compensate for anxiety and
insecurity.

• Page Turning:
• Aggressive or negativistic tendencies may lead to page-turning as a refusal of suggestion, indicating
potential psychopathology.

• Page Quadrants:
• Upper left quadrant (regression): Deteriorated psychotic or organic individuals; lack of conceptual
maturity.
• Lower right quadrant (unusual): Rarely used for drawing placement.

• Page Edges:
• Deviant use of edge or edges significant:
• Paper chopping: Amputation of drawing part, indicating avoidance of unpleasant associations.
• Paper edging: Part of the drawing touches the margin, suggesting fixation or insecurity.
Other General Drawing
Characteristics
perspective
• Relationship to Viewer:
• Drawings usually represent viewer-level perspective, deviations include bird's eye view (from above) and
worm's eye view (from below).

• Apparent Distance from Viewer:

• Suggested by drawing size, placement on hill/valley, or details between viewer and object,
indicates the strong need for aloofness and inaccessibility.

• Position:
• Drawings usually face the viewer with depth suggestion; absence of depth suggests rigidity or
withdrawal; an uncompromising style that compensates for feelings of inadequacy and insecurity

• Groundline:
• Sloping downwards indicates feelings of isolation, maternal dependence, or exhibitionism
• Sloping downward and to the right indicates uncertainty about the future, and perhaps perilous
Other General Drawing
Characteristics
perspective
• Transparencies:
• Objects considered covered but still visible indicate reality testing flaws, suggesting a disruption in
personality organization.

• Movement:
• Intensity, pleasantness, and voluntariness of motion are interpreted, indicating emotional state.

• Consistency:
• Expectation of similar quality in each drawing, deviations should be noted and investigated for
significance.

• Prognosis:
• Positive prognosis indicated by healthier tree drawing than a person, a better adjustment in crayon than
pencil drawings.
• Negative prognosis suggested by more indicators of psychopathology in color than pencil drawings, the
poorer diagnostic impression from the tree than person drawing.
Other General Drawing
Characteristics
detailing
• Essential Details:
• Absence of even a single essential detail is considered serious, with greater implications for pathology if
more essentials are missing.
• Minimal use suggests withdrawal or conflict; excessive use implies perseveration or overconcern.

• Nonessential Details:
• Limited use implies good reality testing and balanced interaction with the environment.
• Excessive use suggests pathoformic overconcern with the environment or associated details.

• Irrelevant Details:
• Limited use implies mild insecurity or need for structure;
• excessive use suggests existing or potential free-floating anxiety.
• The excessive use of irrelevant details may indicate a strong need to withdraw, especially if they tend to
obscure the main subject of the drawing
• Individuals in a manic state often draw a large number of irrelevant details
• The more organized, the greater the likelihood that the anxiety they represent is well channeled and well
controlled
• irrelevant details dwarf the object of the drawing, the greater the indication of potential for pathology
Other General Drawing
Characteristics
detailing
• Sun Drawing:
• Absence may indicate anxiety or avoidance; size may indicate authority or emotional valence in the
environment.

• Bizarre Details:
• Severe compromise in reality testing; rare but significant, may indicate severe psychopathology.
• often what appears to be bizarre in content at first glance is later found to be an unusual proportional or
spatial relationship, or method of presentation of an appropriate detail

• Detail Dimensionality:
• One- and two-dimensional details indicate low mental ability or brain damage, except for stick figure
representations.

• Detail Shading:
• Healthy shading is produced quickly, lightly, and with few random strokes; pathological shading
indicates anxiety or conflict.
Other General Drawing
Characteristics
detailing
• Detail Sequence:
• Marked deviations from average sequence suggest potential pathology related to concentration,
organization, or conflict.

• Detail Emphasis:
• Overt comments, emotional expressions, unusual sequencing, excessive erasures, or refusal to comment
indicate anxiety or conflict.

• Line Quality:
• Impairment in motor control suggests personality maladjustment or central nervous system disorder.
• Heavy Lines for Specific Detail:
• If heavy lines are used for a specific detail, it may suggest fixation on that object (e.g., viewing the
hand of a person as a source of guilt) or hostility toward it.
Other General Drawing
Characteristics
detailing
• Line Quality (cont.)
• Heavy Lines for Specific Detail:
• If heavy lines form the outline of the object while other lines are lighter, the individual may be
striving to maintain ego integrity, uncomfortably aware of this effort.
• Heavy baselines and topmost lines may indicate a struggle to maintain contact with reality while
suppressing a tendency towards fantasy.

• Heavy Groundline:
• A very heavy groundline typically represents feelings of anxiety about relationships.

• Extremely Faint Lines:

• Extremely faint lines used throughout the drawings suggest feelings of inadequacy, indecision, and
fear of defeat.
• Lines that become fainter as the drawing session progresses indicate generalized anxiety or
depression.
Other General Drawing
Characteristics
detailing
• Variation by Drawing Type:
• House: Requires straight lines only.
• Person: Generally demands many curved lines.
• Tree: Usually requires a combination of straight and curved lines.

