Technique non-existent animal for adults. Test non-existent animal. Projective technique Draw an animal

Summary: Criteria for deciphering a drawing of a non-existent animal. Location on the sheet. Head or elements replacing it. Eyes, mouth, ears. Additional drawing details. The name of the animal.

If you are concerned about the "wrong" behavior of your child in a team, if he does not develop relationships with peers, let's check how serious your concerns are, using one of the projective techniques - "Drawing a non-existent animal". What is the meaning of the technique? It is known that when a child draws, he transfers, projects his inner world, his self-image, onto paper. A psychologist can tell a lot about the mood, inclinations of a little artist, looking at his work. A single test won't help us build an accurate psychological profile, but that's not our goal. Now it is important for us to understand whether the child has problems in relationships with the outside world.

You will need: a standard sheet of white or cream paper and a simple medium-hard pencil. Markers and pens cannot be used, soft pencils are also undesirable.

Instruction to the child: think up and draw a non-existent animal and call it a non-existent name.

Explain to the child that the animal should be invented by him himself, captivate him with this task - to create such a creature that no one has invented before him. This should not be a character from cartoons, computer games or fairy tales that has already been seen. After the drawing is ready, ask the artist about the creature that he got. It is necessary to find out the sex, age, size, purpose of unusual organs, if any; ask if he has relatives and what kind of relationship he has with them, if he has a family, and who he is in the family, what he loves and what he fears, what kind of character he has.

The test subject unconsciously identifies himself with the drawing, transfers his qualities and his role in society to the depicted creature. Sometimes children talk on behalf of the animal about their problems. But this does not always carry enough information and depends on the child's ability to analyze his inner world. For us, it is important to understand how well he is adapted in the team.

We will use special criteria for deciphering the picture, which I tested in practice during 12 years of constant work with "problem" children. So, what should you pay attention to.

Sheet location

Normally, the drawing is located on the middle line of the sheet or slightly higher and to the right. The location of the picture closer to the upper edge indicates a high self-esteem and a level of claims that, according to the child, are not fully realized. It is important to understand that the higher the drawing is located, the stronger the child's feeling of dissatisfaction with his position in society, the need for recognition and self-affirmation. He believes that he deserves more and may worry that he was underestimated.

The lower the figure is, the lower the self-esteem of the child. Self-doubt, indecision, lack of desire for self-affirmation - that's what is characteristic of such an artist. The child remembers failures for a long time and may refuse to act at all if he is not sure of a positive result. He focuses on the obstacles to satisfying his needs.

The shift of the picture to the right indicates the desire for self-control, extraversion. The more the drawing goes to the right, the more "rebelliousness" is manifested in relation to something important for the drawing.

If the drawing is located in the upper right corner, we can say that the child most likely claims leadership and is actively in conflict with one of the other contenders for this role or is in opposition to the already existing "rulers". In this case, parents, teachers, and children who enjoy full recognition and authority from the rest of the team may turn out to be "ruling".

The shift of the picture to the left, perhaps, expresses social inactivity, shyness, introversion.

According to my observations, these patterns may not work if the drawing goes beyond the edge of the sheet.

We consider the location of the drawing in such detail precisely because now it is important for us to understand the position of the child in society and his assessment of his position. A sign of maladjustment is dissatisfaction with one's role in the team, and special attention must be paid to this. Since the location of the figure is only one of the criteria, in the process of analysis, our assumptions will be refined or even changed. Therefore, we continue to consider the figure.

Head or elements replacing it

This is the central semantic part of the figure. If it is turned to the right, then the artist is characterized by a high sense of purpose and activity, which adults sometimes mistake for excessive stubbornness. It is important to understand that his plans are realistic and feasible, and not to interfere, but to help the child set goals and achieve results.

Turning the head to the left characterizes the test person as a person prone to reflection, fantasizing, his dreams often exist only in his imagination and are not realized in reality. Perhaps this is just a temperament, but such a situation can arise under fear of failure, which leads to a loss of activity, so you need to pay attention to this.

The image with the head in the full-face position indicates the presence of egocentrism or lack of control in behavior.

If the head is much larger than the body, it is possible that the child appreciates intellectual qualities in himself and those around him.

Eyes

Large, with a clearly traced iris, the eyes may mean that the child is tormented by constant fear.

Drawing eyelashes is an indicator of interest in admiration from others, universal recognition of one's attractiveness.

Mouth

A toothy creature is drawn by children who are characterized by defensive verbal aggression. Their rudeness should be taken as a way of self-defense from the attacks of others.
Language indicates the need for speech activity, the authors of such a creature are big talkers.
An open mouth without drawing lips and tongue, especially a painted over, shaded one, is a sign of readiness to be frightened, such children are often distrustful and apprehensive.

Ears

If they are, this is a sign that the opinion and information of others about him is important to the child. The more ears, the more attention the child pays to what they think and say about him.

Additional details

Horns - protection from aggression. In combination with claws and bristles - aggression is spontaneous or defensive-response.

Feathers - the desire for self-affirmation, self-justification, demonstrativeness.

Mane, hair, similar hairstyle- sensitivity.

The paws of an animal, a pedestal, a support, and the like must be judged by their shape and proportion to the whole figure. If the supporting part is solid, then the child has rationality, a tendency to make informed decisions based on existing information. He has his own opinion, which must be reckoned with, otherwise a protest will arise, which can be expressed both directly and in a hidden form.

Lightheadedness, impulsiveness, superficiality of judgments is evidenced by the image of a lightweight supporting part - small paws, for example.

The way the support is connected to the torso itself speaks of the degree of control over one's judgments and decisions. Accurate and thorough connection - a high level, careless and weak - a tendency to rash acts or uncertainty in one's opinion.

It happens that the figure has parts that rise above the general outlines of the picture. These can be wings, additional limbs, tentacles, shell details, feathers... They can serve as decoration or be utilitarian. Ask your child what they are for. If they are needed for some type of activity of the animal, most likely, the test person is energetic, striving for self-assertion. Decorative parts are drawn by children seeking to attract the attention of others.

Tail . Reflects the child's self-esteem.

If it is turned to the left - we can judge the self-assessment of thoughts and decisions, to the right - actions and behavior.

The tail raised up means positive self-esteem, cheerfulness.

