International Journal of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences 2012, 2(4): 120-129

DOI: 10.5923/j.ijpbs.20120204.07

Evidence of Incremental Validity between Pfister Test

and Human Figure Drawing
Claudio Garcia Capitão * ,Lucila Moraes Cardoso

Department of Psychology, São Francisco University, São Paulo, 01258-020, Brazil

Abstract The aim of this study was to seek incremental evidence of validity between the Color Pyramid Test (CPT) and
the Human Figure Drawing (HFD). The incremental validity of information obtained fro m a g iven test can predict some-
thing unique, which other existing measures or constructs cannot predict. The sample consisted of 118 children fro m public
schools in the state of Sao Paulo, Brazil, of which 59 (50%) were male, aged between 6 and 12 years (M = 9.22, SD = 1.75)
and education ranging from pre-kindergarten to seventh grade. The tests were ad ministered on each child without prede-
termined time for their imp lementation. The results showed significant correlations between the two tests, which contrib-
uted to the evidence of incremental valid ity between the two tests. It is suggested that further studies on the evidence of
validity and accuracy, with controlled samp les and other indicators,not explored in this study, will contribute to the pro jec-
tive techniques surveyed.
Keywords Correlation, Psychological Assessment, Projective Methods, Pfister Test, Hu man Figure Drawing

fro m the externalized perception about a particular stimulus,

1. Introduction are known as tools, measures or projective techniques[6].
Projective instruments such as the Hu man Figure Drawing
The projective techniques, often called the project ive (HFD) and the Pfister Co lor Pyramid Test (CPT), use in-
hypothesis, are the most intriguing topics, both in psycho- struments like personal interv iews and self-report scales, to
logical testing and overall psychology. They are among the access informat ion[7]. It is expected that through different
most easily recognizable symbol of psychology in contem- projective techniques, the information about the subject is
porary society. In projective techniques, the response is known by his/her behavior and spontaneous tendencies,
formuled in terms of desires, fantasies, inclinations and egocentricity, driven by imp licit needs and more likely to
fears of the person. Therefo re, it is believed to be an ideal become manifested in specific contexts, than the self-report
way to know the personality traits of an unconscious per- techniques where the implications of a reason or a special
son. needs are clear to the subject[7].
The term “psychological evaluation” was defined as a set Moreover, it has been emphasized that no trace is meaning-
of assessment processes, administered by licensed psy- ful in the evaluation process if considered in isolation.
chologists, to form impressions and images of other peo- It is necessary to consider the applicat ion context, as
ple’s behavior, or mental health, wh ile co mbating with the well as the set of ind icators to have an integrated v iew of
situation. The informat ion thus obtained is helpful for mak- the points and make appropriate use of the nu merous
ing decisions and testing hypotheses to reveal the deviant variab les to be analyzed ([8],[9],[10]). Thus, the lo w cor-
personality characteristics[1]. The appropriate use of as- relation of scores for d ifferent measures for evaluating the
sessment techniques requires that psychologists should same construct does not necessarily mean a problem of
adhere to the numerous activities and psychological proc- incremental valid ity. Th is is because somet imes the lack
esses involved in them. Th is requires some diversification of weak co rrelat ion o r lo w magnitude is evidence to sup-
of techniques ([2],[3]), as well as care in the use of reliab le port the valid ity of pro ject ive techniques, demonstrating
instruments, which have good psychometric properties its clinical and empirical usefulness for certain con-
([4],[5]). structs[11].
The resources analyzing the projective phenomenon, i.e., The low correlations in projective techniques can be in-
informat ion about what is going on internally with a person terpreted as the results of unique aspects of each person's
liv ings. It is possible that the correlations can identify a
* Corresponding author:
[email protected] (Claudio Garcia Capitão)
common point on a part icular aspect and that others have no
Published online at http://journal.sapub.org/ijpbs relation to each other since they relate to the peculiar way
Copyright © 2012 Scientific & Academic Publishing. All Rights Reserved on how each person perceives and deals with conflicts.
 International Journal of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences 2012, 2(4): 120-129 121