• Pathological Indicators:
• Scribbled lines may indicate organic deterioration.
• Variation from conventional line types may indicate pathology.
• Broken or overly straight lines may suggest indecision or internal rigidity.
• Interrupted and unjoined lines may indicate incipient failure of ego functioning.
Other General Drawing
Characteristics
color
• Organization of Color Drawings:
• If the organization of color drawings is better than that of pencil drawings, it may indicate a better
prognosis, especially in children, suggesting a positive response to warmth.

• Choice of Colors:
• The slower and more indecisive the individual is in selecting colors, the greater the significance of the
item being drawn for them.

• Application of Colors:
• Using only black or brown crayons, and using them as if they were pencils, may suggest a tendency to
avoid emotion.
• Highly emotional individuals tend to use many colors, while regressed individuals use colors more freely
and less critically, often losing interest in form.
Other General Drawing
Characteristics
color
• Application of Colors:
• If a large portion of the drawing page is colored (more than three fourths), it may indicate a lack of
control over emotional expression.
• Color spilling over peripheral lines suggests impulsivity in response to stimuli.

• Conformity in Color Usage:

• Certain details are conventionally colored (e.g., sun is yellow, sky is blue, grass is green or brown), and
deviations from these conventions may be significant.
• Extreme deviations from color norms, such as drawing a house with all blue and purple rectangles or a
person with disjointed colors, indicate potential maladjustment or breaks with conformity.
Post-Drawing Inquiry
• Volume of Responses:
• The individual's willingness to engage in the post-drawing inquiry is important. Refusal to
comment at all is considered pathological.
• Responses like "I don’t know" should not be accepted as satisfactory answers.

• Relevance of Responses:
• Responses should be evaluated for their relevance to the questions asked.
• Irrelevant responses may indicate underlying issues. For example, a response about the weather
when asked about the drawings' weather conditions could suggest manic tendencies.
• Mildly irrelevant responses may still offer insight, such as comparisons or associations made by
the individual.
• Seemingly irrelevant objects drawn around the subject of the picture represent members of the
family or persons with whom the individual is intimately associated in daily life.
Post-Drawing Inquiry
• Self-Referent or Confabulated Material:
• The degree to which responses include self-referent material or confabulated material should be
noted. This can provide insight into the individual's self-perception or cognitive functioning.

• Objects Drawn Around the Subject:

• Objects drawn around the main subject may represent family members or individuals with
whom the individual has close relationships. The spatial relationship of these objects to the
main subject may reflect the closeness or distance of these personal relationships.

• Inquiry about Details:

• Inquiry should always be made about seemingly irrelevant objects drawn around the main
subject. These objects could hold significant personal meanings for the individual.
Figure-Specific Drawing
Features
HOUSE
Interpretation of the house drawing in the H-T-P test provides valuable insights into an
individual's perceptions and feelings regarding their home life and intimate interpersonal
relationships. Here are some key points to consider when analyzing the house drawing:

1. Adjustment to Family Dynamics

2. Stress and Strains of Relationships
3. Analysis of Home Situation
4. Accessibility and Reality Contact
5. Degree of Rigidity
Figure-Specific Drawing
Features
HOUSE: Proportion
• Roof Size: An overly large roof in relation to the rest of the house may indicate a tendency
to seek satisfaction in fantasy rather than engaging with reality. It suggests a retreat into
imaginative or idealized realms as a coping mechanism.

• Wall Dimensions: Emphasizing the horizontal dimension of the wall over the vertical may
suggest that the individual is preoccupied with either past or future concerns, which
interfere with their ability to focus on the present. This could indicate vulnerability to
environmental pressures and difficulty in maintaining present-centered awareness.

• Door Size: Very small doors symbolize feelings of inadequacy and reluctance to engage
with others or make contact with the outside world. Conversely, very large doors suggest
overdependence on others for support or validation.
Figure-Specific Drawing
Features
HOUSE: Proportion
• Window Disparity: Variation in window sizes is normal, with the living room window typically
being the largest and the bathroom window the smallest. However, abnormalities in window size
distribution may indicate underlying conflicts or discomfort. For example, a bathroom window
larger than others may suggest unresolved issues related to sexual or eliminative functions.

• Chimney Size: An overly large chimney may symbolize sexual concerns and potential
exhibitionism, while a disproportionately small chimney could reflect feelings of inadequacy or a
lack of warmth and security in the home environment.

