Personality characteristics of incest survivors on the Draw-A-Person Questionnaire

We investigated the psychological sequelae of incest through the use of the Draw-A-Person Questionnaire (DAPQ; Karp, 1990), a projective technique with an objective component. A group of adult incest survivors (n = 30) and a matched control sample (n = 30) participated in our study. Ratings of characters drawn by subjects were compared between the two groups on 10 measures hypothesized to differentiate the groups. Results suggest that incest survivors project more negative characteristics on their drawn characters than do control women. In addition, survivors treat their male and female characters differently to a greater extent than do controls. Findings indicate that the DAPQ is a valuable method to detect long-lasting repercussions that may stem from an incestuous experience. Specific differences between the groups are discussed, as well as suggestions for future research.