Thus, the low correlations among projective techniques and maturity. There are other indicators, known as Evolu-
seems to be associated with evidence of incremental valid- tionary Items, which are not often found in the younger
ity, which are obtained when the data generated by a par- children’s drawings but are relatively co mmon with the
ticular instrument relate to something unique, that is, some- increasing age of the ch ild. There is also the set of indica-
thing that other measures or constructs already existing do tors known as Expected Items, where the o mission is con-
not predict[12]. sidered. The omission of any parts of the body indicates
This study will consider the correlat ions between two excessive immaturity, delay or regression due to emotional
projective methods, the CPT and the HFD. Both the tech- problems.
niques are nonverbal, interesting, doesn’t need any major Fifteen articles on HFD were found in the database
educational qualificat ions and can be implemented rapidly BVS-Psi Brazil within the period of 2001 to 2011. Seven of
([13-15],[10]). Both methods allo w the symbolic man ifesta- the 15 articles used the Koppitz scoring system, two sought
tions of the feelings, showing how the person perceives for evidence of validity of the system through correlation
himself and those around him. with other scoring systems. One of the studies linked HFD
CPT is introduced by Max Pfister, a Swiss psychologist with CPT and found validity evidence[23] and the other
to reveal deviant personality characteristics of the exami- sought for concurrent validity between the HFD and Test
nee.In this test, the examinee is asked to complete the R-2. It was concluded that the Drawing scoring systems,
pyramid schemes with colorful s mall squares. The affective such as Koppitz (r = 0.575) or the Goodenough-Harris (r =
and emotional dynamics, as well as the structural and cog- 0.606), in correlation with R-2, are suitable for cognitive
nitive functions of the examinee can be known by the way evaluation of children([24],[25],[26],[27]).
he approaches the task, the choice of color combinations The other five studies were applied research, in wh ich the
and the unique way of co mposing the elaborate pyramid. projective instrument was used to generate information
This test also checks for any sort of abnormality, if it reacts about a specific context, namely, personality assessment of
to emotional stimuli with lo wer or greater control of cogni- obese children([28],[29],[30],[31],[32]). It was used to
tive functions[10]. verify the typical conflicting behaviors of females in their
The research is conducted based on the databases ob- early adolescence[33]. It is further used, to seek evidence
tained fro m Virtual Health Library (VHL). The survey in for HFD validity of deaf children[34], to analyse the per-
the database was based on the criterion: BVS - Psi Brazil, sonality of children with bru xism[35] and to verify the
published between 2001 to 2011. This search led to the contributions of HFD for designing the psychological pro-
identification of 12 papers that used the CPT as the main file of a group of morb idly obese patients[36]. Other studies
instrument for psychological evaluation. Eight of the 12 have either used other HFD scoring systems, or have not
papers (66.6%) used CPT for analy zing the psychometric explained about their scoring systems.
qualities. Then six of the eight papers (75%, wh ich is 50% HFD and CPT enable the evaluation of various emotional
of 12 papers) were looking for evidence of valid ity of the indicators, thereby, justifying the relevance of studies dedi-
technique and two (25%, wh ich is 16.6% of 12 papers) were cated to improve the psychometric qualit ies of the instru-
regulation studies). The remaining 33.3% addressed the use ments ([17-20],[14],[15],[21],[22]). The present study
of CPTin specific contexts of action in the psychic func- sought evidence of incremental valid ity by the correlation
tioning in elderly wo men. between the CPT and the HFD.
Reference[16] considered Pfister valid ity as a reliable
tool for diagnosis of obsessive compulsive disorder,[17]
established indicators of alcoholism,and[18] identified 2. Method
symptoms of panic disorder through some indicators of the
2.1. Participants
Pfister. Other references[19] and[20] identified patients
with depression and schizophrenia, respectively. Pfister, Participants for this study were selected through
which is associated with other diagnostic features, is em- non-random sampling as per their convenience,at different
phasized in all the studies for added security. The sixth public institutions in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. The
study found evidence of validity between Pfister and sample consisted of 118 ch ildren, among which 59 (50%)
HFD[21]. were male and the rest were females. Their age ranged
HFD is an evaluation technique, where the examinee is between 6-12 years (M = 9.22, SD = 1.75).Their education
assessed in terms of intellectual functioning and qualitative level ranged fro m pre-kindergarten to seventh grade. This
measure of personality, by analy zing the human figure age group of childrensignified no history of low academic
drawn by h im[22]. The test is treated as a projective tech- performance. Of the total nu mber of children, 12 (10%)
nique to measure mental maturity, and assuming that there attended preschool, 18 (15%) attended the first-grade, 25
is a set of signals found in this particular technique, which (21%) attended the second-grade, 18 (15%) attended the
relates to the children's attitudes and concerns, known as third grade, 24 (21%) attended the fourth grade, 12 (10%)
emotional indicators. The emotional indicators reveal the attended the fifth grade, eight (7%) attended the sixth grade
child’s an xieties, concerns and attitudes irrespective of age and only one child (1%) attended the seventh grade.
122 Claudio Garcia Capitão et al.: Evidence of Incremental Validity between Pfister Test and Human Figure Drawing