• Walkway Proportions: A narrow walkway at the house's junction and widening at the opposite end
may indicate a superficial attempt to appear friendly and approachable while masking a desire to
maintain distance and aloofness from others.
Figure-Specific Drawing
Features
HOUSE: Perspective
• Double Perspective: Individuals with intellectual disability and young children may draw
houses with "double perspective," showing a main wall flanked by both end walls. The size
relationship between the main wall and end walls differs based on the individual's
condition. For schizophrenics, end walls may be larger, symbolizing protection, while for
the mentally retarded, end walls are smaller, indicating an immature understanding of
spatial relationships.

• Loss of Perspective: Schizoid individuals may completely lose perspective in their house
drawings, showing incongruous elements that suggest organizational difficulty and
temporal blocking. This reflects underlying psychological challenges and may indicate a
need for support and intervention.

• Four-Sided Houses: Individuals experiencing crippling exposure to environmental

pressures may draw houses showing all four sides simultaneously, reflecting overconcern
about others' opinions and conflicts in the home environment. This drawing style suggests a
need to structure and control the entire situation.
Figure-Specific Drawing
Features
HOUSE: Perspective
• Symbolic Interpretation: Symbolic elements in the house drawing, such as a porch drawn
at an odd angle, may reveal deeper psychological meanings related to the individual's
experiences and emotions. Interpretations should consider the context of the drawing and
the individual's personal history.

• Page Edges and Viewer Relationship: The position of the house on the drawing page and
its relationship to the viewer can indicate feelings of rejection, withdrawal, or a desire for
distance from conventional society. Worm's eye views suggest rejection or withdrawal,
while partial profile presentations indicate sensitivity and flexibility.

• Transparencies and Movement: Transparent walls or depictions of movement in the house

drawing are pathological and may indicate a collapse of the ego under external or internal
pressures. Smoke from the chimney can symbolize environmental pressures, with
deviations indicating the magnitude of the individual's feelings.
Figure-Specific Drawing
Features
HOUSE: detailing
• Essential Details: The presence of essential details such as a door, window, wall, roof, and
chimney reflects the individual's basic functioning and perception of the home environment.
Overemphasis on peripheral boundaries (roof and walls) may indicate a conscious effort to
maintain control, while faint lines suggest impending breakdown and weak ego control.

• Roof and Walls: The roof often represents areas of thinking and fantasy, while walls reflect
the peripheral boundaries of the personality. Different representations of these elements may
indicate various psychological states, such as schizophrenia or defensiveness.

• Doors and Windows: Emphasis on doors and windows reflects accessibility and interaction
with the environment. Various characteristics of doors and windows, such as locks, hinges,
and shades, provide insight into the individual's defensive mechanisms and attitudes toward
social interaction.

• Roof Material and Rain Spouts: Detailing of roof material and rain spouts may indicate
obsessive-compulsive tendencies or heightened defensiveness, respectively.
Figure-Specific Drawing
Features
HOUSE: detailing
• Irrelevant Details: Inclusion of irrelevant details like shrubbery, walkways, or degrading
elements near the house reveals underlying psychological needs and interpersonal dynamics.
The placement and characteristics of these details provide valuable insights into the
individual's relationships and emotional experiences.

• Clouds and Mountains: Depictions of clouds, mountains, and weather conditions symbolize
generalized anxiety, defensive attitudes, and dependency needs. These elements reflect the
individual's perception of environmental pressures and emotional states.

• Detail Dimensionality and Shading: The dimensionality and shading of details reflect the
individual's cognitive abilities and emotional state. Organic damage may be indicated by
deviations from conventional three-dimensional drawing techniques.

• Detail Sequence: The sequence in which details are drawn provides insight into the
individual's organizational skills and psychological functioning. Symmetrical or segmented
drawing may indicate insecurity or serious maladjustment.
Figure-Specific Drawing
Features
HOUSE: color conformity
• Chimney and Smoke: Traditionally, chimneys are depicted in colors such as red, black, or brown,
while smoke is typically drawn in black or brown. Deviations from these colors may suggest
unconventional thinking or emotional expression.

• Roof, Walls, and Doors: Common colors for the roof include black, green, red, or brown, while
walls, doors, and window frames are often represented in black, brown, green, red, yellow, or blue.
Conformity to these color norms indicates a basic understanding of societal expectations and norms.

• Shutters: The colors used for shutters, such as black, green, brown, blue, or red, also reflect
conformity to societal norms. Deviations from these may suggest individualistic tendencies or a
desire for self-expression.

• Overall Color Scheme: The overall color scheme provides insight into the individual's emotional
state and perception of their living environment. Harmonious color choices may indicate a sense of
stability and contentment, while discordant or unconventional colors may suggest inner turmoil or
nonconformity.
Figure-Specific Drawing
Features
HOUSE: color conformity
• Emotional Expression: The use of color can also serve as a form of emotional expression.
Bright, vibrant colors may reflect optimism and vitality, while dull or muted colors may
indicate sadness or depression. Excessive use of dark colors may suggest negativity or a
preoccupation with negative emotions.

