Test Person in the rain, what does it consist of?

The Person in the Rain test is one of the best-known projective instruments along with other tests, such as the Rorschach test or the tree test. They are useful as complementary techniques to gather more information about the personality of a patient or a candidate in a selection test.

Projective tests have always been framed within psychoanalytic theory. This undoubtedly means that we are facing a somewhat controversial approach from a scientific point of view. In fact, interpretations can always seem somewhat subjective.

However, It should be noted that this type of tests have been used for several decades.Hence, their systematization has been improved. That said, let’s see below what this evaluation instrument consists of and how it is interpreted.

History of the Person in the Rain test

The Person in the Rain test first appeared in 1924. It was the psychologist HM Fay who designed a test called A lady walking in the rain (woman walking in the rain) Aimed at children between 6 and 10 years old to evaluate their psychological maturity. From then until today, the test has changed a lot, being applied to both adults and children.

The most recent version is the “Test of the person in the rain”, by Querol and Chaves Paz, published in 2005 and built from the analysis of the results obtained with more than 300 subjects.

Today, they are usually administered in selection tests and also in the field of child psychology to assess different aspects of the personality of the child or adolescent. However, it should be noted that We are not dealing with standardized tests or tests aimed at offering specific diagnoses.

What information can the Person in the Rain test give us?

The Person in the Rain test has a very simple application: just give a person a piece of paper and a pencil and ask them to simply draw what the name of the test itself states: a person in the rain. Beyond the artistic abilities of each one, there are various factors that try to evaluate this classic instrument.

This test places the person in a more or less moderate stress situation.. A drawing must be executed in a given time, which also requires a certain inventiveness, skill and precision. Now, what really matters the least is the quality of the drawing itself. The symbolic matters, what the professional can interpret through it.

A figure in an adverse environment

The task is to draw a figure in the rain, understanding that rain or storm as a disturbing element. Something like this forces the child or adult to capture on paper someone facing a relatively adverse circumstance. So how do you deal with it?

Let’s remember that the test is called ‘person in the rain’. Therefore, The first thing will be to choose the protagonist of the drawing: a man, a woman, and even an animal, a tree or a flower (This last one is common among children). Later, you will have to think about how to protect yourself from the rain (Does he have resources? Does he carry an umbrella, does he have adequate clothing? Is there something that protects that figure or is he defenseless in the elements?)Is the figure calm, happy, brave, or scared?

All of this set of elements evoke, in some way, the imprint of the patient’s or candidate’s inner world in the selection process. It also traces their emotional state, and even their attitude towards difficulties.

How is this projective test applied?

As we have pointed out, it is a projective instrument that is very easy to apply. To do this, some very specific steps are followed:

Before handing in the sheet to take the test, the professional should engage in a conversation with the child or adult to instill confidence and relaxation. We are interested in making the person feel comfortable so that he or she can evoke, through drawing, his or her inner world, personality and emotional state. Once that trust is established, a blank sheet of paper is offered and the following instruction is given: ‘draw a person in the rain’. It is also indicated that the quality of the drawing itself is not valued, that aspect is unimportant. There is no stipulated time, but in general, it is not advisable to exceed 15 minutes. Once finished, can Ask the person to make another drawing of that same figure but this time without the rain factor. In this way, it is possible to make a comparison. Sometimes, to obtain more information, The therapist asks the patient to tell a story about the drawing. Likewise, if the subject does not give enough details in it, they are asked: how the person drawn feels, what is the intensity of the rain (drizzle, storm, etc.), what happened before and what will happen after, etc.

Interpretation of the Person in the Rain test

As with most projective tests, it is common for us to think that these tests have a subjective interpretation. However, These instruments have been reviewed over the decades and already have some specific points when it comes to their interpretation.

Now, as Querol and Chaves say, The interpretation of the drawing seeks to obtain the body image of the evaluated person under unpleasant conditions.and thus observe what type of defenses to use.

To do this, not only what the person draws is analyzed, but also the story they make about the drawing and the behaviors they display during the evaluation (restlessness, anxiety, insecurity, etc.)

