Human figure drawing characteristics related to juvenile delinquents

Human figure drawings were scored on seven characteristics popularly attributed to juvenile delinquents, i.e., head size, shading, and three indicators of emotional conflict, i.e., transparencies, omissions, and erasures. Ss were adolescents incarcerated at training schools. Delinquency was defined in terms of MMPI profiles associated with delinquency rather than by social-legal or medical-diagnostic classification. The results fail to support popular hypotheses concerning human figure drawings of delinquents. Delinquents drew significantly more transparencies; however, no other emotional indicator was significant. It was concluded that little support exists for hypotheses concerning human figure drawings of delinquents and drawings should be used with caution in the clinical assessment of a delinquent's personality.