Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Drawing Psychological aspects'

Why do people tell stories? Whether it be the oft repeated, endlessly varied fairy tales passed from one generation to the next, the carefully patterned and strictly worded epics of the ancients or tall-tales told around the kitchen table, people have been telling stories to themselves or others since the day someone uttered the first words ever heard on this planet. In the following essay story-telling is called narrativity and is discussed as a function of the desire to impose meaning on experience. The six stories of Drawing the Reader In are about story-telling and how people fail or succeed as story-tellers. Neither can be said to fully answer the question above, rather they elaborate on the possibilities of there being an answer.

The present thesis explores the link between children's drawings and cognitive development. The aim of this study is to investigate the intellectual abilities of the child draughtsman with good depiction skills and to evaluate the merit of the drawing technique in the assessment of conceptual maturity. The standardised Goodenough-Harris Drawing Test (GHDT) of intellectual maturity was administered to 115 children between 4 to 8 years of age against criterion ability measures (Wechsler scales). Its psychometric properties are examined in respect to its norms and scales, its reliability and validity at different age levels and ranges of intelligence. Early theories in the area of pictorial representation were directed towards identifying features characteristic of different developmental periods (Kerschensteiner, 1905; Luquet, 1927/1977). At the same time Piaget and Inhelder (1948/1967) incorporated these stage theories into their model of spatial intelligence. Yet, the recent experimental study of children's drawings has disclosed a number of variables which interfere during the course of production, challenging the view that drawings can be seen as the royal route to access children's concepts. Stage theories are re-evaluated by means of fourteen experimental drawing tasks with various degree of difficulty. The tasks - administered to the same children tested with the standardised instruments -are spatial in nature and have been sampled from two widely researched areas related to the pictorial representation of partial occlusion and of spatial axes (horizontal/vertical). The acquisition of the pertinent spatial concepts by means of drawings is examined, considering competence-deficiency and competence-utilisation accounts of children's performance at different ages. Finally, overall perfomance on spatial tasks is compared with performance on conventional (Wechsler scales) and non-verbal (GHDT) measures of intellectual functioning, considering the optimum method to assess children's abilities by means of drawings. In general, drawing performance is reasonably sensitive to children's level of intelligence, yet the significance of drawing varies at different ages and ranges of IQ. Finally, the establishment of steadfast developmental trajectories falls short in the field of pictorial representation. The variable performance, particularly from the children at intermediate ages, suggests that the stages of intellectual or visual realism should be seen as relative and not as absolute.

This study examines the importance of the artistic process for young children and how this process can aid in their visual, verbal, mental, and emotional development at a critical time of growth. Videotaped interviews were conducted with four preschool children in order to determine the ways in which they represent their worlds through simple crayon drawings and the possible accompanying verbal narratives. This study shows that preschool children's drawings and narratives depict significant visual facets of their lives and argues that this process should be developed, encouraged, and valued both within the educational system and at home. Visual representation is a language in itself and should be recognized as a meaningful way for young children to make sense of their worlds.

