Machover Test or Human Figure Drawing Test – Rapid Personality Assessment

The human figure test for personnel selection, also called the Machover test, is, as its name indicates, based on the drawing of a human figure. This test aims to identify significant personality traits of the subject.

The test is relatively simple for applicants to take, although its evaluation requires trained and qualified personnel.

The test is usually applied in the personnel selection area, as well as in the pedagogical area and for evaluating the personality of the subject.

The test, as a projective application, consists of drawing a human figure as an expression of specific needs or conflicts. The artistic aspects of the drawing are not taken into consideration for the evaluation; rather, what is considered is the theme of the drawing, its position and its size. The cost of the test is relatively low and it is considered easy to apply.

Peculiarities of the human figure test

Among the benefits attributed to this test is the fact that it is considered by some psychologists to be an effective test that generates relevant information about the individual’s personality.

Some authors agree that it should be combined with other tests when used for personnel selection. Likewise, the evaluation personnel must be duly trained.

Application of the test

The Machover test is usually useful for subjects without much academic training or who have difficulty expressing themselves orally. The subject is given a piece of paper, along with a pencil and an eraser, and is told to draw a human figure.

The test facilitator should record, step by step, the time taken to draw each part of the drawing. Likewise, it is important to record the parts that the subject drew first. At the end of the first drawing, the subject will be asked to draw a person of the opposite sex.

Interpretation of the human figure test

Clinical experience is based on the premise that when a human figure is drawn, it is associated with certain conflicts, impulses and anxieties of the subject. In some way, the figure comes to represent the subject themselves.

Human figure

According to the gender drawn, it expresses that the behaviors typical of their gender are stereotyped and identified. It can be an indicator of ambivalence in sexual identification.

A figure drawn in profile may indicate an escape from the environment or problems with the surroundings.

When it is frontal, it may reflect a desire to meet the demands of the environment and may indicate openness and social stability.

Figure dimension

When the figure is large, it can indicate ego exaltation and a propensity for fantasy. It also denotes self-control.

If the figure is small, it denotes overvaluation of the environment, possible concealment, not going unnoticed by the environment, and a submissive reaction.

If it is medium-sized, it indicates emotional balance.

Position

If it is located at the top of the page, it denotes insecurity with a tendency to withdraw; whereas, if it is located at the bottom, it can indicate pessimism, insecurity, a tendency toward depression and low physical activity.

On the right, it would indicate problems with authority, negativism and resistance to change.

If it is on the left, it indicates inhibition, insecurity and introversion.

If it is in the upper left, it indicates a tendency to withdraw from the environment, a need for support and emotionality.

If it is in the upper right corner, it indicates the ability to face the environment.

Likewise, other positions in the image will denote a tendency that the evaluator will measure.

Image theme

If what is drawn is a ridiculous character, it may be indicative of feelings of physical inferiority.

The details of the body and the arrangement of the clothes can be interpreted according to the meaning that the subject gives them.

The face of the drawing

The face is the most expressive part of the drawing. It is often the first thing to be drawn. It represents the social aspect of the drawing.

Exaggerated emphasis on facial features indicates fantasies countered by aggression and dominance.

Facial expression

The facial expression is a characteristic of the drawing that is evaluated with considerable confidence. The most frequently marked lines are in the nasolabial fold and the forehead.

People subconsciously give the figure an expression of surprise, admiration, aggression, etc.

Mouth shape

If the mouth looks very strained, it may indicate that the person is verbally aggressive and tends to get irritated easily.

Many forms of drawing a human figure can be evaluated by specialists.

Test accuracy

According to some experts, it is proven that when a person is drawn, the drawing can represent a deep expression of the personality of the one who draws it. When someone tries to draw a person, they have to solve certain difficulties and problems in order to reach a model that satisfies them.

The human figure test is a form of psychodiagnosis that has been used for more than 60 years. However, its methods are of varied use and little codified. Over time, the appearance of some publications turned certain speculations into frequently accepted rules. 

Some authors find the conclusions of the test quite subjective. On the other hand, the test ranks fifth among the methods used, for example, by about 43% of all psychologists in the Czech Republic. As for personality diagnostic methods, the test ranks second.

Because it is a test that aims to psychodiagnose a subject from the instruction to draw a human figure, some specialists believe it can produce results without rigorous validity and of doubtful reliability.

When we speak of validity, we refer to the ability of an instrument to measure what it should measure. If we are talking about a drawing of a person, it is quite difficult to verify that a gesture of the mouth, the size of the eyes, or what is drawn first is truly an accurate indicator of personality aspects such as aggression or another personal characteristic.

It is therefore concluded that, although the test has indeed been used for quite a long time, there is no general consensus regarding its validity and accuracy.