• Symbolism: Colors may carry symbolic meanings for the individual, reflecting their personal
associations and experiences. For example, a preference for blue may indicate a sense of
calmness or tranquility, while red may symbolize passion or anger.

• Cultural Influences: Cultural background and personal experiences may influence color
choices in the house drawing. Understanding the cultural context can help interpret the
significance of certain color preferences or deviations from color norms.
Figure-Specific Drawing
Features
HOUSE: post-inquiry
1. How many stories does that house have? 8. As you look at that house, does it seem to be close
by or far away?
2. What is that house made of?
9. As you look at that house, do you get the impression
3. Is that your own house? Whose house is it?
that it is above you, below you, or about level with
4. Whose house were you thinking about while you you?
were drawing?
10. What does that house make you think of or remind
5. Would you like to own that house yourself? Why? you of?
6. If you did own that house and could do whatever 11. What else?
you liked with it, which room would you take for your
12. Is that a happy, friendly sort of house?
own? Why?
13. What is there about it that gives you that
7. Whom would you like to have live in that house with
impression?
you? Why?
Figure-Specific Drawing
Features
TREE
Here are key points to consider when interpreting the tree drawing:

1. Conscious vs. Subconscious Associations

2. Felt Experience Balance
3. Personality Resources and Satisfaction
4. Critical Evaluation of Relationship to Environment
5. Representation of Development
6. Contact with Reality
7. Interpersonal Pressures
Figure-Specific Drawing
Features
tree: Proportion
• Tiny Tree: A tiny tree in the drawing suggests deep-seated feelings of inadequacy and
insecurity in coping with the environment. It may reflect a sense of powerlessness or
insignificance in relation to the challenges or demands of life.

• Huge Tree: Conversely, a huge tree, especially one that extends beyond the page's borders,
indicates overcompensatory behavior driven by a need for satisfaction and validation. This
could manifest as excessive action or indulgence in fantasy, potentially masking underlying
hypersensitivity or emotional vulnerability.

• Trunk and Branch Structure: The proportions of the trunk and branches provide further
insights into the individual's personality balance and coping mechanisms. A tree with a
slender or tiny trunk and disproportionately large branches suggests instability and a
tendency towards excessive satisfaction-seeking behaviors.
Figure-Specific Drawing
Features
tree: Proportion
• Broad Base vs. Slender Trunk: The shape of the trunk also reveals early environmental
influences. A trunk with a broad base that becomes slender higher up indicates a lack of
warmth and nurturing in the individual's early environment. This suggests a deficiency in
foundational support and emotional stability during formative years.

• Narrow Base: Conversely, a trunk that is narrower at the base than higher up signals a
significant pathology. It suggests a striving beyond the individual's capacity, leading to
potential collapse of ego-control. This imbalance may stem from unresolved conflicts or
unmet needs, resulting in precarious psychological functioning.
Figure-Specific Drawing
Features
tree: Perspective
• Vertical Placement: Typically, the tree is drawn higher on the vertical axis compared to the
house or the person. This positioning may symbolize the individual's perception of the tree
as a significant aspect of their environment, potentially representing growth, stability, or
interconnectedness with nature.

• Page Edges: Using the side of the paper as a side of the tree trunk suggests aggressive-
reactive tendencies towards spatial constraints. This may indicate heightened sensitivity and
potential difficulty in managing boundaries or constraints, which could manifest in
interpersonal relationships or reactions to external stressors.

• Relationship to Viewer: The placement of the tree relative to the viewer can convey
symbolic meanings. A tree drawn below the viewer may symbolize feelings of depression or
defeat. Conversely, a tree positioned as if it were partly up a hill may represent a sense of
striving or a need for shelter and security, with the hill providing partial protection.
Figure-Specific Drawing
Features
tree: Perspective
• Position: Although the tree cannot be drawn in profile, individuals may indicate that the
tree is presenting its side to them. This gesture may reflect a subconscious perception of the
tree's orientation or characteristics.

• Transparencies: Visible roots beneath the ground, despite being logically underground,
suggest a significant flaw in reality-testing. This may indicate a departure from rational
thinking or an inability to distinguish between fantasy and reality.

• Movement: Trees are often depicted in motion, especially during strong wind conditions. A
tree bending to one side under the force of the wind may symbolize the individual's
resistance to extreme environmental pressures while struggling to maintain balance.
Dropping leaves may signify psychological vulnerability, feelings of exposure, and a loss of
ability to conceal emotions or thoughts. Fallen or falling branches could indicate a sense of
losing control or coping abilities in the face of environmental stressors.
Figure-Specific Drawing
Features
tree: detailing
• Essential Details: The tree must include a trunk and at least one branch. The trunk symbolizes
the individual's basic power, while the branches indicate satisfaction-seeking resources.
Branches turning towards the tree's center may imply ruminative tendencies, while thick or
short branches may suggest suicidal tendencies or traumatic events. Well-organized branches
reflect a better ability to obtain satisfaction from the environment.