Researchers have taken a particular interest in children’s drawings as a means of representing and communicating knowledge and perspectives but a review of literature reveals that researchers routinely use drawings as a way of obtaining data without considering their function or value. This ESRC-funded research aims to explore drawing as a method of accessing children's perspectives and has three central research objectives which consider methodological and analytical factors relating to the use of children’s drawings as a research tool. These are: to develop a principled approach to analysing and interpreting children’s drawings, to create guidelines for the use of drawing as a research tool, and to gather children’s perspectives on play through the method of drawing. The research objectives were achieved by asking the following three questions: How can children’s drawings be analysed using a principled approach? What are the major factors to be considered when using drawing as a research tool? What can drawings reveal about children's perspectives on play? The study involved two visits to the homes of eight preschool children aged four. The sample included four girls and four boys from central and north-east Scotland with half of the families being categorised as being of low socioeconomic status. Visits were flexible and unstructured allowing the child autonomy regarding our level of interaction and the types of activities (such as free play and conversation) with which they wished to engage. The second visit included a prompted drawing activity in which I invited children to express their perspectives on play. The topic of play was chosen (i) to offer children a meaningful research activity to investigate the issues surrounding the method, (ii) to explore the task of representing an abstract, yet familiar, concept and how this may influence children’s drawings and representations of play, and (iii) as an extension of the ESRC project Young Children Learning with Toys and Technology at Home (Plowman et al., 2012) by giving greater emphasis to children's own perspectives on play and exploring the ways in which this can be achieved. My theoretical approach is not to consider drawings as reproductions of reality, but to value and attempt to understand children’s drawings as a semiotic vehicle in which messages are created and conveyed during the drawing process through representation and signification. Informed by social semiotics (Kress & van Leeuwen, 1996) the research presents an innovative four-step approach to analysing children's drawings (4-SASA). The protocol, a key contribution of the research, was developed to promote a more systematic analysis, involving (i) isolating signs within drawings through manual annotation, (ii) documenting the child’s understanding of signs and the significance attributed to them, (iii) organising signs using specific categories of social semiotic analysis (mode, size, colour, salience) and identifying the child’s motivation and interest for specific sign production, and (iv) synthesis of the child’s perspectives from steps 1-3. Post hoc methodological examinations elucidated the following four key factors to be considered when using young children’s drawings: (i) contextual sensitivity of the drawing process, (ii) children’s perceptions of the research task, (iii) the complex task of representing an abstract and elusive concept such as play, and (iv) whether there is a fundamental difference between drawing spontaneously (non-commissioned) and drawing on request. Evidence from the study supports previous literature in demonstrating the potential of drawing as a method of accessing children’s perspectives. However, findings suggest that rather than routinely selecting drawing as a method for representing children’s perspectives, researchers need to be more thoughtful about the ways in which factors such as the social and contextual framing of drawing and approaches to data collection can affect research outcomes. The thesis concludes by discussing how these emerging issues impact research outcomes, along with implications for future implementation and analysis of drawings.

This exegesis is an exploration of meditative process in painting and drawing and accompanies an exhibition of paintings and large drawings called What Lies Beneath. The text contains several passages, called "meditations," which accompany the themes approached in the chapters and give insight into the thoughts and practices of the artist. The methodology involves the examination of the evidence of the work produced by selected artists, looking at the words of artists in notebooks, diaries and interviews and surveying a small number of local contemporary artists. The text opens up the possibilities of drapery and garments and of still life as paths to meditative practice in painting and drawing. The qualities that characterize meditative process/practice, derived from my observations, are categorized. Some of the strengths of these processes are revealed through the examination of the work of artists, both contemporary and historical. The work of Vermeer, Sanchez Cotan, Francisco Zurbaran and contemporary artists Anne Judell, Simon Cooper, Jude Rae, Alison Watt and Eva Hesse highlight different aspects of the meditative process in painting and drawing. The art works in the exhibition are documented and bring out the meditative processes that have contributed to their creation, including the use and meaning of the subject (drapery and the garment as a form of still life).