Below we show some of the elements that are usually analyzed:

Graphic interpretation

It includes the analysis of those elements that have to do with the actual execution of the drawing. For example:

Size or dimension of drawing

If the drawing is small, it may reflect shyness, self-depreciation or insecurities.. It may even reflect a feeling of inferiority, discomfort or dependence, or an inadequate perception of oneself.

Instead, If the figure is very large, the person being evaluated could be showing a magnified and distorted view of themselves.. This execution is common in people with a need to show themselves, to be taken into account or to be recognized. Although large drawings are also often seen in art-oriented individuals.

The ideal is a medium drawingwhich would refer to a person well located in space.

Site

Refers to the place on the sheet chosen to make the drawing. Ideally, the drawing should be in the center of the page, as it is associated with personal balance.

For its part, the upper part of the leaf is usually related to the imagination and the lower one with concrete thinking and lack of creativity.

Drawing to the right side is related to confidence in the future; while drawing towards the left margin reflects the relationship with the past and personal conflicts that have not yet been resolved.

Strokes

A balanced person will draw with continuous and firm lines; while someone with anxiety, insecurity or stress will draw broken lines.

For its part, angles or peaks are associated with aggressiveness; the rounded lines with sensitivity, affectivity and dependence; while straight lines are related to the capacity for analysis and vitality.

Sequence

It is very important to pay attention to where the person being evaluated begins to draw, since The sequence of the execution will indicate which elements are most important to you. Starting with the feet is not the same as starting with the head, or drawing the umbrella

Has the umbrella been drawn before the rain? Or has the rain been drawn first without deciding how the figure is protected from that disturbing factor?

Motion

Is the drawn figure rigid, walking, or doing something specific?

A drawing that shows rigidity is interpreted as an individual who is depersonalized, not adapted, or who feels threatened by the environment. Nevertheless, If there is too much activity in the drawing, it may be considered excessive fantasy.

For its part, The action of walking is analyzed according to the sense, That is, where the person is going. That is, if the person is walking towards the right edge, the person may be focused on the future; On the other hand, if they walk towards the left edge it means that they are stuck in the past.

Time

It is assessed how long it takes to start, to finish, to deliver it., if you have stopped at some element of the drawing, if you do it very quickly, or if you execute it in an average time. Each variant gives us different information.

Interpretation of content

In the interpretation of the content, aspects such as the orientation of the figure are valued; her posture; erasures or crossing outs in the drawing; details of accessories and their location; clothing, umbrella as defense; replacement of the umbrella with other items (under a roof, raincoat, etc.); rain intensity; the drawing of a character and not a person; among others.

orientation of the person: if it is from the back, in profile, seen from above, from a distance, etc.Postures: If the figure is standing, kneeling, sitting…Presence of many deletions: can reflect dissatisfaction, insecurity, anxiety, aggressiveness, etc. amount of details It refers to the personality of the evaluated person. For example, a controlling person will do minute details; while someone who is depressed will make empty drawings.The umbrella is one of the most important elements of the drawing, since it represents the defense of the individual against external agents. Therefore, it is pertinent to analyze whether he draws the umbrella or replaces it with other elements and, if so, what are the characteristics of the latter.Drawing specific characters It would be related to a defense against the fear of one’s own disintegration.

Interpretation of history

Sometimes, The psychologist asks the interviewee to tell the story behind the drawing; which offers complementary data of great interest for the evaluation of the results. since, generally, the protagonist of the story is a projection of the same subject.

In this sense, the narrative offers information about the personality traits of the person being evaluated; placing special emphasis on their defense mechanisms in stressful situations.

To do this, the professional can ask the evaluated person to start by giving a name and age to the person who appears in the drawing. This information can be important when contextualizing the drawing and knowing how it looks like itself.the psychological difficulties from which he suffers, among other aspects.

In conclusion. This test provides interesting information as long as it is used together with other diagnostic tests that support the meaning of the intuited diagnosis, in addition to personal interviews. In…