Psychopathic traits in the human figure test

We analyze how people with antisocial disorder draw a human figure.

The projective tests are one of the psychodiagnostic tools that most clinical psychotherapists use. The basis of this is based on the fact that when we write, draw or speak we project different aspects of our personality, conflicts and even our aspirations in an unconscious way.

Usually, these tests have a psychoanalytic basis, since it was Sigmund Freud, the father of psychoanalysis, who made the first explorations of the unconscious and its importance in our daily lives.

Analyzing the way psychopaths draw human figures

Intense clinical experience has shown that hhe drawings of the human figure represent an intimate expression of the personality of the draftsman.. The Machover test is based on the theoretical foundation of the body schema that we project through drawing. Today we will talk about this, one of the most widespread projective tests, used and accepted by the psychoanalytic community; at the same time we will examine the graphic characteristics that are usually indicative of some degree of psychopathy.

Learn more about psychopaths: "Psychopathy: what goes on in the mind of the psychopath?"

Generalities regarding drawing

Three aspects are very important when examining the drawing before inquiring about the characteristics projected on the human figure: the dimensiondimension, the space and the position. 

It has been found in most of the drawings of psychopaths very large strokes, characteristic of a personality with notable exaltation of the ego.. If we also find it in the middle of the sheet we can affirm that the subject has a need to control his environment. If it is on the right we can assume that there are problems with authority and antisociality.

Hand in hand with the need to control, we find a certain dependence on his environment (since the psychopath has a great need to exercise control) if in the drawing he presents accessory objects external to the human figure. Other generalities that we will find in drawings made by psychopaths are predominance of angles and peaks, remarcations and intensity in the strokes. In addition, they usually start drawing a figure of their own sex and usually the head will be the last feature to be drawn.

The head

As expressed above, the head that people with psychopathic personality draw tends to be the last part of the head. tends to be the last part of the body to be drawn, and it tends to be disproportionately large.It is also usually disproportionately larger in relation to the size of the body, which is an indicator of egocentrism, megalomania and overestimation of their intellectual capacity.

If it is also elongated, it will be indicative of aggressiveness; if it is very marked, it will denote a need for dominance; if there is no defined contour of the head, problems of connection with reality may be suspected. Lines of expression on the forehead and eyebrows that are too bushy or inwards are indicative of latent aggressiveness. Detecting emphasis in the eyes indicates paranoid tendencies, whereas a penetrating or threatening gaze that is also accentuated is a sign of latent hostility.. 

Very often, in addition, it is found in drawings of psychopaths a remarkable emphasis on the nostrils, which are interpreted as evidence of aggressiveness. The emphasis on the mouth usually demonstrates verbal aggressiveness and a special tendency to irritability.

If the human figure is showing the tongue, there is orality at a primitive level in the subject. Indisputable signs of aggressiveness at the oral level are: the presence of teeth (even more so if they show sharpness or expose the canines), angular or beaked features, drawing the mouth as a thick, choppy line. When the neck is long and thin, the subject has problems to manage his impulses; the absence of this indicates that the subject is at the mercy of them.

The trunk

Another very particular characteristic often found in psychopathic personalities who are especially aggressive and who have physically assaulted other people is: the exaltation of the chest which indicates narcissism, if it is also uncovered it adds hostility and arrogance; with accentuated muscular characteristics it is an aggressive subject.

In relation to the arms, the emphasis in the musculature and reinforcements in them show aggressiveness and desires of physical power.The "jug" arms in the drawing show an overbearing person with anarchic tendencies; long arms indicate material ambition. Angled hands are always indicative of antisociality as they are parts of the body related to bonding and social contact.

This characteristic is also reinforced if we find fingers drawn in point or as an express form of a claw. Fist-shaped hands indicate a strong repressed aggressiveness.

Lower body area

If the legs are very reinforced, there is aggressiveness; also if the legs show movement or as if they were going to kick. Bare feet indicate primitive aggression, especially if the nails are shown.

When the genital area is exposed, there is exhibitionism and/or lack of control of sexual impulses.If the drawing is accentuated in the genital area as with excessive retouching, for example, or meticulousness in the drawing of the zipper, there may be sexual disorders.

Other considerations

It is important to remember that the subject should always be asked to express a story about the human figure drawn, this story will complement the projective method and will help us to clarify some concerns about the drawing.o. 

The clothing and the actions performed by the drawn individuals can also provide us with a lot of data that tend to be especially compensatory, within the outfits that psychopathic personalities prefer to draw we find very often that of a neat businessman (very common in white-collar criminals) or someone who performs martial arts (with greater incidence in those who commit crimes of physical contact).

Finally, we insist that This projective test is complemented with others that allow to deepen in the unconscious aspects of the individual's personality. of the individual's personality.

Bibliographical references:

• Portuondo, J.A., La figura humana. Projective test by Karen Machover. Editorial Biblioteca Nueva.