Lowered down - dissatisfaction with oneself, self-doubt, regret about what was said and done.

Branched tails, several tails - dependence or inconsistency in self-esteem.

Two tails are turned to the sides and the animal has large ears - the child's self-esteem is highly dependent on the opinions of others.

When analyzing the contours of the figure, pay attention to protrusions such as a ribbed shell, spikes or outgrowths, and similar details. They reflect the characteristics of the psychological protection of the child. The degree of aggressive protection is characterized by the presence of sharp protrusions and their orientation. Raised up, they say that the child is protected from people who have power over him and the ability to suppress, prohibit, limit him in anything. It can be parents, older children, educators, teachers.

If the protective elements are directed downwards, this may mean that the child is afraid of being unrecognized, of becoming the object of ridicule, or worries that he is already in this position, afraid of losing authority among children.

The protrusions on the sides are drawn by children who expect danger from all sides in any situation and are ready for protection.

lines

A child with increased fatigue, extreme sensitivity, sleep disturbance and similar problems associated with reduced vitality draws weak, cobweblike lines.

But bold, with pressure, lines, shading are characteristic not of energetic, but of anxious children. Pay attention to what details are made with special pressure to determine what exactly can disturb the child. But, of course, you need to take into account that if a child learns to draw in the studio or just enjoys it on his own, hatching will be present simply as an element of the drawing.

Other details

Unusual details - for example, mechanical objects embedded in the body - may be a sign of psychopathology or simply a manifestation of special originality, as well as an echo of an excessive passion for robots and science fiction.

Animal name

The name that the child assigned to his creation carries information about the character of the child.

The rational content of semantic parts - a flying hare, a running cat, and the like - speaks of the rational mindset of the child.

Word formation with a book-scientific, Latin ending - reptilus - expresses the desire to emphasize the level of one's development, erudition.

Superficially sound, without any comprehension, words speak of a frivolous attitude to the environment.

Ironic and humorous - buzyroid, dumpling - expresses the same ironic and condescending attitude towards reality.

Repeating elements - tru-tru, couscous - may indicate infantilism.

Excessively long names can be given by children prone to fantasizing, which may have a protective character as a way of escaping from reality.

Now that you have analyzed all the details, write them all down, review the results and bring them together. A full-fledged psychological portrait, as I have already said, cannot be compiled with the help of one test, but it is the drawing technique, as far as my experience shows, that reveals the child's maladaptation in society. Try to test your child, let it be a game for him, connect friends and relatives, just warn that the ability to draw in this matter does not matter and all those tested can dream up plenty.

Examples of analysis of children's drawings

Figure #1.

Based on the location on the sheet (the figure is strongly shifted upwards), we can conclude that the child is dissatisfied with his position in society, considers himself unrecognized, but claims to be recognized.

The head is turned to the left - it speaks of a tendency to reason, perhaps fear of active action, only part of the ideas are realized.

Big ears - the great significance of the information that he hears about himself. He attaches great importance to the opinion of others about himself.

Mouth with teeth - verbal aggression (snarls, defends itself in response to censure).

Legs - sufficient independence, control over their reasoning, conclusions.

The tail is a fairly positive assessment of their actions.

The contour of the figure indicates that the child is defending himself from adults, and the claws on his paws indicate that he is defending himself from peers. The nature of the lines indicates anxiety.

Figure #2.

A drawing of a quiet, withdrawn girl, 5th grade student Nadia S. Obedient, diligent in her studies, but it seems that she is not in the class.

According to the position on the sheet (lower part), we see that the child is insecure, has low self-esteem, is depressed, is not interested in his social position, and there is no tendency to assert himself.

The head is a tendency towards activity, that is, Nadia is a "person of action", but due to self-doubt, this does not manifest itself, but is suppressed.

Legs - since there are practically no independent decisions, it is difficult to control them. No opinion.

Tail - self-esteem depends on the situation.

Strong pressure - anxiety.

Other publications on the topic of this article:

Test "Non-existent animal"

This test allows you to identify the characteristics of a person's character, his inclinations and preferences. Those who wish to pass it give out blank sheets of paper and simple pencils (a felt-tip pen or a pen are not suitable) and offer to draw a non-existent animal and come up with a non-existent name for it. Then collect the drawings and characterize them using the following description.

Interpretation of drawings

The position of the animal on the sheet

The location of the picture in the center of the sheet is the norm and indicates the harmony of the individual. Deviations from the center indicate the presence of certain qualities.

The location of the animal is closer to the upper edge of the sheet

This suggests that this person:

A high self-evaluation;

Dissatisfaction with their position in society;

Lack of recognition from others;

The desire to move up the career ladder;

The tendency to self-affirmation.

The location of the animal at the bottom of the sheet

This testifies to:

self-doubt;

Low self-esteem;

Depression;

indecision;

Disinterest in one's position in society;

Lack of desire for self-affirmation.

The central part of the figure (the head or what is depicted instead of it)

Head turned to the right

This indicates that a person has such qualities as:

Activity;

The desire to achieve goals;

Striving for self-realization.

Head turned to the left

This person has:

Increased reflection;

tendency to think;

Lack of desire for activity;

indecision;

Fear of action.

The head is straight

The person who depicted this animal in this way is characterized by:

Egocentrism;

Concentration on own experiences and problems.

On the head, as a rule, the sense organs are drawn: ears, mouth and eyes.

Ears - an indication of a person's interest in the information he receives, as well as the significance of the opinions of the people around him about him.

Mouth - an indication of a number of signs. The image of a parted mouth with a tongue, but without lips, indicates talkativeness. The same mouth, but with drawn lips, speaks of sensuality. An open and outlined mouth without a tongue and pronounced lips is considered a sign of mistrust, fears and frequent fears about something. A mouth with drawn teeth is nothing more than verbal aggression in response to condemnation and censure, a defense against criticism. The rounded shape of the outlined mouth in the drawing of a child or teenager betrays a feeling of anxiety and timidity.

The eyes have a special meaning. The presence of fear in the soul of a person is given out by the eyes with a careful drawing of the iris. Eyelashes testify to the hysteroid-demonstrative demeanor, the desire of a person to be recognized by those around him, their admiration for his external beauty and manner of dressing.

