Figure drawings: A popular method

Abstract

Abstract Research, commentary, and interpretive procedures reflecting varied perspectives on figure drawings are presented in order to suggest contemporary practice models for school psychologists. The review of the extensive literature includes measures with scoring systems that are normed and those systems that rely on clinical traditions for interpretation. Available scoring systems demonstrate adequate reliability and validity for screening purposes, but evidence of their utility for diagnosis of an individual by interpretation of drawings is nonexistent. Drawing data can be useful when they are aggregated with other data and interpreted in a configural manner to obtain a description of the individual, or when the focus of assessment is on overarching constructs such as well‐being. Finally, figure drawings may aid in establishing rapport with youth and provide a springboard for practitioner hypotheses, guiding the course of the assessment. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Psychol Schs 44: 257–270, 2007.