The Conjoint Family Drawing |
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| Authors: | ELIZABETH BING PH.D. |
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| Affiliation: | Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Child Psychiatry Clinic, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California. The author wishes to express her appreciation to Cynthia Peabody Anderson, M.S.W., formerly of Stanford School of Medicine, for her valuable contribution to the conception of this study and her assistance in the initial phase of the project. |
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| Abstract: | A new technique, the Conjoint Family Drawing, is described as a means of assessing family functioning. The method is projective as well as interactive, reflecting individual feelings and group interaction. Fourteen randomly chosen families, whose children had been referred to a Child Psychiatry Clinic, were studied. They were observed in a structured, performance-task-oriented session where they collaborated on drawing a picture of their family, which was discussed with them on its completion. Analyzing the data on all of the family portraits, six relevant dimensions were identified: 1) organizing role, 2) sequence, 3) size, 4) choice of person, 5) isolation, and 6) content. Clinical material is presented to demonstrate the value of the Conjoint Family Drawing as a potential research instrument, a diagnostic tool and a therapeutic device. |
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