The size of the head also matters. If it looks larger compared to the body of an animal, this indicates that a person in himself and others appreciates intelligence and the ability to make rational decisions.

The presence of horns and other details on the head, especially in combination with bristles, claws and

needles) is a sign of aggression towards others.

Feathers are a pronounced tendency towards a demonstrative type of behavior, self-justification and self-decoration.

Hair on the head or mane indicates sensuality, sexuality and emphasizing one's masculinity or femininity.

Paws, legs, a pedestal on which a figure is depicted

When interpreting such details of the drawing as legs, paws or a pedestal, on which an animal is often depicted, their size in relation to the whole figure is of great importance.

Large paws, legs and pedestal

It speaks of:

The desire to think about decisions;

Solidity in everything;

rationalism;

Based on verified information.

Small paws, legs and pedestal or lack thereof

A person who depicts these details in this way or who does not draw them at all is characterized by:

Superficiality of judgments;

Frivolity;

Unfounded judgments;

Impulsiveness in decision making.

Equally important is the nature of the connection of the paws or legs with the body. The unidirectionality and uniformity of the shape of the paws or legs indicate the banality of the decisions made and the standard of thinking. And vice versa, the variety of forms and positions of the limbs testifies to the originality of judgments, the originality of attitudes, independence and the desire for creative self-expression.

Figure details rising above the figure

Such details can be purely functional (wings, tentacles, additional limbs or parts of the shell) or be decorative (bows, feathers, curls, flowers, etc.).

Functional details

Their presence in the figure indicates that such a person has:

Ability to understand various areas of knowledge and activity;

Tendency to dictate;

Self-confidence;

Curiosity;

Active life position;

The desire to win their place under the sun;

Passion;

Courage.

Decorating details

They testify to such personality characteristics as:

Propensity to outrageous;

mannerism;

Dependence on the opinions of others.

By the tail, you can judge a person’s attitude towards himself, his decisions, behavior and words. At the same time, you need to pay attention to which way this detail of the picture is turned.

Tail turned to the right

The tail turned to the right expresses the attitude towards one's actions. If it is directed upwards, this means that the author of the drawing is satisfied with his behavior and does not allow criticism in his address. If the tail is lowered, then this indicates low self-esteem. If it is depicted neither raised nor lowered, this indicates an objective attitude towards oneself.

Tail turned to the left

By turning the tail to the left, one can assume a person's attitude to his thoughts and speeches. Whether this ratio is positive or negative also depends on the vertical position of the tail.

Contours of the figure

When analyzing a non-existent animal, its contours are also important (the absence or presence of spikes, shields, needles, shells, etc.), as well as the quality of drawing the contours. Numerous protrusions (especially sharp corners) and careful contouring indicate the presence of aggression towards others, as well as the fact that a person feels threatened by society and subconsciously seeks to protect himself from danger.

The so-called dirty contours of the figure indicate that the author of the drawing is in fear and anxiety. And the doubling of the contour line, shields and all kinds of barriers suggest that in the soul of such an "artist" there is a place for suspicion and fear about something.

It is worth paying attention to the orientation of the protrusions: upward (upper contour) means protection from superiors or older ones, downward (lower contour) - from disrespect from subordinates, their ridicule and condemnation, directed to the sides (lateral contours ) - readiness to defend in any situation. This is also evidenced by the details of the type of shields depicted inside the main contour, that is, on the body of the animal. Moreover, those located on the right testify to the desire to protect, defend their activities, and those located on the left - to protect their beliefs and thoughts.

Energy rating

The number of details depicted (in addition to the most necessary ones, which include the head, paws, tail and body) indicates the level of vital energy in a person. The more of them, the higher it is. The absence of additional elements may indicate the presence of chronic diseases, especially in combination with a poorly traced, cobweb-like contour.

A bold contour, made with strong pressure, in the absence of additional details, is a sign of anxiety. What it is attached to will tell the element of the picture, made in this way

The nature of the line and some details of the figure

It is necessary to evaluate the nature of the line according to the following criteria

Line dubbing;

Negligence;

Inaccurate connections;

Contour sections from overlapping lines;

Sketching the details of the drawing;

Line deviation from the vertical axis;

Unidirectional lines;

Fragmentation of forms and lines;

Broken and unfinished drawing.

All depicted animals can be divided into 3 conditional groups: threatening animals, threatened and neutral. The animal itself demonstrates an attitude towards its own person, gives an idea of the position of a person in the world and his identification of himself by significance (for example, with a lion or an insect).

A non-existent animal is a psychological portrait of the author of the drawing. The characterization can begin with the position in which the animal is located: it stands on 4 or more legs or differs in upright posture, whether it is covered with wool or dressed in human clothes, whether it looks like a person in some separate parts of its appearance. The last two signs speak of the emotional immaturity and infantilism of the author of the drawing. Moreover, the greater the similarity between the animal and man, the stronger these qualities are expressed.

How aggressive a person is can be judged by the number, nature and location of the corners in the figure. These are the direct symbols of aggression (claws, beaks, needles and teeth), which were discussed above.

Do not ignore the symbols associated with sex (udder, nipples, breasts, etc.), which will tell about a person's attitude towards his own and the opposite sex, as well as his obsession with the problem of sex.

The presence of a circle in the figure (especially not drawn with a pencil) indicates the secrecy and isolation of a person, his unwillingness to give information about himself to others.

A special case is the image of an animal with mechanical details, which can be in the form of a pedestal, a tripod, tank or tractor tracks, screws, propellers, antennas, keys, lamps, handles, etc. Such drawings are most often observed in mentally ill people.

The lack of creativity can be judged by the similarity of a non-existent animal with an existing one (for example, a cat with flippers, a fish with a snout, a pig with wings, etc.). The larger it is, the less creative potential.

Animal name

The most interesting thing in this test is the name of a non-existent animal. It is often a rational combination of parts of a word (elephant, pig cat, etc.) or a word formed with the help of Latin, book-scientific suffixes and endings (turla-metius, etc.). The first option points to such a feature as rationalism, the second - to the demonstrativeness of one's own knowledge and erudition.

Sometimes an animal is given a sound name without any understanding (for example, lulula, kalushara, bukatupa, etc.), meaning a frivolous attitude to everything, an inability to recognize a danger signal, and irrationality of thinking.

