The Subjective Experience of Children with Disruptive Behavior Problems as Reflected in “Person Picking an Apple from a Tree” Drawings

ABSTRACT

This study administered the “Person Picking an Apple from a Tree” drawing task to inquire into the subjective experience of children with Disruptive Behavior Problems. A total of 40 4th-6th grade students from an elementary school in Crete participated: 20 children showed signs of Disruptive Behavior Problems according to their teacher’s reports, and the other 20 did not. The drawings and verbal narratives were analyzed using a qualitative method. Findings present differences in two central themes: the environment as a context was duller, and self-agency representations showed less agency and subjectivity in the first group. The discussion deals with the findings in terms of object relations and agency theories. Therapeutic implications, study limitations, and future research are also discussed.