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Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES
In the world’s population, about 20% of women and 5% to 10% of men report having been sexually abused in childhood (WHO, 2014). This research approached the theme from the theory and practice of Analytical Psychology, and aimed at conducting a clinical study of a five year old girl with a complaint of sexual abuse. The psychodynamics and emotional state of the child are described based on an interpretive and symbolic analysis of her graphic and verbal expressions. The qualitative method used was that of the case study. The analysis is based upon impressions gained and data gathered during six psychodiagnostic sessions that included anamnesis with the mother of the child, application of HTP, CAT-A, drawing of the Person in the Rain, spontaneous graphic productions, observations of play and the child’s behavior. The case study identified signs of complex trauma (VAN DER KOLK, 2005), with characteristics that frequently occur in cases of child sexual abuse, such as dissociative defenses, sadness, lowered self-esteem, insecurity, graphic expressions of imprisonment and contents that clearly held sexual connotations. It was found that the therapeutic setting offers a protective and all-encompassing place for the expression of anguish and pain in cases of victimization and/or complaint of sexual abuse, as well as for the symbolic disclosure of the trauma and its consequences. The study concludes that early psychological intervention is fundamental to minimize severe prognosis when child sexual abuse is suspected and to assist the child in his/her development
Na população mundial, cerca de 20% das mulheres e de 5 a 10% dos homens relatam ter sofrido abuso sexual na infância (OMS, 2014). O presente trabalho aborda o tema a partir da teoria e prática da Psicologia Analítica, e seu objetivo foi realizar um estudo clínico de uma menina de cinco anos com queixa de abuso sexual. Descreveu-se a psicodinâmica e o estado emocional da criança e realizou-se uma análise interpretativa e simbólica de suas expressões gráficas e verbais. O método qualitativo utilizado foi o do estudo de caso. A análise realizada foi elaborada a partir de seis sessões de psicodiagnóstico, compostas por anamnese com a mãe da criança, aplicação de HTP, CAT-A, desenho da Pessoa na Chuva, produções gráficas espontâneas, observações do jogo lúdico e do comportamento da criança. O estudo de caso identificou indícios de trauma complexo (VAN DER KOLK, 2005), com características que se apresentam com frequência em casos de abuso sexual infantil, tais como defesas dissociativas, tristeza, autoestima rebaixada, insegurança, expressões gráficas de aprisionamento e com marcante significado sexual. Pôde-se perceber que o setting terapêutico oferece um espaço continente para expressão de angústias e dores em casos de vitimização e/ou queixa de abuso sexual, assim como para o desvelamento simbólico do trauma e de suas consequências. Conclui-se que a intervenção psicológica precoce é fundamental para minimizar prognósticos graves nos casos de suspeita de abuso sexual infantil e auxiliar a criança em seu desenvolvimento

Thesis (MEdPsych (Educational Psychology))--University of Stellenbosch, 2008.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The focus of this study is a reflection by an educational psychologist of a five year old girl and her use of art media during her therapy sessions. The rational behind art therapy is that underlying feelings and problems are brought to the surface through the interaction with art media and art production (Oster & Crone, 2004). This enables the client to perceive the problem visually and learn how to process it. Educational psychologists are not necessarily trained to do art therapy. However the use of creative media can form part of their practice. A principle of art therapy – to create a safe environment for the person to work uninterrupted, was used in this study. A qualitative ex post facto study was used to complete this research. This entails a study of an occurrence (a child‟s use of art media in therapy) after it has been observed by the researcher. The aim of this research was to study, by means of a case study, a five year old girl‟s interaction with art media such as paint, clay and felt-tip pens throughout her therapy process. The amount of time spent with media, techniques and colours used, symbols made, as well as verbal and non-verbal behavior was observed. The participant‟s therapy sessions and informal interviews with her mother were recorded on video. The videotapes were studied and field notes of these, together with personal records and the artistic products that resulted from her sessions were used for data-collection. In addition and to enrich the study the possible meaning of the symbols depicted were also discussed. Inductive data-analyses (bottom to top) were used to process the data. The researcher‟s perspective during the study was of a reflective practitioner. The description of the participant‟s interaction with art media showed that she became more involved with it as time passed. There were noticeable changes in her use of colour, techniques and media. A positive change in her verbal and nonverbal behaviour was observed towards the end of her therapy-process.