2.2. Instruments was a concern regarding performing it in a p leasant and

appropriate environment to establish good rapport. The tests
2.2.1. Pfister Co lor Pyramid Test (CPT) were ad min istered individually in a single session, without
The CPT consists of three beige colored cards with a py- time limitation for performing the task. At first the CPT was
ramid scheme designed in each one of them and a set of 24 applied and then the HFD.
small squares of different shades and tones of red, green, The choice of the order of the instruments came fro m
blue, purple, yellow, o range, brown, black, white and some projective hypotheses. The first hypothesis refers to
grey[10]. The examinee was asked to choose any colored the fact, that the CPT has an indicator related to the mode of
small squares of his liking, and to place them on the pyra- execution and application, wh ich depicts the behavior ofthe
mid scheme. The examinee was requested to fill three py- person, while facing the new tasks, but HFD technique have
ramid schemes one at a time. After comp leting the test, the no such indicators.Although these indicators have not been
pyramid schemes were verified to reveal the different per- used in this research, the database was used for other re-
sonality characteristics of the examinee[10]. searches that could take this indicator into consideration.
In the present study, indicators such as formal aspect, The second supposition is that to fill the pyramids with
percentage of colors and chromatic syndromes are consi- colored boxes is a new task and which in general has no
dered. The chro matic syndromes refer to specific color association with the school context, while drawing people is
combinations. No rmality syndrome is one such chromat ic a relatively co mmon task in the Brazilian school context.
syndrome, where a co mbination of Blue, Red and Green is Although the children chosen had no history of lo w aca-
evident. Similarly, in stimulat ion syndrome, a co mbination demic performance, it was decided to minimize the possi-
of Red, Yellow and Orange is evident in cold syndrome a bility of interference. Finally, it is believed that the influ-
combination of Blue, Green and Purp le is evident, in Co- ence of one technique over the other is minimu m, since the
lorless syndrome, a co mbination of Black, White and Grey tasks are very much d ifferent, reducing the possibility of the
is evident and lastly, in dynamism syndrome, a co mbination learning effect.
of Green, Yellow and Bro wn is evident.
A standardization study[30] presented normative tables to
the state of Sao Paulo, for analy zing the frequency of colors 3. Results and Discussion
and the formal aspect of the pyramids. Another study[31]
conducted a comparative analysis between two reg ional Initially, the descriptive statistics of the CPT and HFD
groups (southeast and northeast) of Brazil. This study found indicators were analyzed accord ing to tables 1 and 2 respec-
out a marked difference between two regional g roups. The tively. The CPT indicators were analyzed, based on the
frequency of the orange color is much more in the sou- Colors Percentage, Chro matic Syndrome and Formal As-
theastern Brazilian group as compared to the northeastern pect, according to the criteria established in[10]. At HFD,
group. Again, the northeastern Brazilian group showed a there were 30 indicators, established by[16].
marked demotion in the formal aspect. The indicators (Table 1) that consider the Colors Pe r-
centage and Chromatic Syndro me, have not considered the
2.2.2. Hu man Figure Drawing (HFD) protocol of one of the participants, as he failed to use some
of the colors, and as a result the total participants came
Reference[16] suggested for HFD ad ministration, in down to 117. With regard to the Fo rmal Aspect, it was
which the examinee receives the direct ion “draw a whole considered the presence (1) or absence (0) of each of the
person”. If the examinee hesitates to follo w the direction, different types.
the examiner assures him/her by saying, "there is no beau- In Brazil, there are no Pfister standards for children,
tiful or ug ly drawing, right or wrong, the drawing I’m re- therefore any comparison using normative tables[10] should
questing is that, one you can acco mplish." After the acco m- be considered with some care. St ill, it is noted that all per-
plishment of the above, the investigation was carried out. centages of colours and chromatic syndromes are in the
The survey questions corresponded to the questionnaire, to range considered median when compared with the standards
be used as a tool for the evaluation of the children’s mental of[10].
and behavior[13]. Fo r coding, tables were used for correc- Table 2 shows the presence (1) or absence (0) of HFD
tion and classification of the manual of HFD evaluation emotional indicators of 118 ch ildren participating in the
with standardization for Argentina[16]. sample.
Most of the children showed absence (0) of such indica-
2.3. Procedures
tors. While considering the sum of all the indicators, it is
The project, which maintained the ethical standard of re- noted that the most frequent value was having two emo-
search, was approved by the Ethics Co mmittee in Research tional indicators and the median was 3 (M = 3.31, SD
of the University and submitted to the institutions. The =1.95). Reference[16] shows that the presence of more than
agreement was made between the responsible authorities of three indicators represents emotional problems. In this case,
the schools and the parents, with due respect for the chil- considering the med ian, it is observed that approximately
dren’s acceptance. For instruments admin istration, there half of the children in the samp le did not have emot ional
 International Journal of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences 2012, 2(4): 120-129 123

difficult ies. However, there were participants, who pre- HFD decrease is also related to Pfister decrease. In litera-
sented sum of emotional indicator equal to 8, suggesting the ture, the ‘b ig figure’ relates to immaturity, expansiveness
presence of severe emotional difficulties. After the descrip- and lack of control and the increased gray color indicates
tive statistics, correlat ions of the CPT indicators with HFD timid ity and caution with regard to emotional exchanges,
were performed. We opted for the Spearman correlat ion for i.e., indicates a defensive withdrawal and opposition ten-
being a variable with no minal level of measurement. Re- dency.
sults indicate significant correlat ions at p< 0.05, including The ‘mouth o mission’ is associated with feelings of an xi-
some at p< 0.01. Significant data were analy zed according ety, insecurity, withdrawal, attitude of passive resistance
to the meaning of each indicator obtained in the manuals of and inability to communicate with others.Also it seems to
HFD[16] and CPT[10]. The magnitude criterion of[36] was be linked with fear, an xiety and perfectionis m. The yellow
adopted to classify the magnitude of correlations. Accord- suggests exaggeration of affective manifestations, less
ing to this criterion, correlation between 0.60 and 0.99 spontaneous, more stylized and superficial, in addition to
means strong correlation; between 0.30 and 0.59 means immaturity, unsound structure, low frustration tolerance,
moderate correlation; and between 0.10 and 0.29 means instability, selfishness and irritability; whereas the blue may
weak co rrelation. be associated with a feeling of in feriority, failure, dissatis-
Whenever the correlations were interpreted as negative, it faction and ambivalence. Thus, this combination is related
was considered that the HFD indicators increase while the to insecurity and feelings of inadequacy that can lead to
Pfister indicators decrease. Ho wever, in case of positive withdrawal and difficulty of expressing feelings.
correlations, HFD increase is related to Pfister increase, and
Table 1. Descriptive statistics of Pfister Color Pyramid indicators
Standard
CPT indicator N Mean Median Mode Minimum Maximum
Deviation
Percentage of blue 109 16.64 15.56 15.56 6.07 2.22 42.22
Percentage of red 113 19.55 17.78 15.56 10.98 2.22 66.67
Percentage of green 112 17.52 15.56 13.33 8.98 4.44 66.67
Percentage of violet 106 14.36 13.33 13.33 8.55 2.22 66.67
Percentage of orange 103 8.89 8.89 8.89 4.90 2.22 35.56
Percentage of yellow 109 11.09 8.89 8.89 8.27 2.22 48.89
Percentage of brown 94 6.88 6.67 6.67 7.17 2.22 68.89
Percentage of black 86 5.63 4.44 4.44 4.71 2.22 40.00
Percentage of white 89 6.14 4.44 4.44 4.50 2.22 24.44
Percentage of gray 87 4.47 4.44 2.22 2.26 2.22 11.11
Normal Syndrome 117 51.15 51.11 51.11 11.15 15.56 86.67
Stimulation syndrome 116 37.36 35.56 33.33 13.58 8.89 100.00
Cold Syndrome 115 46.07 46.67 51.11 11.36 8.89 100.00
Colorless Syndrome 103 13.79 13.33 11.11 7.57 2.22 62.22
Dynamism Syndrome 115 33.20 31.11 28.89 13.08 6.67 100.00
Pure carpet 109 16.64 15.56 15.56 6.07 2.22 42.22
Stuck or unbalanced carpet 117 0.62 1.00 1.00 0.49 0.00 1.00
Carpet with starting order 117 0.40 0.00 0.00 0.49 0.00 1.00
Formation of multi-color layer 117 0.19 0.00 0.00 0.39 0.00 1.00
Training in monotonal layer 117 0.13 0.00 0.00 0.34 0.00 1.00
Symmetrical formation 117 0.15 0.00 0.00 0.35 0.00 1.00
Formation with tendency to struc-
117 0.01 0.00 0.00 0.09 0.00 1.00
ture
Alternate formation 117 0.01 0.00 0.00 0.09 0.00 1.00
Mantle structure 117 0.02 0.00 0.00 0.13 0.00 1.00
Symmetrical structure 117 0.07 0.00 0.00 0.25 0.00 1.00
Structure in ladder 117 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
124 Claudio Garcia Capitão et al.: Evidence of Incremental Validity between Pfister Test and Human Figure Drawing