• Nonessential Details: Foliage, bark, scarring, and roots are common nonessential details.
Meticulously drawn details may indicate obsessive-compulsive traits or anxiety. Vines or
vine-like bark could signify a loss of control over drives or forbidden ideas. Fruit drawings
may symbolize various psychological needs or experiences.

• Irrelevant Details: Birds, animals, or grass around the base of the tree are common but
irrelevant details. Their interpretation can provide insights into the individual's subconscious
associations or interpersonal dynamics. For example, a buzzard hovering over the tree or a
defecating horse may have obvious negative implications.
Figure-Specific Drawing
Features
tree: detailing
• Detail Dimensionality: Trees can vary in dimensionality, with one-dimensional or two-
dimensional branches indicating different psychological states. Phallic-like branches may
suggest castration fear, while two-dimensional branches without closure at the distal end may
indicate a lack of control over drives.

• Detail Shading: Shading is commonly used in tree drawings, with different shading strategies
reflecting the individual's psychological tendencies. White shading or implied branches
without shading could suggest schizoid thinking or oppositional tendencies, respectively.

• Detail Sequence: The sequence in which the tree is drawn can indicate maladjustment. For
instance, starting with good implication but ending with vague, one-dimensional branches
may signal pathology.

• Detail Emphasis: Overemphasis on branches on one side of the tree may reveal personality
imbalances related to seeking emotional or intellectual satisfaction. Absolute symmetry may
indicate ambivalence and an inability to commit to a course of action.
Figure-Specific Drawing
Features
tree: color conformity
• Tree trunks tend to be drawn as brown or black.
• Branches are often drawn in brown and black;
• foliage in green, yellow, red, brown, and black; fruit in red, yellow, and green;
• and blossoms in red, yellow, orange, blue, and purple.
Figure-Specific Drawing
Features
tree: post-inquiry
22. What kind of tree is that? 30. Which does that tree look more like to you, a
man or a woman?
23. Where is that tree actually located?
31. What is there about it that gives you that
24. About how old is that tree?
impression?
25. Is that tree alive?
32. If that were a person instead of a tree, which
26. What is there about it that gives you the way would the person be facing?
impression that it’s alive?
33. Is that tree by itself or in a group of trees?
27. What caused it to die?
34. As you look at that tree, do you get the
28. Will it ever be alive again? impression that it is above you, below you, or
29. Is any part of the tree dead? What part? What about on a level with you?
do you think caused it to die? How long has it 35. What is the weather like in this picture?
been dead?
Figure-Specific Drawing
Features
person
The person drawing in the H-T-P test is rich in psychological significance and offers insights into
various aspects of the individual's personality:

1. Body Image and Self-Perception

2. Functioning in Relationships
3. Critical Evaluation of Self and Relationships
4. Intensity of Feelings
5. Sexual Role and Attitudes
6. Specific Interpersonal Relationships
Figure-Specific Drawing
Features
person: Proportion
• Sexual Role Confusion and Personality Imbalance: Marked differences in proportion
between the right and left sides of the person may suggest sexual role confusion and overall
personality imbalance. This imbalance could reflect unresolved conflicts or uncertainty
about one's identity and role in relationships.

• Head Size: An overly large head may indicate individuals who place excessive emphasis
on intelligence or fantasy as sources of satisfaction. Conversely, disproportionately small
heads could be drawn by obsessive-compulsive individuals, possibly as a way to deny or
minimize painful thoughts and guilt feelings.

• Facial Features: Small eyes may suggest a desire to avoid seeing or acknowledging certain
aspects of reality, while an overly large mouth could imply tendencies towards oral
eroticism or aggression. A long, thin neck may be associated with schizoid characteristics.
Figure-Specific Drawing
Features
person: Proportion
• Trunk Size: A disproportionately large trunk may reflect the presence of numerous
unsatisfied drives or a heightened awareness of bodily sensations. Conversely, a
disproportionately small trunk may indicate a denial of bodily needs or feelings of
inferiority.

• Shoulder Size: The size of the shoulders can indicate the individual's perception of basic
strength or power, both physical and psychological. Large shoulders may suggest feelings
of strength or an excessive concern about the need for power, while tiny shoulders could
imply feelings of inferiority.