Ironic and humorous names (gupochurka, tazoland, etc.) indicate a condescending attitude towards people. Names with repetitive elements (zi-zi, boom-boom, etc.) speak of infantilism.

A dreamer and an indefatigable visionary are given out by overly long names such as bramkamdun-samosis.

The “Draw a Non-Existent Animal” test is in great demand by psychologists when working with schoolchildren. Using this method of diagnosis, you can understand a lot about the mental state of the child. To do this, you need to know how to conduct testing and correctly decipher its result.

The essence of the drawing projective test "Draw a non-existent animal"

The purpose of diagnostics is to determine the degree of anxiety of the subject, his self-esteem and other important features of the growing personality. Testing is directly related to the inner world of the subject: all parts of the body of the animal, which is proposed to depict the child, reflect the processes occurring at the mental level. Their drawing is not controlled by consciousness, since the time period allotted for the test does not allow this mechanism to be launched.

This method of psychological examination is one of the most informative of all pictorial diagnostic methods. As a rule, it is used in parallel with other psychological tests - this allows you to get a complete picture of the child's condition.

The procedure for conducting psychological diagnostics

To pass the test, the subject will need to give a sheet of paper and writing aids - medium soft pencils (plain or colored). Pens, felt-tip pens and paints are excluded, as the lines made by them make it difficult to decipher the drawing. The task is limited to three minutes.

To make the study as complete as possible, the child should be clearly instructed:

After the subject completes the task, you need to ask him to tell him about his animal (how it lives). If the narrative does not contain enough information for analysis, then the child is asked specific questions (the testing person must record the answers in detail):

Where does the creature live?
What does it eat?
What does he usually do?
What does he like to do the most?
What does he not like to do?
Does he have friends, who are they?
Who lives with him?
Who are his enemies, if any?
What is he most afraid of?

Processing and interpretation of results

Analysis of the manner of drawing

By pressure, you can judge the condition of the person being tested. Weak speaks of passivity, asthenia, the prerequisites for depression; strong means emotional tension, impulsiveness and rigidity. The hardness of pressing a pencil with such force, from which the paper even breaks, symbolizes aggression, increased activity and conflict.

The quality of the lines also gives a certain characteristic of the state of the child:

The ideal location of the picture is in the center of a vertically lying sheet, this indicates the normal state of the human psyche. The displacement of the depicted animal in one direction or another illustrates some of the psychological aspects associated with self-esteem: the slope from the center up means overestimated, down - underestimated. If the creature is shifted to the right, then this means that the subject seeks to control his actions and thoughts, "transition" to the left side means inactivity and low social activity, shyness. A drawing in the corner may indicate depression.

The animal "ran away" from the sheet and did not fit on it completely - this is a signal of acute anxiety and impulsiveness.

With a pronounced increase in the size of the picture, you can be sure that the child is in an anxious and stressful state. If the drawn creature is very small, then the subject is likely to be depressed or have low self-esteem.

An unusual character, located strictly in the center, indicates that the psyche of its author is normal

Consideration of the depicted creature

Animal type

The task is considered to be completed incorrectly if the subject drew a real animal and described its natural way of life (for example, dogs or cats). This may be normal for a five or six year old, but when an older child shows this result, it indicates a low level of imagination.

What types of animals are most often depicted in testing?

Body parts

Certain information can also be gleaned from the analysis of animal body parts. Each element speaks about a particular state of the person being tested at the time of the diagnosis and about his mental health in general.

Part of the body	Characteristics of the upper body (as evidenced by such an image)
Part of the body	Position	Absence	Size and Quantity	The form	Additional moments
Head	Turned to the right - a man of action; to the left - the subject often worries and reflects, is not sure of himself; directly - a sign of egocentrism	Impulsivity or mental illness	Two or more - intrapersonal conflict, inconsistency	Distorted - organic brain damage, psycho-disease; more body - a symbol of the subject's intellectual abilities	Drawn feathers - the desire to embellish reality; horns - aggressive attitude, protection; mane - emphasizing one's gender or increased sensuality
Eyes		Asthenia		Wrong - neurosis	With a black iris - fears; empty, without pupils - asthenia; with blood vessels - hypochondria, neurosis; with eyelashes - high conceit, mannerisms of behavior
Ears		Closedness, unwillingness to hear others, to make contact	Large and many - interest in obtaining information, suspicion, suspiciousness, dependence on someone else's opinion
Mouth			Disproportionately large - erudition, developed intelligence, rationalism	Round - anxiety, fear of something	Ajar and with tongue - a sign of talkativeness; with lips - sensuality; without tongue and lips - fear, distrust; with teeth - a symbol of aggression

The figure of the animal is an equally important detail that you need to pay attention to when testing. If it is replete with many details, then this indicates the powerful energy of the subject, there are very few components - such a picture speaks of asthenia. A creature drawn with a large number of sharp corners is a sign of a person's aggressive mood; the predominance of rounded shapes indicates the isolation of the child and closeness from the outside world.

If the animal has a tail, its position must also be analyzed. Turned to the right symbolizes the student's attitude to his behavior and actions, to the left - to thoughts and decisions (up - positive, down - negative). The excessive beauty of the tail (for example, like that of a peacock) is evidence of demonstrativeness.

The ineptitude of building relationships in the social sphere can be determined by the absence or insufficient number of paws. If, on the contrary, there are too many limbs, a person needs help, support. Drawn thick or large paws also speak of this. Small legs indicate impulsiveness, frivolity, a superficial attitude to many things. The wider the limbs, the more likely it is that the student is balanced and able not only to make responsible decisions, but also to be responsible for them. Paws of the same size and shape characterize a person who is not prone to dissent and creativity.

The more detailed the animal is depicted, the more it can tell about its author.

When analyzing the test, additional elements are very indicative, which may indicate:

the desire to defend themselves (scales, shell);
aggression (needles, various spikes, painted weapons);
sexual significance (an abundance of body hair, genitals, breasts, udders);
demonstrativeness (patterns and drawings on the body);
neurosis, hypochondria (the presence of scars and wounds, the image of blood vessels, internal organs);
romanticism and dreaminess of nature (the presence of wings);
difficulties in communication (parts of the mechanisms in the body).