Table 2. Descriptive Statistics of Human Figure DrawingEmotional Indicators

Standard
HFD indicators N Mean Median Mode Minimum Maximum
Deviation
Poor integration of the parts 118 0.42 0.00 0.00 0.50 0.00 1.00
Shading of the face 118 0.05 0.00 0.00 0.22 0.00 1.00
Shading of the body and/or members 118 0.05 0.00 0.00 0.22 0.00 1.00
Shading of hands and/or neck 118 0.01 0.00 0.00 0.09 0.00 1.00
Gross members Asymmetry 118 0.37 0.00 0.00 0.49 0.00 1.00
Inclined Figure 118 0.04 0.00 0.00 0.20 0.00 1.00
Small or thin figure 118 0.30 0.00 0.00 0.46 0.00 1.00
Big figure 118 0.07 0.00 0.00 0.25 0.00 1.00
Transparency 118 0.03 0.00 0.00 0.16 0.00 1.00
Small head 118 0.03 0.00 0.00 0.16 0.00 1.00
Crossed eyes 118 0.03 0.00 0.00 0.16 0.00 1.00
Teeth 118 0.06 0.00 0.00 0.24 0.00 1.00
Short arms 118 0.19 0.00 0.00 0.39 0.00 1.00
Long arms 118 0.14 0.00 0.00 0.34 0.00 1.00
Arms close to body 118 0.05 0.00 0.00 0.22 0.00 1.00
Big hands 118 0.09 0.00 0.00 0.29 0.00 1.00
Hands cut off 118 0.15 0.00 0.00 0.36 0.00 1.00
Closed legs 118 0.19 0.00 0.00 0.40 0.00 1.00
Genital 118 0.17 0.00 0.00 0.38 0.00 1.00
Monstrous or grotesque Figure 118 0.01 0.00 0.00 0.09 0.00 1.00
Three or more figures spontaneously drawn 118 0.23 0.00 0.00 0.42 0.00 1.00
Clouds 118 0.16 0.00 0.00 0.37 0.00 1.00
Eyes omission 118 0.02 0.00 0.00 0.13 0.00 1.00
Nose omission 118 0.10 0.00 0.00 0.30 0.00 1.00
Mouth omission 118 0.04 0.00 0.00 0.20 0.00 1.00
Trunk omission 118 0.01 0.00 0.00 0.09 0.00 1.00
Arms omission 118 0.04 0.00 0.00 0.20 0.00 1.00
Legs omission 118 0.04 0.00 0.00 0.20 0.00 1.00
Feet omission 118 0.19 0.00 0.00 0.39 0.00 1.00
Neck omission 118 0.05 0.00 0.00 0.22 0.00 1.00
Sum of emotional indicators 118 3.31 3.00 2.00 1.95 0.00 8.00

The indicator ‘legs omission’ was associated with diffi- age of yellow co lor in the CPT and with the increased cold
culty in expressing emot ions, and by being the rare presence syndrome. The yello w color suggests to the increased ex-
of this indicator, it must always be observed with caution. aggeration of affect ive manifestations, more stylized and
This correlated with the increased percentage of gray color, less spontaneous, as well as immaturity, unsound structure,
which indicates shyness, and restrictions to emotional con- low frustration tolerance, instability, selfishness and irrita-
tact with the lowering of blue color. In the CPT manual, bility. The feeling of overload associated with exaggeration
there is no interpretation for the lowering of the blue color. of stereotyped actions can lead to feelings of social inade-
Thus, there is a relationship between these indicators and quacy and the need for doing more things than you feel
the difficulty in exp ressing emotions and establishing emo- capable of. Increased cold syndrome is observed in most
tional contact. committed cadres of psychological functioning.
The inclination of drawn figure indicates instability and ‘Long arms’ is lin ked to aggression against self and oth-
overall lack of balance. Th is indicator is with the increase ers. This indicator was related to the increased colourless
of the violet, which indicates increase in internal tensions syndrome, due to the increased percentage of black color.
and anxiety feelings. The comb ination of these indicators suggests association
Poor integration of the parts is related to instability, weak between the expressed aggression and the lack of inhib ition
coordination, impu lsivity, and signs of immaturity. In the of aggressive impulses.
CPT manual[10], there is no interpretation for the lowering The indicator ‘three figures spontaneously drawing’
of the stimu lation syndrome, while the increase in colorless condenses the perseveration and indicates to the perceived
syndrome reflects increased escape to affective or stimulant lack of identity. This indicator was weak and positively
situations in attempt to maintain a quite fragile balance. associated with of black color. The use of increased per-
When associated with increased color black, this escape centageblack co lor would be associated with p rotection
seems to be associated to the repressor function. Positive against stimuli and fear of impulses that could cause loss of
and weak correlations of HFD indicators with the CPT balance. The presence of these HFD indicators in Pfister
indicators, point to the signs of immaturity associated with relate to the lack of identity and perseveration.
instability and attempting to maintain the balance through a ‘Clouds drawn’ imply intense anxiety and aggression di-
repressor function. rected at him-self, this indicator is found in people who seem
The ‘small head’ is associated with the intense feeling of to feel threatened by the world. Children who had drawn
social inadequacy and was related to the increased percent- clouds had increased percentage of black color, i.e., they have
 International Journal of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences 2012, 2(4): 120-129 125

