The House-Tree-Person (HTP) test is a projective personality test originally developed by John Buck that was originally devised to assess intellectual functioning. Buck observed that artistic creativity represents a characteristic and fundamental part of the individual personality. It is believed that through drawings subjects are able to better express unconscious problems, since it is a fairly primary process. It is for this reason that it is used mostly in childhood, so that the little ones can express with their drawings what they are not capable of expressing with their words.
As with other projective tests, this test has a flexible and somewhat subjective form of administration and interpretation..
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The main purpose of the HTP is to measure aspects of a person's personality through the interpretation of their drawings and the answers to the questions that are asked during the process..
The drawings provide a multitude of relevant information about the functioning of an individual as well as their personality.
HTP can be given to anyone of any age. Because of how minimally invasive this test is to do, it is often used with children and adolescents. It is also used with people suspected of having some type of brain damage or other neurological disorder. The test takes an average of 150 minutes to complete, although it may take less time with normally functioning adults and much longer in people with neurological damage..
During the first phase of the test, the test takers are asked to use colored pencils to draw pictures of a house, a tree and a person. Each drawing is made on a sheet of paper and you are asked to draw as accurately as possible. At the end of the drawings, the evaluators ask questions about the drawings.
There are a total of 60 questions that examiners can ask. They can also create their own questions or ask follow-up questions without a preset script. For example, with reference to the house, the author may be asked questions such as: "Who lives here?" and "Are the people who live in the house happy?" As for the tree, the questions may be: "How old is that tree?" and "What kind of tree is it?" As for the person, the questions are: "Is that person happy?" and "How is that person feeling?".
There is some variation in the administration of the test, such as asking the individual to draw two separate people, one of each sex. Another variation is for children to draw their family.
The HTP test is evaluated both objectively quantitatively and qualitatively, somewhat more subjective. The quantitative scoring system consists of analyzing the details of drawings to arrive at a general assessment of intelligence, using a scoring method devised by the creators of the test. Research has shown that this intelligence assessment is highly correlated with other intelligence tests such as the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS).
The primary use of the HTP, however, is related to a qualitative scoring system in which the test administrator analyzes the drawings and the answers to the questions in a way that helps him assess the test taker's personality. For example, a very small house could indicate a rejection of one's home life, while an exaggeratedly large house would speak of being overwhelmed by it. A tree that has a thin trunk but has large expansive branches could indicate a need for satisfaction. A drawing of a person who has a lot of detail on the face could indicate the need to be accepted in society..
In the drawing of the house, the ceiling represents the intellectual side, the walls represent the degree of strength of the Self, and the doors and windows refer to the relationship of the individual with the outside world..
The lines of the walls represent the limits and strengths of the ego, therefore, the weak lines in the structure of the house are the weaknesses in the ego, while the strong lines indicate problems of anxiety and the need for personal reinforcement..
The ceiling symbolizes fantasy life, and drawing it in detail or large can indicate a special inclination to fantasy and the world of ideas, while small ceilings can speak of difficulty in imagining and creating.
Windows and doors are the ways others enter or look into the home, in terms of openness, willingness to interact with others, and ideas about the environment. Therefore, curtains, blinds, curtains, locks, etc. they indicate a certain reluctance to reveal much about oneself. Open doors or many windows could signify strong needs to involve others, openness, and generosity. Large windows, especially in the bathroom, could be the exhibitionist wishes.
Psychotics tend to show a clear vision of the interior of the house, as if the walls were transparent, since they believe that their thoughts and mind are in view of others, strange angles may also appear (such as their strange thought processes) , or a house on the brink of collapse (like his ego).
The trunk reveals your inner strength, represents the ego, the sense of self and the integrity of the personality. Thus, thick lines and shading to represent the bark indicate anxiety about oneself, small trunks speak of limited ego strength, while large trunks indicate strength. A tree divided in half, as if struck by lightning, can indicate a fragmented personality and serious mental illnesses, they are a sign of organicity.
The branches tell us about the subject's relationship with the outside world. Therefore, open branches show difficulties with the external world or efforts to reach that which we cannot control. The small branches speak of limits in the abilities to get to satisfy the needs, while the large branches are the opposite. Club-shaped or very pointed branches represent aggressiveness. Dead branches mean emptiness and hopelessness.
The leaves are signs that efforts to reach are successful, as the growing leaves of the tree mean it is trying to reach the sun and get food and water. Therefore, when there are no leaves it could mean lack of motivation and sadness. The pointed leaves are a sign of aggressiveness, and the obsessive in the details of the leaves speak of the presence of obsessive compulsive tendencies.
The roots usually refer to the perception of reality. When there are no roots can mean insecurity and a feeling of not being grounded, the highlighted roots can indicate excessive concern for reality, while dead roots can mean feelings of disconnection from reality, emptiness and despair.
Other details: Christmas trees after the season is over can mean regressive fantasies (thinking about holidays and family and good times to feel better). The knots in the trunk, like the twisted branches, indicate a certain part of the ego is twisted around some subject. The holes are an absence of trunk, and therefore an absence of ego control. They are sometimes viewed as indicators of trauma, and the height above the tree represents the age of the trauma (so the average height for a 10-year-old is 5 years). Small animals like squirrels are an identifiable intrusion into an area free from ego control. Research shows that weeping willows are more common in depressed people. People with high care needs often draw apples or fruits.
Here the idea is that the person of the same sex is like oneself and the person of the opposite sex is what cannot be admitted to be oneself.
Usually the person of the same sex is drawn first. Some interpret the drawing of different sex for the first time as a sign of gender confusion or desire to change gender.
Arms are the way we approach the environment and hands are the way we communicate with it. Open arms indicate extroversion, openness and willingness to participate, while arms close to the body indicate introversion and are a defensive attitude towards others. Hands with clenched fists can be a sign of aggression, gloved or concealed hands or it can indicate anxiety or antisocial tendencies. It could also be difficulty drawing good hands.
The legs and feet are like the roots of trees, they represent the earth and the connection with reality. If the lower part of the body appears cut or not drawn, it can mean the loss of autonomy, small feet (inadequate base) can indicate a need for security, while large feet can indicate the same.
The neck separates the head (cognition) from the body (basic needs), when the neck is not drawn it indicates an impulsive and primitive personality, it does not think before acting, on the other hand the long neck speaks of the predominance of the world of ideas and of difficulty connection with the most basic needs.
The mouth is where the needs come in (according to Freud's theory and the oral route), when it is very large or open it is the active and constant search for satisfaction of needs, the mouth with thick lips speaks of sexual needs, if the mouth is closed very tight is the denial of the needs or some passive aggression. Mouths showing teeth often indicate verbal aggression.
Genitalia, breasts, etc ... are rarely drawn, and indicate sexual concerns of some kind.
Other details: drawing clowns (they hide the face and also the person), robots (loss of emotions in a psychotic way), cowboys (masculinized needs), snowmen (rounded bodies, regressive themes), etc ... Excessive details are consistent with some obsession and anxiety, while a marked lack of detail may indicate withdrawal, lack of energy or hopelessness.
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