Even the nature of the connection of the limbs with the body has a certain meaning: if there is a clear drawing of them, a person is inclined to follow his reasoning and take a responsible approach to making decisions. Carelessness in the depiction of the places where the paws are attached to the body or the complete absence of this is an indicator of insufficient self-control.

Creature name

"Flying crocodile", "waterfowl lamb" and similar names of animals speak of a clear understanding of the goals that a person strives for.
Science-like terms with a “flavor” of Latin - “zveroletius”, “ustrasonis” and others are evidence of the child’s erudition and his desire to show it.
The onomatopoeic names of little animals (“mamzyaka”, “karyaka”) are a sign of an easy attitude to life, some carelessness.
If humor can be traced in the name of the animal, then this is an indicator of an optimistic attitude towards reality. Examples of such names are “bubble”, “clumsy”, “non-sapiens hamster”.
When the name is very complex and long, it means that the person who invented it is a great inventor and dreamer.

Interpretation of answers to questions

At the end of the child's work on the task, it is necessary to discuss with the subject the lifestyle of the creature drawn by him

If a child comes up with a life for his drawn character that fully corresponds to the image, then this is normal and logically justified. A violation of the logic of thinking can be concluded if the drawing and the story about the existence of the animal are in no way connected with each other.

Fantasy in order to compensate for any negative moments in the life of the subject can be traced when idealizing or embellishing his character.

When a child claims that an invented and drawn animal lives on an island, abroad, in the subtropics, this indicates demonstrativeness; an isolated area (space, another planet, a cave, a well, a forest, and so on) is named as the place of residence of the animal - the test subject is lonely and is acutely experiencing this. Aggression, fear of the subject, his desire to find protection is characterized by such answers: “in the taiga”, “in impenetrable swamps”, “in the forest thicket”. Neurosis can betray the "settlement" of the animal in unpleasant conditions - mud, dirt, puddle, garbage.

"Tell me what you eat, and I'll tell you who you are" - this expression can be fully applied to a person's answers to the question of what the drawn animal eats. Here is what the student’s remarks on this matter can mean:

nothing, air, energy - the introvertedness of the person being tested;
everything that comes across - impulsiveness;
inedible things (nails, stones, sticks) - violations of communicative relations;
unpleasant elements (mucus, dust, bedbugs, cockroaches) - neurosis;
internal organs of animals, blood - neurosis bordering on aggression;
people - denial, negativism, aggression.

In the child's stories, the animal may:

sleep a lot, which indicates asthenia, chronic fatigue of the subject;
crush, break - this is a sign of aggressiveness, a negative attitude towards others;
to have fun and walk - such a definition of the creature's lifestyle symbolizes the desires of the student;
look for food - this characteristic gives a signal about any problems and life difficulties of the person being tested.

If the drawn creature loves extraordinary activities (like walking on its head or upside down), then the child who invented such actions for the animal is not alien to the desire to go beyond the ordinary and violate the standards of behavior.

Impulsiveness is present in the character of people who endow their drawn characters with the inability to sit idle.

When the description of an animal is associated with frequent mention of its enemies, then we can conclude that the fear of aggression; excessive emphasis on problems with food is a symbol of trouble in the life of the subject, attachment to the material. The creature, according to the test subject, is lonely, he has no friends - most likely, in the life of a child the same state of affairs. The story about a large number of like-minded people speaks of the importance of communication for the subject.

"Glamorous Wingcat" - this name was given to the creature by the author of the drawing

The completely shaded iris of the eye is evidence of fear concentrated inside the author of the drawing.
The subject is fixated on himself, this is evidenced by the direct position of the animal's head and its open look.
Alarm signals - shading of the tail and the location of the character on the edge of the sheet.
Also, multiple lines in the image of some parts of the body (lower part of the head, wings, hind legs) speak of anxiety.
Wingcat's not too small ears are an indicator of dependence on other people's opinions, a desire to follow generally accepted norms.
The energy potential of the author is very high, this can be judged by the large number of details of the animal's figure.
Big wings signal romantic aspirations and dreaminess of nature. Perhaps the author wants to change his life, but does not have the opportunity to do so.
The test-taker is prone to pragmatism and rationalism, because all parts of the body are clearly drawn, and their connections are not blurry.

Taking the “Draw a non-existent animal” test is a great way to get an idea of the inner world, the character of the child, and even the conditions of his life. The results of the diagnostics will help to identify existing problems and adjust the work to eliminate them.

Among the many psychological methods for studying personality, the projective method "Non-existent animal" occupies a special place. This is due to the fact that its interpretation provides extensive information about the individual while spending a minimum amount of time to complete the task. The test is not only simple, but also very interesting, available to both adults and children.

Author Arne Olav

The test was created by the domestic psychologist M. Z. Dukarevich, based on the characteristics of psychomotor communication. When a person draws, a sheet of paper at that time is a special model of space in which, with the help of movements of the dominant (for most people, the right) hand, the attitude to this space is fixed, following the words of I. M. Sechenov that any thought ends with movement.

The main goal of the technique is a general study of personality, on the basis of which the psychologist puts forward a hypothesis about some of its features, in no case making unambiguous conclusions about a person without a comprehensive diagnosis.

The non-existent animal test begins with a simple instruction: “Take a sheet of paper, a simple pencil and draw a non-existent animal, one that does not really exist and has never been on the planet. Call him a name that doesn't exist."

There is no time limit for drawing. Sometimes people refuse to take the test, explaining their refusal by the inability to draw. In this case, it is important to explain that the psychologist does not evaluate artistic abilities, that the test has a deeper psychological meaning than just the ability to draw beautifully.

The “Non-existent animal” technique is easy to perform, because drawing an unusual non-existent animal is not only simple, but also exciting. But its interpretation requires deep knowledge of human psychology. If you want to get a high-quality reliable result after you complete the test, use the basic rules for interpreting it:

The arrangement of the drawing on paper.

Normally, the drawing is located in the middle part of the sheet, which is in a vertical position. If the drawing is located at the top of the sheet, this indicates high self-esteem and dissatisfaction with one's role in society, where a person feels a lack of recognition. The lower the drawing is on paper, the lower it is. Such a person is unsure of himself, he does not care about the recognition of social status.

The main part of the drawing.