fear of triggering impulses that might lead them to the internal syndrome; however, there is no interpretation in the manual
disintegration; besides being associated with a reduction in for the significance of these syndromes. Moreover, this
normal syndrome, whose lowering has no interpretation in the HFD indicator was related to the increase of ‘bored or un-
manual. balanced carpet’ that suggests the existence of more serious
The ‘feet o mission’ denotes insecurity and associates emotional perturbations, reflecting imbalance and mismatch
with the increase percentage of yellow color, noting exag- to environment due to affective turbulence in the presence
geration of affective man ifestations, less spontaneous, more of sharp conflicts.
stylized and superficial; it also indicates immaturity, un- Children who had also transparency, had increased per-
sound structure and low frustration tolerance, instability, centage of orange color in relation to the others. The indi-
selfishness and irritability. It is also correlated with de- cator ‘transparency’ means some immaturity, impulsiveness
creased Normal Syndrome. and conduct of action without the due reflection, indicating
With respect to the sum of emotional indicators, it was anxiety and preoccupation with body parts. The increased
found that higher the amount of indicators marked the percentage of orange color reflects the desire of domain and
higher the Colorless Syndrome, apparently by increased omnipotence. The presence of these indicators converges to
black colo r, suggesting increased escape of affective or a certain mental state of do main and o mnipotence. This
stimulant situations as attempt to maintain a very fragile HFD indicator was also associated with increased stimula-
balance. It was also correlated with the decrease of Brown tion syndrome, indicating tendency to selfishness and un-
indicating a lack of energy, lo wer resistance and low pro- fitness, and with increasing formation in mult i-co lor layer,
ductivity. which suggests unsatisfactory level of maturity in dealing
The indicator ‘hands cut off’in HFD was associated with with emot ions and defensive maneuvers. This co mbination
the lowered normal syndrome inPfister. Hands cut denote indicates personality unsatisfactorily stabilized and vulner-
people with feelings of inadequacy or guilt, unable to express ability. Transparency was also correlated with decreased
their feelings. Normal syndrome reflects an effort to look like ‘bored carpet’ that has no interpretive significance.
a normal, when lowered may suggest lack of concern with Another HFD indicator, ‘big hands’, points to evidence
the normal patterns. of a rewarding conduct of feelings of inadequacy, insuffi-
‘Drawing genitals’ in HFD is indicator of severe psy- ciency or to establish contact with others. This indicator
chopathology and implies distress and weak control of was associated with increased percentage of blue color and
impulses. This indicator was correlated with increased col- formation with tendency to structure and decreased stimula-
orless syndrome and reduced stimu lation syndrome, indi- tion syndrome. These indicators suggest suppression of
cating escape of emotional or stimu lant situations. feelings and emotions, resulting in an over control attitude,
For examp le, ‘crossed eyes’ and ‘arms’ on the body of which seems to be associated with feelings of inferiority,
HFD correlated with the percentage of colors and the for- dissatisfaction and ambivalence.
mal aspect. The ‘nose omission’, in turn, suggests shy and withdrawn
The drawing of ‘crossed eyes’ implies hostility, anger, behavior with no obvious aggression and a little social con-
rebellion and was associated with increased percentage of cern. This indicator was associated with lowered cold syn-
orange and formation of mult i-colo rlayer,wh ich reveals drome, wh ich is lin ked to pathological cases. The lowering
unsatisfactory level of maturity in dealing with emotions of cold syndrome in this case, is due to the lowered vio let
and defensive maneuvers with the desire to dominate and color, indicating reduction of tension and anxiety. This
omnipotence. In addition, the lowering was related to the HFD indicator correlated with the increase of the alternate
‘bored or unbalanced Carpet’ without interpretative value. formation, suggesting an individual with difficulty to adapt
‘Arms close to the body’ are associated with severe psy- with the environ ment.
chopathology and fairly rigid internal control, inflexib ility The ‘arms o mission’ is related to an xiety and guilt over
and difficulty in connection with the world, resulting in socially unacceptable control, guilt by hostility in sexuality,
poor interpersonal relat ionships. This indicator was corre- depression and withdrawal. Th is HFD indicator was associ-
lated with the decreased percentage of b lack color and the ated with increased colorless syndrome, possibly by the
‘starting order carpet’. The color black suggests lowering or increased percentage of gray color. This finding imp lies
absence of repression essential to man socially adapted[10]. possible shyness, caution and restraint in emotional contacts
The drawing of the ‘small figure’ in HFD was associated as a defense against fear or unsatisfied emotional needs, or
with lowering of the green color. This HFD indicator relates withdrawal defensive. Note the decreased percentage in the
to feelings of insecurity, withdrawal and inadequacy, in brown color, wh ich means lack of energy, lower resistance
some cases also to depression, wh ich indicates a difficulty and low productivity and increased ‘pure carpet’, imp lying
in adapting to the environ ment and may lead to effective lower emotional or intellectual develop ment, in addition to
stiffening and stereotypical attitudes. Thus, both indicators difficulty in adapting to everyday situations.
are associated with a feeling of inadequacy and insecurity. The ‘neck o mission’ indicates immaturity, impu lsiveness
The picture drawn in ‘s mall size’ was also associated and internal control; this indicator associated with increased
with the lowering of the cold syndrome and dynamism colorless syndrome, due to the increased percentage of
126 Claudio Garcia Capitão et al.: Evidence of Incremental Validity between Pfister Test and Human Figure Drawing

