An experimental investigation of the effectiveness of the draw-a-person test in reflecting behavior changes occurring in hypnotically-induced insecurity and hostility

The present study was undertaken to investigate available evidence concerning the effectiveness of hypnoss as a means of inducing specific states in an individual, and to validate, if possible, specific signs which have been suggested by others as reflecting feelings of hostility or insecurity. In the literature there is a large amount of experimental evidence that human figure drawings reveal something about the individual's personality structure. There is also experimental evidence that qualified clinical psychologists can infer degree of adjustment from drawings. Experiments using hypnosis to induce various states or mood changes in individuals have shown the value of the technique in this regard. The literature also deals with suggested measures and signs of hostility and insecurity. These signs are both structural and qualitative. In an attempt to validate some of these suggested measures, the writer selected those appearing most frequently in the literature and established ways of testing them. The measures considered and tested were location, also, pressure and detail of the hands, eyes, and mouth. Certain predictions were made, based upon the literature, regarding each of the measures prior to the collection and analysis of data. In the experimental situation, twenty-four female subjects were used. They were selected from general psychology classes and from offices on the Universty of Houston campus. To hypnotically create the states of hostility and insecurity a series of suggestions, in paragraph form, were given each subject. The presentation was alternated among the subjects so that an equal number made the hostile, waiting and insecure drainage first, second and third. The drawings were collected and analyzed on the basis of the measures and predictions established earlier. Three qualified raters were asked to select the drawings made in the hostile, waking and insecure states. The drawings were coded and the raters had no previous knowledge of them. These ratings showed the most significant results of all the measures. In all three states - making, hostile and insecure - a chi-square test revealed significance at the once per cent level of confidence. The only other significant result was the difference in size between the drawings made in the waking state and those made in the insecure state. The insecure drawings were significantly smaller at the one per cent level confidence.