Fantastic animals. Unusual children's drawings: a psychological test for children

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

Very often, when working with a child, psychologists ask him to draw a fantastic animal, i.e. not existing in nature. Such a test helps specialists understand the worldview of the ward and better understand the current situation. But not only psychologists can apply this technique. This article will tell you how loving parents, educators at a preschool educational institution, grandparents, decipher the messages that a fantastic animal drawn by a beloved child contains. Children's drawings are able to reveal everything that lies deep, on a subconscious level.

So let's get started.

Size

Regarding the size of the resulting drawing, the rule “the larger the size, the more strength and energy” most often works. Large fantastic animals on the sheet testify to the energy and self-confidence of the authors. Their small size is about uncertainty and enslavement. Also, enslavement manifests itself in cases where the animal is so large that it does not fit on the sheet.

The position of the picture on the sheet

The center position of the pattern is considered normal. The closer the drawingis to the top edge of the sheet, the more self-esteem the child has, the more dissatisfaction he feels about his position in society, and the more insufficient he considers his recognition by others. Conversely, an underestimated figure indicates low self-esteem, indecision, disinterest in one's social position.

Head of the figure

Fantastic animals, whose heads are turned to the right, testify to a steady tendency towards activity, the effectiveness of their authors. Such children, as a rule, realize their plans in practice. A head turned to the left indicates the opposite: such children are prone to reflection, reflection, and the transition to action can be inhibited by fears. The full face position is interpreted as egocentrism. The presence or absence of sensory organs on the head indicates an interest / disinterest in receiving or issuing one or another type of information. For example, a slightly open mouth with a tongue without a detailed drawing of the lips indicates the child's speech activity. The presence of teeth indicates aggression, often defensive. A shaded mouth indicates anxiety and fearfulness.

It is very important what kind of eyes the fantastic animals drawn by children have. A sharp drawing of the iris indicates the experience of fear. Eyelashes speak of hysterical demonstrative behavior.

A large head size is a sign that a child most of all appreciates the rational principle in himself and those around him. Additional details suchlike horns, claws, bristles, needles, are a sign of aggression, spontaneous or defensive-response.

Feathers, manes, fur are used to decorate fantastic animals, the authors of which tend to self-decoration.

The supporting part of the figure

By the type of connection of the limbs with the body, one can judge the nature of the child's control over his own reasoning, decisions, conclusions. The connection can be precise, careful or careless, weak, completely absent. The uniformity and unidirectionality of the shape of the limbs is a standard, a banality in judgments. The variety of their form and position - independence, originality and even creativity, as well as dissent (for forms close to pathology).

Additional elements of the figure

The elements drawn above the figure can be functional, such as wings or shell. And they can play a decorative role (curls, curls). The first case testifies to confidence, curiosity, enthusiasm, activity, in some cases associated with the oppression of others. The second is about mannerisms, a tendency to attract the attention of others.

Strange as it may seem, tails play an important role in the drawing. They reflect the child's attitude to their own actions and behavior if the tail is directed to the right, and to thoughts - if to the left. Whether this ratio is positive or negative depends on the vertical direction of the tail: the more up, the better.

Total energy

Shouldevaluate the total number of details depicted: the higher the energy, the more there are in the picture and the more information they give about what the depicted fantastic animals are like. Habitats, surrounding animal figurines, extraneous elements - it's all worth paying attention to: color, intensity, mood.

The general character of the lines should also be analyzed: weak lines indicate weakness and lack of initiative. Bold, with pressure - about anxiety. Analyze what elements are done in this manner, where there is duplication of lines, breaks, blackening, blurring, deviation from the direction - there are problems in these areas.

See: a drawing can tell a lot about the inner world of a little man. Ask your child to draw a fantastic animal, come up with a name and habitat for it. Pay attention to the presence of sharp corners at the contour of the figure (aggression or fear), the direction of protection (from the upper threat - teachers, parents, from the lower one - peers, their ridicule). In this way, you can better understand your child's problems and help him solve them.