Evidências de validade e fidedignidade da Escala Clínica do Desenho da Figura Humana (EC DFH)

Abstract

Draw-a-Person Test (DAP) is an evaluation technique that is very questioned as to its validity due to the lack of empirical studies. However, it is among the most used and studied by Psychologists and Psychology Students. In order to contribute to research on this instrument and its usefulness in the psychological evaluation of children, two studies were conducted. The first one, with the objective of searching for Validity and Reliability Evidence of the Clinical Scale of the Draw-a-Person Test (CS DAP), evaluated 423 children from 6 to 12 years old and compared the DAP data with the performance in the CBCL / 6-18. The results shows that CS DAP wasn’t sensitive to identify total problems of behavior, internalizing problems and to differentiate psychotherapy group from the without psychotherapy group. The second study has as its objective identify the DPT indicators according to the specific symptomatology presented by the child. 273 draws from children aged 6 to 12 years were analyzed and the results were compared in CS DPT with the symptoms identified in the behavior assessment questionnaires (CBCL / 6-18 and SDQ). The results support that CS DAP showed adequate ability to differentiate hyperactivity problems in girls aged 6 to 8 years, behavioral problems, social problems and hyperactivity in boys aged 6 to 8 years. In spite of that, the group of 9 to 12 years wasn’t sensitive to discriminate any symptomatology in neither of the genres. Beyond this, it wasn’t possible to find a pattern related to items punctuated according to children's symptoms.