black. In Pfister, the aforementioned indicator suggests The indicators ‘shading the face and body’ correlated
fragile psychic equilibriu m, which corresponds to immatur- with increased format ion of mu lt i-color layer. The shading
ity, impulsiveness and poor internal control, it was also reflects feelings of anxiety and distorted self-image, wh ile
associated with increased alternate format ion, indicating the layer formation reveals unsatisfactory level of maturity
difficulty in adapting to the environment. in dealing with emotions and defensive maneuvers.
Table 3. Correlation of Human Figure Drawing Emotional Indicators with Percentage of Colors and Chromatic Syndrome of Pfister

Percentage of Colors Chromatic Syndrome

HFD indicators
Gree vio- Orang Yel- Brow Blac Nor- Stimula- Color- Dynam-
Blue Gray Cold
n let e low n k mal tion less ism
rs 0.26 -0.19 0.19
Poor integration of the parts
p 0.02 0.05 0.05
rs 0.21 -0.17
Inclined Figure
p 0.03 0.08
-0.2
rs -0.19 -0.19
Small or thin figure 1
p 0.04 0.02 0.05
rs 0.27 0.29
Big figure
p 0.00 0.01
rs 0.21 0.18
Transparency
p 0.03 0.05
rs 0.21 0.19
Small head
p 0.03 0.04
rs 0.21
Crossed eyes
p 0.03
rs 0.30 0.21
Long arms
p 0.00 0.03
rs -0.22
Arms close to body
p 0.04
rs 0.22 -0.19
Big hands
p 0.02 0.04
rs -0.23
Hands cut off
p 0.01
rs -0.20 0.26
Genital
p 0.04 0.01
-0.2
Three or more figures rs 0.22
0
spontaneously drawn
p 0.04 0.03
rs 0.21 -0.19
Clouds
p 0.05 0.04
-0,3
rs -0.30
Nose omission 0
p 0.00 0,00
rs 0.19 0.20
Mouth omission
p 0.05 0.03
rs -0.22 0.31 0.23
Arms omission
p 0,04 0.00 0.02
-0.2
rs 0.22
Legs omission 1
p 0.03 0.04
rs 0.19 -0.19
Feet omission
p 0,04 0.04
rs 0.21 0.20
Neck omission
p 0.05 0.04
rs -0.20 0.35 0.27
Sum of emotional indicators
p 0.05 0.00 0.01
 International Journal of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences 2012, 2(4): 120-129 127

Table 4. Correlation of Human Figure Drawing Emotional Indicators with Formal Aspect of Pfister Test

Formal Aspect
HFD indicators starting order starting order starting order starting order starting order starting
carpet carpet carpet carpet carpet order carpet
rs 0.19
shading the body
p 0.05
rs 0.19
shading the body
p 0.05
rs 0.24
Small or thin figure
p 0.01
rs -0.21 0.20
Transparency
p 0.02 0.03
rs -0.21 0.20
Crossed eyes
p 0.02 0.03
rs -0.19
Arms close to body
p 0.04
rs 0.29
Big hands
p 0.00
rs 0.29
Nose omission
p 0.00
rs 0.18
Arms omission
p 0.05
rs 0.40
Neck omission
p 0.00

The correlations show some indicators in both instru- aspect in common.

ments that assess aspects of affective and emotional dy- The Pfister technique allows us to understand different
namics, as well as structural and cognitive functions of the aspects of affective and emotional functioning, as well as
examinee, allo wing to check if it reacts to emotional stimu li some structural and cognitive functions of the examinee,
with lesser or greater control of cognitive functions. All while the HFD is considered a qualitative measure of per-
correlations were significant; however, when considering sonality and intellectual functioning. Inspite of the fact that
the magnitude of the correlat ions it seems that most of them they both have unique characteristics, they are used to ana-
have been considered weak and some moderate. A proper lyze a co mmon factor, which is associated with the dynam-
reading of this information may be made by considering the ics of personality and cognitive functioning of the subject.
formulat ion of[11] and[7], in the sense, that these correla- Each of these techniques should be combinedly used with
tions show the existence of a point of convergence between other instruments to contribute to the evidence of incre-
instruments, but that low correlat ions in project ive tech- mental valid ity. There were significant statistical correla-
niques must be understood in relat ion to the unique opera- tions between the Pfister test and Human Figure Drawing
tion as each person perceives and deals with conflicts. fro m the statistical point of view. Ho wever the correlations
The frequent combination of certain variables, contrib- were either considered weak or moderate, because the tools
utes to the idea that an indicator cannot be analyzed sepa- identify only one aspect in common.
rately. In everyday use of instruments, we h ighlight the When analyzing the data, it was possible to verify theo-
importance of considering the set of indicators of the test retical association between the indicators that had signifi-
and the evaluation context as a whole ([15],[8],[1],[3],[9]). cant correlations. These results provide evidences that the
Similarly, as already mentioned, the projective techniques instruments are complementary and make it feasible a
should be analyzed in research, according to a set of ele- broader clinical v iew on the emotional functioning of
ments, forming constellations of indicators that allow a fu ll children; besides this, they strengthen the importance that
understanding of the subject. each one of these techniques should always be used in con-
junction with other instruments.
The importance of this research, besides the purpose of
4. Conclusions seeking evidence of incremental valid ity between the in-
There were significant statistical correlat ions between the struments, is in the fact that in Brazil there are few instru-
Pfister test and Human Figure Drawing fro m the statistical ments with evidence of validity fo r use with children. This
point of view. However the correlat ions were either consid- way, this present study contributes with evidences of valid-
ered weak or moderate, because the tools identify only one ity for two other instruments that could be used for evalua-
128 Claudio Garcia Capitão et al.: Evidence of Incremental Validity between Pfister Test and Human Figure Drawing

