A visual arts program for enhancement of the body image.

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine whether a visual arts program related to the human figure would enhance the body-image of children with learning disabilities. Body-image was defined as the integrated mental image one has of one's own body. Four measures of body-image were used: The Human Figure Drawing Test, the Imitation of Postures Test, the Arthur Manikin Test, and the Self-Identification of Body Parts Test in Response to Verbal Instructions. Sixteen boys and four girls from learning disabilities classes participated in the study. The paired subjects were randomly assigned to either the experimental or the control group. The experimental group received training in a program designed to improve the body image. The art program focused on aspects of awareness: body schema, body image, and spatial awareness. A wide variety of media, materials, and techniques were utilized in the production of two- and three-dimensional art forms. Classes met three times a week for one-hour sessions for 24 sessions. Two of the sessions were set aside for pretesting and posttesting. Nonparametric statistics were used for analysis of the data. The results indicated that there were significant differences between the experimental and the control group on three of the body-image measures, which confirmed the hypothesis that through participation in a visual arts program, children with learning disabilities will exhibit a more adequate body image. The results of the Manikin Test were inconclusive.