House, tree, person: the HTP personality test

The house, tree, person or HTP test allows you to analyze certain personality traits; reflecting which areas are in conflict within us, the repressed and manifest emotions, as well as the projection of ourselves.

This test may seem like a “child’s game”, but it is also widely applied to adults. It is usually used in the clinical setting to reinforce diagnoses; in school to detect cognitive and emotional problems in children; and in the workplace, for the selection of personnel.

Let’s see below what this test consists of.

What is the HTP personality test?

The HTP test was developed in 1948 by clinical psychologist John Buck and was later updated in 1969. In order to carry out this test Those analyzed are asked to draw a house, a tree and a person respectively on three white sheets of paper..

Thanks to the graphic reproduction of these simple objects, the specialist can analyze elements of the personality of the person evaluated. Even if we don’t realize it, By drawing a house, a tree and a person we bring out elements that are stored in the unconscious for various reasons.

It is not necessary to be a Picasso or a Dalí to pass the test, but to find the keys that the drawing offers. What can be communicated through it? Specifically, It serves to express the “I” in relation to a familiar environment (such as a house or a tree) and to the people nearby.

For its part, the HTP personality test is classified within projective tests, which come from a psychoanalytic aspect, where the execution of these tests involves projecting one’s own internal situation.

Martínez and Sarlé they point out that:

The authors also highlight that “they reveal the position of the person in relation to the surrounding worldto social events, their attitude in difficult life situations or their moral behavior.”

Test application: two phases

The application of this test It goes beyond drawing a little house with a tree and a person next to it. Therefore, it should not be taken lightly. In the first instance (non-verbal or creative) is when the patient is asked to draw drawings of these 3 elements.

The expert will probably suggest you draw in the most natural way possibleforgetting as much as possible about the context in which it is located and the subsequent analysis of the drawing itself.

While the person is drawing, the analyst takes the opportunity to pay attention to their attitudes, words and everything it demonstrates. It can be frustration, anger, joy or any other emotion.

Once you have finished “the task”, it is time for the next stage. In this second phase you have to tell a story related to the drawings, using the three main verb tenses (past, present and future).

Another option, very common during the application of the HTP personality test, is answer a series of questions, related to the drawings and previously established by the specialist. This serves to motivate people who find it more difficult to express themselves, or for children who do not yet have the ability to create a story or a story.

When and where to apply it?

This test is designed for people from 8 years old and there is no maximum age to carry it out. Anyone can “submit” to drawing a house, a tree and a subject and then analyze them.

Perhaps for adults it is a little strange to go to the consultation with the analyst and have him ask you to draw in the middle of the session, but the results obtained are interesting. In order to take full advantage You need to be in a quiet place, without distractions, where the patient feels comfortable. The office is ideal because it also provides privacy.

In turn, all the necessary materials must be offered: sheets, pencils and eraser. Erasing is allowed, but taking into account the attitude taken towards this action: If once the drawing is finished you decide to erase it completely, it is not the same as removing only part of the line, that which you want to improve.

For its part, the approximate duration of the HTP test ranges between half an hour and one hour., depending on how long it takes the patient to draw and tell the story. Of course, it will also depend on your predisposition and whether the analyst has decided to ask questions at the end.

What is the HTP test for?

The logic is simple. The personality test is based on the belief that Thanks to drawings you can express many feelingswhether past or present, as well as the desires futures.

Each image means something different: the house projects the family situation of the present, the tree is the deepest or inner concept of ourselves and the person is a kind of self-portrait or self-image that includes our consciousness and our defense mechanisms.

The location of each object on the sheet is also analyzed. For example, if you draw very close to the top edge, the drawing is related to dreams and imagination, and at the bottom to material things. What is shown on the right is linked to the future, in the center to the present and to the left to the past.

The size of each element, the line (which can mean firmness or weakness) and clarity are evaluated. It is also very interesting to understand that Every part of the house, the tree and the person has a meaning.

