title: Figure drawing as an expression of self-esteem.
abstract: Figure drawings were obtained from 97 preadolescent males who differed in self and behavioral assessments of self-esteem. These subjects had been selected from a much larger sample and represented five different types of self-esteem. The figure drawings were scored for 15 variables, dealing with formal characteristics, content, and global-interpretations of the total drawings. Five significant differences were obtained, with the content and global-interpretative categories proving more differentiating between self-esteem groups than did the formal characteristics. Behavioral expressions of self-esteem were more associated with figure drawing characteristics than were subjective evaluations. Discussion focuses on the nature of self-concept and self-esteem in children as a sensorimotor rather than symbolic expression.
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010552:Personality Assessment; D011386:Projective Techniques; D012649:Self Concept; D012647:Self-Assessment; D012938:Social Perception