THE EFFECT OF STRESS ON CHILDREN'S DRAWINGS

Abstract

Attempts at validating certain “emotional indicators” (or EI's such as teeth, tiny figure, no hands) have met with some success (ie more common in drawings of “chronically disturbed” children). While results remain controversial, human figure drawing tests are very popular and are used by pediatricians.The stress effect of a health procedure (venipuncture) was evaluated on the drawings of 64 children, aged 4-12 yrs., hospitalized for elective minor surgery. All children were asked to draw a human figure on 2 occasions-shortly after admission and a brief period of free play and again approximately 30 mins. later. In the interim children received stress (routine venipuncture) or no stress (venipuncture delayed until after 2nd drawing) and either preparation (information and rehearsal) or no preparation (free play). Measures of upset and cooperation behavior and pulse were assessed at the time of the stress and pulse was taken again shortly thereafter.EI's increased only for the group that was stressed and unprepared (p<0.001). This effect remained when adjusted for M.A. scoring of drawing. EI's seem then to be a valid measure of stress, but any interpretation of drawings must be mindful of current stress and the child's understanding of stress.Although there was significant correlation between EI's and pulse at the time of stress, correlations of EI's with subsequent pulse (prior to drawing) and EI's with behavior measures were not present indicating that EI's are a dissimilar index of stress.