How is the HTP test interpreted?

Each drawing can represent numerous ideasFor example: the level of satisfaction at home, the degree of firmness of the personality, contact with reality, fears and obsessions, personal balance, the person’s subconscious image of their development, etc.

For the interpretation of the test to be valid and consistent with the subject, It is important that this be carried out by a mental health specialist with experience in the analysis of projective tests.. Well, the interpretation is not limited to only describing the meanings of each indicator (which appear in the test manual).

Although the list of meanings offers a valid interpretive framework, It is necessary to integrate the personal history of the subject and their narratives from the drawings so that they have greater reliability.

That said, below we show a small outline of the interpretable elements of the test.

General aspects of the test

This is where the interpretation of the formal aspects of each drawing comes in, such as the location, dimensions, pencil pressure and types of strokes.

For example, regarding location, If the drawing is located at the top it indicates that the subject is more involved in his thoughts, ideas and fantasies. On the other hand, if these are at the bottom, it may be more focused on the instinctive, the biological and the material.

For its part, If the drawing is in the middle zone, it indicates that the evaluated person is focused on the present and everyday life., and presents a balance between fantasy and material. On the other hand, if the drawing is on the right side of the page it means that it is focused on the future, on projects and the need for contact; and if it is on the left side it means that the evaluated person connects more with the past, memories and family.

House elements

The drawing of the house allows us to know the conscious and unconscious associations of the evaluated person about his home and his personal relationships. In this case, each element of the drawing represents a particular aspect of the individual, such as:

The ceiling represents spiritual life and the connection with fantasy. The floor is related to the notion of reality.Walls symbolize personality and firmness of characterThe fireplace symbolizes emotional and sexual life. The windows and doors represent the ways in which others enter or look inside the house, so They refer to openness, the willingness to interact with others and ideas about the environment. The sidewalks represent the opening to intimate family life.

tree elements

On the other hand, the drawing of the tree refers to those things that are very deep in our being or that are even on the level of the unconscious. Among its elements to interpret we find:

The trunk: represents the feeling of belonging and adjustment.The cup: refers to ideas, thoughts and self-concept.The branches: represent the social contacts, aspirations and level of satisfaction or frustration of the evaluated person.The roots: they point to our bases, foundations, security and self-confidence. Although they are also related to the unconscious and instinctive internal world. The ground: represent contact with reality and stability.

For its part, details such as including fruits or the tree being dry also have complementary interpretations.

Elements of the person

The drawing of the person is deeply linked to our self-concept and self-esteem.. Each part of the body has an interpretable dimension that accounts for our emotional, sexual, communicative and social level. For example:

The head represents intelligence, thoughts, imagination and communication.Hair refers to sexuality, virility and sensuality.The eyes represent social communication and the perception of the world. The mouth refers to sensuality, sexuality and verbal communication. The nose is a phallic symbol, so its interpretation refers to sexuality.The hands refer to affection and aggressiveness.The legs represent contact with reality, as well as the stability and security of the person.The arms refer to adaptation and integration to the world and relationships with others.The feet represent sexuality and aggression.

Is there a correct way to make HTP drawings?

There is no correct way to make the drawings for this projective test.. Therefore, regardless of whether the person knows what aspects are evaluated and what each element of the drawing means, personality characteristics always end up emerging in different details and moments of the test.

In other words, there is no point in copying the drawings; given that The analysis carried out by the professional is transversal and integrative, so it goes beyond the interpretative guidelines of the test.. So, if the person tested is a person who tends to retreat into fantasy, even if he draws the floor in all of his drawings, this trait will be evident in another part of the test.

Besides, This test is a tool that serves as a complement to any psychological evaluation process. Well, the professional will use the interviews, the personal history of the person evaluated, as well as other psychological tests to make an appropriate diagnosis. In this way, it is best to be spontaneous and…