• Arm and Hand Size: Overly long arms may suggest overambitious striving, while very
short arms may indicate a lack of motivation or effort. Broad arms may convey a sense of
strength for striving, whereas thin arms could symbolize feelings of weakness. Large hands
may imply impulsivity and social ineptitude, while tiny hands could suggest reluctance to
engage in intimate social interactions.
Figure-Specific Drawing
Features
person: Proportion
• Leg and Feet Size: Disproportionately long legs may signify a strong desire for autonomy
or independence, while very short legs may suggest feelings of constraint or limitation.
Disparity in leg size could indicate ambivalence towards autonomy. Unusually long feet
may reflect a need for security or a desire to demonstrate virility, whereas
disproportionately tiny feet may suggest feelings of dependence or constriction.
Figure-Specific Drawing
Features
person: Perspective
• Page Edges: When the legs of the person drawing are chopped by the page's bottom edge, it
may indicate overwhelming feelings of a lack of autonomy. The extent to which the legs
extend below the page's bottom edge, if drawn as paper-chopped, can further elucidate the
individual's sense of autonomy.

• Relationship to Viewer: Rarely drawn above the viewer, this perspective may suggest a
desire to maintain distance from social interactions or feelings of oppression and
domination by others.

• Position: A person drawn full-face with arms fully extended at right angles to the trunk may
indicate rigidity and uncompromising behavior, possibly masking underlying feelings of
inadequacy and insecurity. A partial profile presentation is common and generally indicates
withdrawal and oppositional tendencies, particularly evident in individuals experiencing
paranoid states.
Figure-Specific Drawing
Features
person: Perspective
• Arm Position: The position of the arms can reveal a lot about the individual's psychological state.
Relaxed, flexible arms suggest good adjustment, while tense arms held tightly to the body indicate
rigidity. Arms folded across the chest may convey suspicious or hostile attitudes, while arms drawn
behind the back imply reluctance to engage with others.

• Stance and Feet Position: A broad-based stance may suggest defiance or a strong need for security,
while tightly together legs may indicate rigidity, tension, or sexual maladjustment. Feet position,
such as standing on tiptoe, can convey a tenuous grasp on reality or a strong desire to flee. Feet
pointing in opposite directions with the person facing forward may reflect ambivalence.

• Transparencies: The presence of visible body organs such as the heart or lungs may suggest
pathology in the individual.

• Movement: Depictions of movement, such as relaxed walking or controlled running, can indicate
the individual's level of adjustment. "Blind" running, on the other hand, may suggest vulnerability
to panic states.
Figure-Specific Drawing
Features
person: detailing
• Essential Details: The person drawing should include a head, trunk, two legs, and two arms.
Facial features, such as eyes, nose, mouth, and ears, provide significant cues about the
individual's perception of sensory input and interpersonal interactions.

• Head: Represents intelligence, control, and fantasy. Hollow sockets for eyes may suggest
avoidance of unpleasant visual stimuli, while omission of eyes or ears could indicate
pathology, including potential hallucinations.

• Trunk: Signifies basic physical needs and drives. Well-drawn shoulders indicate a balanced
expression of power, while absence of the trunk may imply denial of body drives or suicidal
tendencies.

• Legs: Symbolize autonomy within the environment. Absence of legs suggests feelings of
constriction or castration concerns.
Figure-Specific Drawing
Features
person: detailing
• Nonessential Details: Neck, hands, feet, hair, and clothing are usually included. Their
presence or absence can provide insights into the individual's coordination, feelings of
adequacy, and level of detail orientation.

• Genitalia: Frank presentation in children may not be considered abnormal, but careful
outlining in adults could indicate pathology.

• Arms and Hands: Tools for environmental interaction. Absence of arms may indicate strong
feelings of inadequacy, while spike-like fingers or protruding hands may connote hostility.

• Feet: Often poorly drawn but signify autonomy and control over locomotion. Omission may
indicate feelings of constriction or dependence.

• Irrelevant Details: Objects drawn may reflect the individual's relationship to them and reveal
tendencies toward oral eroticism or aggression.
Figure-Specific Drawing
Features
person: detailing
• Detail Dimensionality: One-dimensional "stick figures" may be drawn by intellectually
impaired individuals, while conscious suppression of aggressive impulses may be implied by
enclosed one-dimensional fingers.

• Detail Shading: Can indicate clothing or psychological states such as guilt. Heavily shaded
hands may suggest masturbatory guilt.

• Detail Sequence: Drawing sequence can reveal reluctance to engage with the environment or
intimate contact. Delayed presentation of facial characteristics may indicate a desire to
postpone identification.