Only in the past two decades have adults become aware that terminally ill children do know at some level when they are dying. This research used a case study format to investigate the changes in how one child dying of leukemia viewed herself. Specifically, it looked for symbolic and emotional themes which emerged in the material, including Decathexis (separation) and Rebirth. Each of twenty-eight drawings created by this child was analyzed in-depth for content by the researcher. Convergent material from hospital records and a parent journal supplemented the stories and teacher notes accompanying the drawings. Six experts from three countries also categorized each drawing for images of Decathexis and Rebirth. Initially, themes of threats, dreams, trickery and intuition appeared along with fear and sadness. Once the child seemed to clearly understand that she would die, these changed to fading and distancing images, indicative of separation. There was a slight increase in images supporting themes of resignation and happiness. Physical deterioration and resistance appeared throughout the series as distortions of a girl and dilapidated and edged houses. Themes of a new home and travel also appeared throughout. The classification by experts according to Decathexis and Rebirth resulted in unanimous agreement on twenty-five per cent of the pictures and two thirds of the experts agreed on the placement of eighty-six per cent of the pictures. It would appear that on one level the child knew from the beginning that she would die, but at another level she resisted that knowledge for a time. As clear awareness of death was developing, defensive themes such as trickery and dreaming appeared in stories which accompanied the drawings. However, the images, themes and convergent material suggest that she reconciled the dual awareness levels and worked towards acceptance of her fate.
Education, Faculty of
Educational and Counselling Psychology, and Special Education (ECPS), Department of
Graduate

The research problem that was examined in this study was two-fold. First, was the idea that the stages of group development could be depicted in serial group drawings completed by children who had participated in structured learning groups. Second, was that by using a rating scale that was designed for this purpose, trained objective raters could classify the stages of group development from the serial drawings completed by the children. Fifteen sets of drawings were gathered from fifteen children who had participated in different structured learning groups. These drawings were then analyzed and classified by raters who had been trained to use the rating scale. The rating scale was devised to identify the stages of group development within children's serial drawings. Qualitative data analysis showed that the stages of group development were depicted in some of the sets of serial group drawings. Quantitative data analysis showed that raters were able to use, with limited success, the rating scale designed to classify the drawings into the stages of group development. Many extraneous variables effected the results. These include: the unique characteristics of each child, the leadership style of each counsellor, the varying group topics, the adequacy of the rater training procedure, the objectivity of the raters, and the accuracy of the rating scale. Due to the many extraneous variables, it is clear that methodologically this study leaves many questions unanswered. Further research is necessary to more fully investigate the idea that the stages of group development can be identified within serial group drawings completed by children who have participated in structured learning groups., If further research proves that the stages of group development can be depicted and measured using a rating scale, it will provide group counsellors with a useful tool when evaluating group development.
Education, Faculty of
Educational and Counselling Psychology, and Special Education (ECPS), Department of
Graduate

Against the backdrop of the growing problem of AIDS orphans in South Africa and greater sub-Saharan Africa, this qualitative enquiry examines the lives of three South African orphaned children living with HIV / AIDS in a children's home in Cape Town. It aims to generate rich, child-centred descriptions of some of the significant experiences of the children's lives. Drawings, dialogue and narrative were employed to generate the primary data. This was supplemented by collateral interviews and other relevant records, e.g. medical and biographical. Existential-phenomenological theory informed the approach to data collection and analysis. Each child produced a series often to twelve impromptu drawings over a period often weeks. These drawings and transcripts of the children's verbal descriptions of their drawings were extensively analysed. Significant themes for each participant as well as themes common to all three were identified. Some of the central themes emerging include loss, abandonment, death, disease awareness and coping. The children's ability to develop adaptive coping mechanisms and resilience in the face of traumatic loss and terminal illness was a particularly outstanding feature of the findings. Recommendations are made regarding future research to address the lack of qualitative, child-focused investigations as well as appropriate interventions for addressing the psychosocial needs of orphaned children living with HIV/AIDS.

"The influx of children adopted into the United States from other countries has increased the need for social workers experienced in practice techniques that asssist in building rapport between the parents and children in these newly formed families. This study explored the use of employing the kinetic family drawing as a tool to build rapport between parents and children. This was an exploratory multiple case design. Six families participated in the process of drawing a picture of their family engaged in an activity together. It was anticipated that the drawings would be an effective tool to build rapport between parent and child."