The head looks to the right - an active and decisive person, brings things to the end, implements his plans.
The head looks to the left - a person is prone to introspection and reflection. He thinks more than he does, instead of concrete actions, he prefers deep reflections about them.
The head "looks" forward, at the painter - evidence of egocentrism. If there are sense organs on the head - eyes, ears, mouth, then this indicates the importance of information, dependence on someone else's opinion.
An open mouth and tongue, but no lips, can mean high verbal activity, and even talkativeness. The presence of lips speaks of sensuality. An open mouth without lips and tongue speaks of a tendency to anxieties and fears, of distrust. In children and adolescents, you can see a crossed-out round mouth, which indicates fear and anxiety.
The presence of teeth indicates verbal aggression, which is used as a defense in the form of a rude response to censure or condemnation.
The eyes play an important role. They are a symbol of fear if a person clearly draws the iris. The presence of eyelashes speaks of a demonstrative personality, a desire to attract someone else's attention to oneself with one's beauty and manners, and in men it is an indicator of feminine character traits.
You should pay attention to the size of the head: if it is drawn disproportionately to the body, then a person appreciates intelligence and rationality.
Horns, claws, needles on the skin of an animal speak of aggression, protective or spontaneous. Feathers on the body of an animal are an indicator of demonstrativeness and narcissism. Wool or mane speaks of sexuality and the desire to emphasize one's gender.

The bottom of the drawing.

The legs (paws) of the animal are measured by size relative to the body of the animal. If the legs are large and large, then this indicates rationality, deliberation in, the formation of plans and clear structures before performing an action. Small short legs speak of impulsiveness and frivolity in decision making. Especially these qualities can be emphasized if the legs are completely absent in the figure.
It is worth paying attention to the nature of the connection of the legs with the body. If the connection is fuzzy and insufficient, then the person himself is rather careless, inattentive, does not control his judgments enough.
The direction of the legs in one direction and their uniformity speak of conformity, stereotyping and banality of judgments. The diversity of form suggests the opposite: a person is prone to originality and originality.

Additional drawing details.

These are wings, feathers, bows, one more legs or paws, curls, flowers and various other decorating details. All these features speak of self-confidence, a high level of energy that a person knows how to distribute in different areas of activity. Sometimes this translates into oppression of other people, about making the focus only on their own personality. It can be a person who is passionate about his profession, striving for self-realization.

The presence of a tail indicates the attitude to one's own decisions and actions, to the products of one's activity. Tail pointing to the right - attitude to actions, behavior. Tail pointing to the left - attitude to thoughts and possibilities. The direction of the tail up or down indicates the person's perception of this relationship: up - positive, down - negative.

Drawing outline.

Author Arne Olav

The presence of shells, protrusions, darkening, drawing clear lines is analyzed. These details indicate a desire to protect themselves from other people. If there are sharp corners - this is an aggressive defense, if there are blackouts - there is anxiety and fear, if the line is double - there is suspicion and a sense of danger.

Animal type.

You can conditionally divide animals into:

threatening
threatened
and neutral (respectively, similar to a lion, a hare or a dog).

The choice of the type of animal speaks of the attitude towards one's own personality, towards one's "I". A person chooses the type of animal with which he identifies himself. If the animal is “humanized”, in clothes, with two paws, upright, with hands instead of paws, then this indicates the infantility and immaturity of the author’s emotional sphere.

Name of the drawing.

There are six main types of names for a non-existent animal:

connecting semantic parts (“cat laugh”, “zaytsezher”) - speak of rationality and adaptability;
close to scientific (“tridericus”, “claynolius”) - they say demonstrative;
superficial and meaningless (“lalasa”, “mrama”) - about frivolity and negligence;
humorous (“bubble”, “churunda”) - about a condescending attitude towards others;
simple (“la-la”, “sim-sim”) - about infantilism;
elongated (“pratomina-karosa”) - about a tendency to fantasize.

The application of the "Non-existent animal" test is mainly designed to study the psychomotor connection and the state of the psyche - mainly the identification of hidden emotions - in children from five to six years old and adults.

Unlike most other drawing tests, this one is one of the most informative drawing techniques and can be widely used for psychological examination.

On a note:

There are modifications of the test, which are additional to the "Non-existent animal" test and are used to clarify the emotional state of the drawing. These are such tests as "Evil Animal", "Happy Animal" and "Unhappy Animal".

The "Angry Animal" test reveals a latent aggressive and depressive state; "Happy Animal" will tell about the values and aspirations of the subject; "Unhappy animal" shows the degree of resistance to stress of various kinds.

Instruction
To complete the test, you will need a piece of paper, a pencil, an eraser. Ask the test taker to draw an animal that has never been seen in nature. When the drawing is ready, ask the following questions: where does this animal live, what does it eat, what does it love most, what is it most afraid of?

Interpretation of the test "Non-existent animal"

TEST INDICATORS (INDICATORS OF PSYCHOMOTOR TONE)

Pencil pressure
Weak pressure - asthenia; passivity; sometimes depressed.
Strong pressure - emotional tension; rigidity; impulsiveness.
Super strong pressure (pencil tears paper) - conflict; hyperactivity; sometimes aggressiveness, acute excitement.

Line Features
Dashed lines represent anxiety as a personality trait.
Multiple lines - anxiety as a state at the time of the examination; stressful state; sometimes impulsive.
Sketchy lines - the desire to control your anxiety, to control yourself.
Missing lines that do not fall into the desired point - impulsiveness; organic brain damage.
Lines that have not been completed are asthenia, sometimes impulsiveness.
Distortion of the shape of the lines - an organic lesion of the brain; impulsiveness; sometimes mental illness.

PICTURE SIZE AND LOCATION

Increased size - anxiety, stress.
Reduced size - depression, low self-esteem.
The drawing is shifted up or located in the upper half of the sheet, but not in the corner - sometimes inflated self-esteem; striving for high achievement.
The picture is shifted down - sometimes low self-esteem.
The drawing is shifted to the side - sometimes an organic lesion of the brain.
The drawing goes beyond the edge of the sheet - impulsiveness; acute anxiety.
The picture is placed in the corner - depression.

TYPE OF ANIMAL

According to the typology of images of non-existent animals, the most common of them can be noted.