• Detail Emphasis: Overemphasis on facial features or body parts may suggest preoccupations
or fears, while line quality can reflect efforts to maintain control in the face of disturbing
thoughts.
Figure-Specific Drawing
Features
person: color conformity
• Typical colors used for the person are black and brown for the outline;
• black, brown, yellow, and red for the hair; blue, brown, and black for the eyes;
• red and black for the lips;
• black and brown for suits;
• and black, brown, green, red, and blue for the shoes.
Figure-Specific Drawing
Features
person: post-inquiry
45. Is that a man or a woman (boy or girl)? 53. What does that person make you think of or
remind you of?
46. How old is he {she]?
54. What else?
47. Who is he[{she]?
55. Is that person well?
48. Is he [she] a relation or friend or what?
56. What is there about him[her] that gives you
49. Who were you thinking about while you were
that impression?
drawing?
50. What is he{[she] doing? Where is he[she] 57. Is that person happy?
doing it?
58. Whar is there about him[her] that gives you
51. What is he[she] thinking about? that impression?
52. How does he[{she] feel? Why? 59. Are most people that way? Why?
Case illustration
■ Morris—14-Year-Old Male (Buck)

General Steps in Administering HTP

■ Achromatic H-T-P
■ Post-Drawing Inquiry
■ Chromatic H-T-P
■ Post-Drawing Inquiry
CASE
BACKGROUND
■ Family History: Morris comes from a family with a significant history of mental illness, including
paranoid schizophrenia.

■ Early Development: Morris reached developmental milestones such as walking and vocabulary
acquisition at the appropriate age.

■ School Adjustment: Morris struggled with completing tasks, participating in group activities, and
his overall adjustment in school deteriorated over time.

■ Somatic Complaints and Depression: Morris exhibited vague somatic complaints and periods of
depression.

■ Refusal of Medical Examination: Morris's refusal to allow a medical examination suggests

resistance to seeking help or addressing his issues directly.
CASE
BACKGROUND
■ Behavioral Issues: Morris's disruptive behavior at home, including throwing rocks and fighting with
family members, indicates significant interpersonal difficulties and potential aggression.

■ Psychological Evaluation: The psychologist's assessment highlighted Morris's borderline intelligence

and suggested possible interference from a schizophrenic disturbance with obsessive features, impacting
his cognitive functioning and behavior.

■ Institutionalization: Morris's admission to an institution as mentally deficient reflects the severity of his
psychological and behavioral challenges and the need for professional intervention and support.

■ IQ Scores: Morris's IQ scores indicate a significant discrepancy between verbal and performance
abilities, with a full-scale IQ in the borderline range. This further underscores the complexity of his
cognitive functioning.
Achromatic h-t-p
chromatic h-t-p
time
• Morris spent 8 minutes on the pencil drawing of the
house, with a 40-second pause during the process.
• Morris conforms to reality but only after exerting
much effort
• He would like very much to maintain himself as
inaccessible.

• In the color house drawing, Morris spent 10 minutes

and 50 seconds, again investing considerable time
and effort.
• His prolonged engagement in both drawings may
reflect tendencies such as perfectionism or a need for
control and orderliness.
comments
• When Morris began drawing his color house, he
asked “Do you want me to color it too?”
• When he was drawing the ground floor windows in
the end wall he remarked “I got the windows a lot
bigger than I did the door.”
• During the pencil drawing of the person, Morris
commented “Hand doesn’t look right” and later
asked “Can you rub any of it out?”
• Given that he had erased extensively in the first two
pencil drawings, the question suggests the possibility
of serious disturbance.
criticalness
• There was much erasure on the pencil drawing of the
house.
• Some failure of critical function is evident in the fact
that although Morris recognized the porch roof
transparency and attempted to correct it, he did not
notice that the base of the left porch pillar was
against the house.
• Additional failure of critical function appears in the
pencil drawing of the tree, in which Morris took
inadequate corrective measures in the left root area.
criticalness
• There was much erasure on the pencil drawing of the
house.
• Some failure of critical function is evident in the fact
that although Morris recognized the porch roof
transparency and attempted to correct it, he did not
notice that the base of the left porch pillar was
against the house.
• Additional failure of critical function appears in the
pencil drawing of the tree, in which Morris took
inadequate corrective measures in the left root area.
Proportion
• The pencil drawing of the house is about average
size.
• The windows in the conflictual wall were drawn
large at first, then erased and redrawn smaller.
• The color house is larger than the pencil drawing, but
not to the degree of being pathological.
• This enlargement, however, seems to signify the
high degree of sensitivity he feels in intimate
relations when his ego-defenses are hampered by
additional pressure plus fatigue.
Proportion

• The pencil drawing of the tree is rather large.

• Apparently, it expresses Morris’s
consciousness of unpleasant external and
internal pressures.
• Morris’s very large color drawing of the tree
indicates that he is painfully conscious of
environmental pressures and that his turmoil
looms large in his thinking.
Proportion

• The arms and legs in the color drawing of

the person are disproportionate to the
trunk.
• The elongation of the legs may express his
profound feelings of a need for autonomy;
the arms depict his great need to defend
himself against external threat.
perspective
• In the pencil drawing of the house, it's slightly left of
center with some architectural inconsistencies, like the
left porch pillar not aligning with the wall base.
• There's a significant discrepancy between the side and
end walls' portrayal, hinting at potential personality
breakdown, possibly of a schizophrenic nature.
• In the color drawings, the house is positioned left and
below center, suggesting a mild depressive mood and a
desire for emotional expression.
• Perspective flaws in the porch indicate a possible
inclination for the house to deviate from its profile
position.
• Disparities between floors and window placement within
the same wall are notable.
PERSPECTIVE • The pencil drawing exhibits a significant
gap in quality between the upper
branches, showing depth effectively, and
the base of the trunk, the part of the tree
closest to reality.

