TABLE OF CONTENT

INTRODUCTION
PURPOSE
VARIATIONS
QUESTIONS ASKED
BASIC ASSUMPTIONS
USE OF HTP
REFFERENCES

HOUSE-TREE-PERSON TEST
Definition
The house-tree-person test (HTP) is a projective
personality test, a type of exam in which the test
taker responds to or provides ambiguous, abstract, or
unstructured stimuli (often in the form of pictures or
drawings).

HOUSE-TREE-PERSON TEST
In the HTP, the test taker is asked to draw houses, trees,
and persons, and these drawings provide a measure of
self-perceptions and attitudes. As with other projective
tests, it has flexible and subjective administration and
interpretation.

HOUSE-TREE-PERSON TEST
Purpose
The primary purpose of the HTP is to measure
aspects of a person's personality through
interpretation of drawings and responses to questions.
It is also sometimes used as part of an assessment of
brain damage or overall neurological functioning.

HOUSE-TREE-PERSON TEST
The HTP was developed in 1948, and updated in
1969. Tests requiring human figure drawings were
already being utilized as projective personality tests.
Buck believed that drawings of houses and trees
could also provide relevant information about the
functioning of an individual's personality.

VARIATIONS
There are two variations in HTP:
1st variation
2nd variation

FIRST VARIATION
Test administration involves asking the
individual to draw figures on 4 separate
pages.
The house figure reflects the test-takers
home life and relationships with the family.
The tree figure reveals the experiences of
the test-taker.
The person figure describes the test takers
relationships with other people, aside from
his or her family

FIRST VARIATION
This variation tells us about the size of the figure on
the page which depicts self-esteem of the subject.
For example, if the subject has drawn extremely
small figure it means he/she has very low selfesteem.

SECOND VARIATION
This variation also tells us about the placement of the
figure on the page. For example if the subject has
drawn the figure on the left side of the page it depicts
that the individual is more concerned about his past
life and experiences.

SECOND VARIATION
This variation involves to have
test takers put all the drawings
on one page. This variation tells
us about the placement of the
figures on one page. And that
how close or far away the
subject has drawn the figures.

SECOND VARIATION
For example, house tells about the family life, if the
subject has drawn person far away from the house it
means that he/she is not comfortable with his family
life and there are familial conflicts.
And tree indicates nurturance and relationship with
his mother, if the subject has drawn person near to the
tree it means the person is more attached with his
mother and gains nurturance from his/her mother.

SECOND VARIATION
The person figure describes the
test-takers relationships with
other people, aside from his or her
family. In general, the test reveals
areas of conflict or concerns that
need immediate concerns. A child
who draws himself looking out
from his or her house signifies
feelings of being trapped, abused.

BASIC ASSUMPTIONS IN
INTERPRETING HTP
Three assumptions are also considered as the basic
interpreting guide lines for HTP.
The house figure reflects the test-takers home life and
relationships with the family.
The tree figure reveals the experiences of the test-taker.
The person figure describes the test takers
relationships with other people, aside from his or her
family.

THE QUESTIONS
Ask questions after each picture is drawn. The post-drawing
interrogation is composed of 60 questions aimed at
gathering the examinees feelings about the figures he or she
has drawn.
Administrator uses a Post-Drawing Inquiry checklist
(specific questions) to enable client to describe, define, and
interpret his/her drawings.

????

THE QUESTIONS
House
Who lives here, are they happy, what goes on inside,
what's it like at night, do people visit here, what else
do the people in the house want to add to the drawing?

THE QUESTIONS
Tree
What kind of tree is this, how old is it, what
season is it, has anyone tried to cut it down, what
else grows nearby, who waters the tree, trees need
sunshine to live so does it get enough sunshine?

THE QUESTIONS
Person
Who is this person, how old are they,
whats their favorite thing to do, what's
something they do not like, has anyone
tried to hurt them, who looks out for
them?

USES OF HTP
The primary use of the HTP, however, is related to
the qualitative scoring scheme in which the test
administrator subjectively analyzes the drawings and
the responses to questions in a way that assesses the
test taker's personality.

REFERENCES
Richard Niolon, Ph.D., Chicago School of Professional
Psychology, Spring 2003
Groth-Marnat, Gary. Handbook of Psychological Assessment.
3rd edition. New York: John Wiley and Sons, 1997.
Kline, Paul. The Handbook of Psychological Testing. New
York: Routledge, 1999.
Reynolds, Cecil R. Comprehensive Clinical Psychology
Volume 4: Assessment. Amsterdam: Elsevier, 1998