1. The subject depicts a real-life animal and calls it by its real name, and the description of its lifestyle is true. For example, a cat is drawn and the cat's lifestyle is described. Such an image can be considered the norm for a five-six-year-old child, but for teenagers and adults, this may indicate a low level of imagination.

2. An extinct animal is drawn that once existed, for example, a dinosaur, mammoth, etc.

3. An image is drawn of an animal that exists in culture, but does not exist in nature, for example, a dragon, a mermaid, etc. Drawings depicting extinct animals, as well as drawings depicting those that exist in culture, are the norm for children 8-9 years old. For adults, such a drawing of an animal indicates its low general cultural level and poverty of imagination.

4. A drawing of a non-existent animal is usually built from parts of different real animals: the body of a crocodile, the limbs of a monkey, the head of a hare, etc. In this case, such an animal may have, for example, the name Crocosai. Such an image of an animal is more characteristic of rationalists, and not of creative natures.

5. Sometimes the image of animals has a humanoid appearance. This indicates a strong need for communication, which is usually characteristic of adolescents - 13-17 years old.

6. The depicted animal consists of different mechanical parts. Such an animal is usually portrayed by people with non-standard thinking and approach to life.

7. An intricate, complex and original image of an animal, the image of which has not a composite, but an integral structure, with a resemblance that is difficult to establish or not to be established with any real-life (existing) animal, is characteristic of a person with a well-developed, rich creative imagination.

COMPONENTS OF AN ANIMAL

Eyes
Eyes absent - asthenia.
The eyes are empty, without pupils and irises - asthenia, fears.
Eyes with a blackened iris - fears.
Eyes with eyelashes - a demonstrative demeanor, the importance of opinions about oneself.
Eyes with traced blood vessels - hypochondria, a neurotic condition.
The shape of the eyes is distorted - a neurotic state.

Ears
Big ears - interest in information, in some cases suspicion, anxiety.
Lack of ears - isolation, unwillingness to make contact with others, to hear someone else's opinion.

Mouth
Mouth, ajar in combination with the tongue: without drawing lips - great speech activity, with drawing lips - sensuality.
Blackened open mouth - ease of fear and fear, in some cases distrust, anxiety.
Mouth with teeth or fangs - verbal aggression, in some cases defensive.

Head
The head, enlarged in size, is an assessment of the erudition of oneself and others.
The head is missing - impulsiveness, in some cases a mental illness.
Two or more heads - conflicting desires, internal conflict.
The shape of the head is distorted - an organic lesion of the brain, in some cases a mental illness.

Additional details on the head
Feathers - a tendency to embellishment and self-justification.
Horns - protection, aggression.
A mane, a kind of hairstyle - sensuality, in some cases, emphasizing one's gender.

Figure
Many components and elements - a powerful energy.
A small number of components and elements - energy savings, asthenia.
A figure consisting of sharp corners is aggressiveness. A circular figure - secrecy, isolation, closeness of one's inner world.

Additional details and parts of the figure
Scales, shell - the need for protection.
Spikes, needles - defensive aggression.
A body covered with thick hair is the significance of the sexual sphere.
The pattern on the skin is demonstrative.
Wounds, scars - a neurotic state.
Built-in mechanical parts - introversion, difficulties in communication.
Weapons cutting, piercing or chopping - aggressiveness.
Wings - romanticism, daydreaming, a tendency to compensatory fantasy.
Internal organs, blood vessels - hypochondria, neurotic condition, in some cases mental illness.
Genital organs, female breasts, udders - the high importance of the sexual sphere.

Tail
The tail turned to the right is the attitude towards one's actions and behavior.
The tail turned to the left is the attitude to one's thoughts, decisions.
The tail raised up is a positive, confident coloring for this relationship.
The tail, lowered down, is a negative color for relationships.
The tail is thick - the significance of the sexual sphere.
The tail is thick, covered with hair - a very high significance of the sexual sphere.
A beautiful tail, for example, a peacock, is demonstrative.

Legs
The absence of legs, their insufficient number - passivity or ineptitude in social relations.
Excessive number of legs - the need for support.
Thick, big legs - a feeling of lack of skill in social relations, the need for support.

The nature of the connection of the legs with the figure (body)
Drawn carefully - the ability to control their reasoning, conclusions, decisions.
Carelessly drawn, weak or no connection of the legs with the figure - lack of control.

DESCRIPTION

Lifestyle Description
Corresponds to the picture - logical thinking is developed.
Does not match the drawing - in some cases, a violation of logical thinking.
With idealization and embellishment - a tendency to compensatory fantasizing.

The place where the animal lives
Abroad, islands, subtropics (Bali, Cyprus) - demonstrativeness.
Isolated (space, another planet, cave, well, forest, etc.) - a feeling of loneliness.
A place that is difficult to reach (impenetrable forest, dense thicket of trees, etc.) - the need for protection, in some cases fear of aggression.
Emotionally unpleasant (swamp, mud, dirt, etc.) - a neurotic state.

Nutrition
Does not feed on anything or feeds on air, news, energy - introversion.
Eats everything - impulsiveness.
Eats inedible things (nails, sticks, stones, etc.) - communication disorders.
Eats emotionally unpleasant food (mucus, dust, cockroaches, etc.) - a neurotic state.
It feeds on the blood and organs of living beings (stomach, brain, etc.) - neurotic aggression.
It feeds on people - negativism, aggressiveness.

Activities, games
Breaks something (fence, trees, etc.) - aggressiveness, negativism, in some cases mental illness.
Likes to sleep a lot - asthenic condition, accumulated fatigue.
He plays, walks, has fun - a projection of his desires.
Busy looking for food - a feeling of difficulties in life.
Does not like to sit idle - impulsiveness.
Walks upside down - a symbol of a violation of the established order, going beyond ordinary standards, or the desire for such.

Some features of the description
The mention of reproduction is the significance of the sexual sphere; about asexual forms of reproduction (budding, etc.) - tension in the sexual sphere.
An indication of the lack of friends is a feeling of loneliness; on the contrary, the message of having many friends is a high value of communication.
Mention of enemies - fear of aggression; about protection from any enemies or an emphasis on their absence - fear of aggression, in some cases a wary attitude towards others.
Message about the provision of food - a feeling of domestic trouble, in some cases, the importance of material values.