D. Tech. Fine and Applied Art
The aim of this study was to investigate whether there is an association between art making and the brain state known as flow, a construct defined by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. Links were sought between artists' perceived propensity to experience flow and quantified experimental data of the same art-making events. A predominantly psychological theoretical framework had to be created, contextual as well as conceptual, of historical and contemporary leanings that have formulated understandings of creativity and flow. These indicate that flow can trace its origins to concepts of human happiness and excellence, motivation, self-determination and peak experiences. These concepts illustrate that in pursuing intrinsic endeavours such as art making, a person is continuously engaged in reflectivity and deliberation concerning his or her actions and aims, which tend to be self-motivated or autotelic. In this study the autotelic and self-reflecting leanings of art making were found to be germane to flow. A key aspect for understanding the flow experience is Arne Dietrich's hypothesis of transient hypofrontality, described as enabling the temporary suppression of the analytical and meta-conscious capacities of the explicit system. In this study, transient hypofrontality was found to be germane to interpretations of flow and art making.

This diploma thesis focuses on the psychological aspects of drawings of preschool children from complete and incomplete families. In the theoretical part the child's drawing is described as one of the basic manifestations of the semiotic function and it emphasized its importance in the process of cognitive maturation. Drawing is also taken into consideration as a projective diagnostic method. In the research part we interpret drawings by children of different ages in the preschool period with an emphasis on cognitive maturity of the individual and family relations with consideration to the projective function of drawings. The results may lead to a better understanding of children's perception thanks to the interpretation of various drawings.

Summaries in Afrikaans and English
Die primere skoolkind bevind horn in 'n fase van groot verandering wat aanpassings verg en hoe eise stel. Die ervaringe wat die kind gedurende hierdie tydperk opdoen, is beduidend omdat dit sy vormingsjare is. Omdat die kind nie altyd kan verbaliseer watter probleme hy ervaar nie, is met hierdie studie gepoog om vas te stel of skooltekeninge van enige diagnostiese waarde kan wees om die kind in nood te verstaan. Die empiriese studie het bewys dat skooltekeninge nie net waarde as 'n identifiseringsmedium inhou nie, maar ook as 'n aanvullende ortopedagogiese medium aangewend kan word. Die kind neig om sy probleme, persepsies, houdings en so meer visueel te projekteer. Hoewel hierdie studie bevindinge van vroeere navorsing bevestig, is bepaalde verskille ook geidentifiseer. Die studie is afgesluit met riglyne vir die gebruik van skooltekeninge, asook aanbevelings met die oog op die verfyning van hierdie projeksiemedium.
The primary school child finds himself in a phase of great change which makes high demands and requires adjustments. What happens to the child during these years is critical because these are foundation laying years. Because a child is not always able to verbalise problems which he may experience, this study is an . endeavour to determine whether school drawings have any diagnostic value to identify a child in need. The empirical study has confirmed that school drawings have diagnostic value not only as a medium of identification, but also as a supplementary orthopedagogical medium. The child· tends to project his problems, perceptions and attitude visually. Although this study confirms findings of previous studies, certain differences were also identified. The study was concluded with guidelines for the use of school drawings, as well as recommendations regarding the refinement of this projection medium.
Psychology of Education
M. Ed. (met spesialisering in Voorligting)

Human Immuno-Deficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) have many devastating impacts, including the growing number of AIDS-orphans left without care. In the study, semi-structured interviews, incomplete sentences and Kinetic family drawings were used to explore the life-experiences and perceptions of AIDS-orphans living in kinship foster care, from a Gestalt perspective. The study revealed that the majority of the AIDS-orphans included were making good contact at the contact boundary and all the respondents were not familiar with the term 'foster care'. The researcher therefore recommended that children are educated about foster care at school, thus possibly increasing the awareness of foster care in South Africa, thus possibly increasing the provision of homes for the vastly growing numbers of AIDS-orphans in our country and perhaps make a difference in society.
Sociology
M. Diac. (Play therapy)