• This stark contrast in quality within a

single drawing raises concerns about a
potential schizophrenic process.

• The depth conveyed in the upper part of

the tree seems incongruent with the
borderline IQ scores Morris obtained
upon admission.

• The impression of depth disappears in the

color drawing of the tree.
PERSPECTIVE

• As with the tree drawings, both person

drawings are rigidly framed.
• The stance of the color person drawing is
even less flexible and the figure less
accessible than the pencil drawing.
 • All essential details are present in all drawings.
DETAILS •
•
Detail sequences were mostly unusual.
No door was drawn until the porch roof and pillars
were produced, suggesting a reluctance to make
contact.
• Morris followed a similar sequence in the color
drawing.
• The tool shed was added to the color drawing
before any openings were drawn in the side wall.
• The chimney was added late in the pencil drawing,
and no depth is shown in either drawing,
suggesting sexual conflict.
• Morris found detailing within the side wall
disturbing and difficult to produce.
• Emphasis on peripheral wall lines and windows in
both house drawings indicates a strong need to
maintain control.
• In the pencil drawing, there is an almost
pathological vacillation in the lines. Some are
forceful, some faint, some well controlled, some
poorly controlled.
DETAILS • In the pencil drawing of the tree, Morris began
by drawing the periphery of the branch
structure, except for two short horizontal lines at
the base.
• Then, interior branches were drawn before
attempting to depict the trunk, revealing a lack
of unity between personality elements.
• Detail emphasis on the upper areas of the tree
drawings suggests overstriving and seeking
satisfaction in fantasy.
• In the color tree drawing, heavy shading on the
left side suggests Morris may be experiencing
anxiety related to a need for immediate
satisfaction.
• The union of the base of the tree trunk with the
ground is tenuous, reflecting a fragile grasp on
reality.
DETAILS • In his pencil drawing of a person, Morris
initially drew hollow-eyed ellipses without
pupils, adding pupils only after drawing
the nose and mouth, indicating
controllable withdrawal tendencies.
• Initially, the legs were drawn as a skirt,
later differentiated by midline and cuffs.
• great emphasis is placed on the hands,
which were drawn as fists, and on the
peripheral lines of the head; the latter
implying a felt need to control fantasy.
• The detail quality in the color drawing of
the person is inferior to that of the pencil
person drawing.
• In the pencil drawing, there is an almost
pathological vacillation in the lines. Some
are forceful, some faint, some well
controlled, some poorly controlled.
COLOR • Morris selected colors quickly and easily.
• In general, however, the quality and
organization of the drawings, particularly
the house drawings, deteriorate from the
pencil to the color drawings.
• The tool shed in the color drawing of the
house is both paper-based and paper-sided.
• The shading of the color drawing of the
tree is not well controlled, since the color
spills over the poorly defined peripheral
lines.
• The color drawing of the person was first
drawn as a simple black figure and later
shaded. He stands awkwardly, with one
hand at his throat as if to shut off hostile
verbal expression or even to throttle
himself.
Post-Drawing Inquiry
• Morris identified his pencil drawing of the house
as a three-story house, indicating a serious flaw
in reality testing.
• He expressed dislike for the house, stating it was
made of paper, suggesting difficulty in abstract
thinking.
• Morris degraded the house by comparing it to a
barn, a common response among individuals
with intense conflict in their home situations.
• Significant responses included instantly
identifying the "good" and "bad" sides of the
house and promptly identifying gender, which
are pathognomonic signs of schizophrenia.
• He described the tree in his pencil drawing as
alive because it hadn't been cut down, indicating
feelings of external threat and potential
emotional breakdown.
Post-Drawing Inquiry
• Morris expressed conflicting feelings about the
direction the tree would face if it were a
person, reflecting a tension between reality
and irreality.
• While he initially denied wind in the picture,
Morris quickly and firmly identified the wind's
direction when prompted, demonstrating
segmental treatment of questions and a
failure to see a continuing relationship, which
is considered pathological, particularly given
his intelligence level.
• Despite describing the person in his drawing as
ready to fight and feeling crazy, Morris
answered "yes" when asked if the person was
happy, indicating further inconsistencies in his
responses.
Prognosis
• Both the graphic and the verbal H-T-P materials provide ample
evidence for the conclusion that Morris is moving toward a frank
schizophrenic breakdown.

• His low IQ scores probably reflect disorganization due to

intrapsychic stress rather than mental retardation per se.

• Several weeks after this test was given, Morris’s condition

deteriorated and he became catatonic.
Thank you.