Analysis of drawings for the test "Non-existent animal"

From the drawings of a non-existent animal, both children and adults, one can often judge their hidden problem, which is most often hushed up or not suspected, seeking advice on a completely different issue.

Tatyana, 35 years old

Tatyana is a pretty, charming, slender woman. He looks after himself very much, dresses fashionably, does business, often goes on business trips to Moscow, Rostov and other cities; vacations abroad. She comes for consultations mainly on business issues, but the main problem for her is the lack of love for her husband, with whom she has been living for more than 16 years. He dreams of breaking out of the vicious circle, but it does not work out. This is clearly seen in Tatyana's drawing.

She named her animal the European glamorous Wingcat. The animal vaguely resembles the author of the drawing and displays her main problem - sexual. An excessively fluffy, thick and raised tail, as well as a chest densely covered with hair, speak, or rather, “shout” about the importance of the sexual sphere in a woman’s life and at the same time indicate trouble in this area. A completely blackened iris is an indicator of inner fear - a woman is afraid to imagine how her life could turn out without her husband, in general she is afraid of changes in life. The wings of the Wingcat are nothing more than Tatyana's protective fantasy: her escape from personal problems into a fantasy world she has created.

Here is how Tatyana describes the lifestyle of her non-existent animal:

The European glamorous Wingcat lives in Europe, exclusively glamorous places - Paris, Milan, Nice, but some individuals are found in Krasnodar, Moscow, Rostov. Prefers an idle and cheerful lifestyle. By nature, sociable, cheerful, friendly, but tamed with difficulty and very independent. Rarely breeds, chooses a pair meticulously, carefully and leisurely. Eats sweets and news, loves travel and new experiences.

This kind of fantasy desire - to escape to "glamorous" lands and find freedom, eating "candy and news", also shows Tatiana's inner need to escape from reality.

Vadim, 50 years old

Vadim has been living with his wife for more than 25 years, but his family life did not work out, and now he increasingly has a desire to change her, starting to live independently, separately. However, circumstances do not allow this to be done. By nature, Vadim is a gentle person and therefore it is especially hard to endure the aggressive behavior of his wife. It has great energy potential.

The animal was drawn by Vadim according to the original model. It is generally devoid of organs that provide communication - ears, mouth - and has a completely closed figure, which indicates introversion and difficulties in communication. Vadim named his animal Amikarabos, providing it with many legs for movement and covering it with scales; all this is an indicator that Vadim has a great need for support, protection, and is afraid of aggression. In addition, the partially blackened scales indicate the author's low resistance to stress.

Vadim's drawing is accompanied by the following story:

The animal is warm-blooded. The habitat is mixed: water and land. Lives in the tropics, subtropics. It feeds on plants and reproduces by division. The way of movement is impulse, energy.

The indication that the animal is warm-blooded speaks of Vadim's desire to have warmth, a family, and thus be like others. “The way of movement is impulsive, energetic” is evidence of the difficulties in Vadim’s life, which he hides so carefully and which he has to spend a lot of energy to overcome (or resist).

Irina, 54 years old

A woman of short stature, with a friendly and sweet smile on her face. Has two higher educations; the second, medical, received only a year ago. Now she does not know why she needs it and does not understand why she studied for so many years. At the same time, she firmly believes that her fate is "eternal learning." Her life is made up of a series of fateful actions and plans with which she wants to escape from reality. In my opinion, this is a kind of program for saving one's own soul, just the case when we say: "Help yourself."

The fact is that, having lived with her husband for 27 years, Irina unexpectedly found out about the existence of his second family: being married to her, her husband lived in parallel with a young woman and children from him. Nevertheless, Irina was able to forgive him and continue to live with him. It was her choice, another thing is why such a situation took place. Let's try to understand the picture.

If you look at this non-existent animal, then it seems to be quite cute if it were not for the distorted shape of the head and the “hook hands” that look like bird legs.

Irina named her non-existent animal Mikhotron. In my opinion, the name resembles some kind of mechanism, and the drawing of the animal itself is an unusual mechanical bear. Most likely, Irina's life reminds her of life by inertia, similar to some kind of mechanism, far from the world of feelings and love. Limbs pointing towards the body indicate introversion, claws - aggression, and an open mouth without teeth and tongue - the ease of creating fears and fears in her life. The irises of the eyes, partially blackened, only confirm the presence of fear in the author of the drawing.

Here is what Irina says about her Mikhotron:

The animal lives in the forest, reproduces by budding [very strange for an animal, isn't it?]. He loves porridge from acorns, which the dwarf cooks for him. Afraid of loud noises. Likes to play hide and seek.

The story only confirms Irina's inner fear and anxiety about the future, indicates some nervousness and departure from reality, but, nevertheless, reveals to us the very real desires of a woman. For example, expectation of care and attention. Her animal "loves the acorn porridge that the dwarf cooks for him." The fact that Mikhotron is afraid of harsh noises speaks of Irina's fatigue and possible nervous exhaustion. According to Irina herself, she was tired of everything. But the fact that her Mikhotron loves to play hide-and-seek means, oddly enough, another game of Irina with fate: now she is drawing up documents for America for permanent residence there.

Dasha, 13 years old

The girl looks calm, shy and quiet.

The drawing is located at the bottom of the sheet, which indicates the girl's low self-esteem and her experiences. Multiple lines give out the alarm of an outwardly calm teenager. Three eyes are heavily blackened - an indicator of fear, sitting deep in the soul. Many legs, which are the supporting part of the animal, and the nature of their connection with the figure show that the girl is able to control her reasoning and actions.

Dasha describes the lifestyle of this animal as follows:

The three-eye lives in South Africa. It usually feeds on fish, but when hungry, it can eat anything. He is very afraid of his rivals - sharks and whales. He loves to swim on the bottom and hates to sit around doing nothing. He has no friends, as he is too kind (others do not like it).

Dasha's story clearly shows a depressive mood (“He has no friends, because he is too kind”), fear (“He is very afraid of his rivals”) and a strong need for emotional warmth (“Three-eyes lives in South Africa). In addition, one can assume an unfavorable environment (“He likes to swim on the bottom”). A child's story about an animal almost always reflects what actually happens to him in life, and knowing how important it is for a teenager to communicate with peers, one can now imagine how difficult Dasha's life is. The girl's drawing and story showed that she needed psychological help.