tion of emotional and qualitative aspects of the personality [9] M . Tavares, “Validade Clinica”, Universidade de São
in children. Francisco - Programa de Pós-Graduação Stricto Sensu em
Psicologia, Psico-USF, vol. 8, no. 2, pp. 125-136, 2003.
One issue which is to be considered refers to the instru-
ments having been admin istered in the same order, for all [10] A. E. Villemor-Amaral, O teste das Pirâmides coloridas de
participants, making it d ifficult the observation of the in- Pfister, CETEPP, São Paulo, 2005.
fluence that the instrument exerts on the other, especially in [11] R. F. Bornstein, “A process dissociation approach to objec-
relation to the answers. Th is bias could have been con- tive-projective test score interrelationship”, Routledge: Tay-
trolled in case the researchers had inverted the order of lor & Francis Group, Journal of Personality Assessment, vol.
administration of the techniques, dividing the group in two 78, no. 1, pp. 47-68, 2002.
halves. [12] G. T. Smith, S. Fischer, S. M . Fister, “Incremental Validity
Still, it is emphasized that the reliability among judges Principles in Test Construction”, American Psychological
was not conducted, which would verify the accuracy of the Association, Psychological Assessment, vol. 15, no. 4, pp.
instruments. Studies of reliability have been quite relevant 467-477, 2003.
and allow us to affirm the reliability of the instrument, be- [13] D. M . de S. Campos, O teste do desenho como instrumento
ing very important for research on projective techniques. de diagnóstico da personalidade,Editora Vozes, Petrópolis,
The instruments surveyed have other indicators that 1973.
could have been explored, but were not in the scope of this
[14] C. Chabert, Psicanálise e M étodos Projetivos, Vetor, São
study. However, new researchers will contribute to evi- Paulo, 2004.
dence of valid ity and reliability, as well as studies on Pfister
and HFD, especially in Brazil. [15] E. F. Hammer, Aplicações clínicas dos desenhos projetivos,
Interamericana, Rio de Janeiro, 1981.

[16] E. M . Koppitz, El debrejo de la figura humana in los niños:

Evolución Psicológica (M . J. Garcia e M . R. Braile, Trad.),
4th ed., Editorial Guadalupe, Buenos Aires-Argentina, 1976.
REFERENCES
[17] A. Celli, “Sinais de ansiedade nos desenhos da figura
[1] L. Pasquali, Instrumentos Psicológicos:M anual Prático de humana de crianças surdas e de crianças normais”,
Elaboração, 1st ed., Lab PAM /IBAPP, Brasília, 1999. Dissertação de mestrado, Instituto de Psicologia,
Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, 1974.
[2] C. S. Hutz, D. R. Bandeira, “Tendências Contemporâneas no
Uso de Teste: uma análise da literatura brasileira e [18] A. Celli, “Comparativos dos indicadores emocionais de
internacional”, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul – Koppitz em desenho da figura humana realizados por
Departamento de Psicologia, Psicologia: Reflexão e Crítica, escolares atípicos (polimielíticos, diabéticos, surdos e
vol. 6, no. 2, pp. 85-101, 1993. cardiopatas)”, Tese de doutorado, Instituto de Psicologia,
Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, 1978.
[3] L. Pasquali, Testes Psicológicos: Conceitos, História, Tipos
e Usos. Em L. Pasquali (Org.), Técnicas de Exame [19] L. M . Cardoso, C. G. Capitão, “Avaliação Psicológica de
Psicológico- TEP M anual, vol. 1, pp. 13-56, Casa do crianças surdas pelo Teste das Pirâmides Coloridas de
Psicólogo, São Paulo, 2001. Pfister”, Universidade de São Francisco, Programa de
Pós-Graduação Stricto Sensu em Psicologia, Psico-USF, vol.
[4] A. P. P. Noronha, C. T. Reppold, “Considerações Sobre a 12, no. 2, pp. 135-144, 2007.
Avaliação Psicológica no Brasil”, Conselho Federal de
Psicologia, Psicologia: Ciência e Profissão, vol. 30 (num. [20] L. M . Cardoso, C. G. Capitão, “Evidencias de validade do
esp.), pp. 192-201, 2010. teste do Desenho da Figura Humana para o contexto da
surdez”, Instituto Brasileiro de Avaliação Psicológica,
[5] R. Primi, “Avaliação Psicológica no Brasil: Fundamentos, Avaliação Psicológica, vol. 8, no. 2, pp. 245-254, 2009.
situação atual e direções para o futuro”,Instituto de
Psicologia - Universidade de Brasília,Psicologia: Teoria e [21] M . Klepsch, L. Logie, Crianças desenham e comunicam-se:
Pesquisa, vol. 26 (num. esp.), pp. 25-35, 2010. uma introdução aos usos projetivos dos desenhos infantis da
figura humana, Artes M édicas, Porto Alegre, 1984.
[6] L. Fensterseifer, B. S. G. Werlang, Apontamentos sobre o [22] J. W. M acFarlane, R. D. Tuddenham, Dificuldades para
status científico das técnicas projetivas, Em A. E. Validação das Técnicas Projetivas, In H. H. Anderson & G.
Villemor-Amaral, B. S. G. Werlang, Atualizações em L. Anderson (Orgs.), Técnicas Projetivas do Diagnóstico
métodos projetivos para avaliação psicológica, 1st ed., Casa Psicológico, pp. 41-68, Editora M estre Jou, São Paulo, 1967.
do Psicólogo, São Paulo, 2008.
[23] A. E. Villemor-Amaral, T. C. Silva, R. Primi, “O Teste das
[7] A. E. Villemor-Amaral, L. Pasqualini-Casado, “A Pirâmides Coloridas de Pfister e o transtorno obsessivo
cientificidade das Técnicas Projetivas em Debate”, compulsivo”, Instituto Brasileiro de Avaliação Psicológica,
Universidade de São Francisco - Programa de Avaliação Psicológica, vol. 1, no. 2, pp. 133-139, 2002.
Pós-Graduação Stricto Sensu em Psicologia,Psico-U SF, vol.
11, no. 2, pp. 185-193, 2006. [24] A. E.Villemor-Amaral, T. C. Silva, R. Primi, “Indicadores
de Alcoolismo no Teste das Pirâmides Coloridas de Pfister”,
[8] E. Grassano, Indicadores Psicopatológicos nas Técnicas Universidade de São Francisco, Programa de Pós-Graduação
Projetivas, 1st ed., Casa do Psicólogo, São Paulo, 1996. Stricto Sensu em Psicologia, Psico- USF, vol. 8, no. 1, pp.
 International Journal of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences 2012, 2(4): 120-129 129

33-38, 2003. da região nordeste brasileira”, Instituto Brasileiro de

Avaliação Psicológica, Avaliação Psicológica, vol. 7, no. 2,
[25] A. E. Villemor-Amaral, R. Primi, F. H. Z. Farah, S. M . Silva, pp. 181-188, 2008.
L. M . Cardoso, R. R. C. Franco, “A depressão no teste das
pirâmides coloridas de Pfister”, Universidade de São Paulo, [31] H. R. Rosa, “Validade do Desenho da Figura Humana na
Faculdade de Filosofia Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, avaliação de Goodenough-Harris e nos indicadores
Paidéia: Cadernos de psicologia e educação, vol. 14, no. 28, maturacionais de Koppitz em crianças da cidade de são
pp. 169-179, 2004a. Paulo”, Associação de Psicologia de São Paulo, Boletim de
Psicologia, vol. 58, no. 128, pp. 1-14, 2008.
[26] A. E. Villemor-Amaral, F. H. Z. Farah, R. Primi, “O teste
das Pirâmides Coloridas e o Transtorno do Pânico”, [32] M . A. S. B. Azevedo, “A criança obesa: um estudo
Departamento de Psicologia - Universidade Estadual de exploratório da personalidade através do Desenho da Figura
M aringá, Psicologia Estudos, vol. 9, no. 2, pp. 301-307, Humana e dos Indicadores Emocionais de Koppitz”,
2004b. Associação de Psicologia de São Paulo, Boletim de
Psicologia, vol. 53, no. 118, pp. 49-72, 2003.
[27] A. E. Villemor-Amaral, R. Primi, R. R. C. Franco, F. H. Z
Farah, L. M . Cardoso, T. C.Silva, “O Teste de Pfister e sua [33] V. N. Campagna, C. J. S. Faiman, “O Desenho da Figura
Contribuição para Diagnóstico da Esquizofrenia”, Humana no inicio da adolescência feminina”, Associação de
Universidade Federal Fluminense, Departamento de Psicologia de São Paulo, Boletim de Psicologia, vol. 52, no.
Psicologia, Revista do Departamento de Psicologia - 116, pp. 87-104, 2002.
UFF,vol. 17, no. 2, pp. 89-98, 2005.
[34] T. C. Cariola, “O Desenho da Figura Humana de crianças
[28] L. M . Cardoso, C. G. Capitão, “Estudo correlacional entre o com bruxismo”, Associação de Psicologia de São Paulo,
Teste de Pfister e o Desenho da Figura Humana”, Boletim de Psicologia, vol. 56, no. 124, pp. 37-52, 2006.
Universidade de São Francisco, Programa de Pós-Graduação
Stricto Sensu em Psicologia,Psico-USF, vol. 11, no. 2, pp. [35] M . A. Santos, R. S. Peres, M . S. L. Benez, “Contribuições do
157-166, 2006. Desenho da Figura Humana para o delineamento do perfil
psicológico de um grupo de obesos mórbidos”,Vetor Editora
[29] A. E. Villemor-Amaral, R. Primi, F. H. Z. Farah, L. M . Psico-Pedagógica, Psic - Revista de Psicologia da Vetor
Cardoso, R. R. C. Franco, “Revisão das expectativas no Editora, vol. 3, no. 2, pp. 20-29, 2002.
Pfister para uma amostra normativa”,Instituto Brasileiro de
Avaliação Psicológica, Avaliação Psicológica, vol. 2, no. 2, [36] J. Levin, & J. A. Fox, Estatística para ciências humanas, 9th
pp. 185-188, 2003. ed., Pren tice Hall, São Paulo, 2004

[30] A. E. Villemor-Amaral, G. Pianowski, C. M. T. S.

Goncalves, “Estudo Normativo com o Pfister: uma amostra