Partner Test: What Does My Drawing Mean
This test, also called the couple’s test, allows us to reveal the bond with the real couple or the desire to find love. In turn, it can determine what image we have of ourselves and of the other, what are the roles of each one and what we expect from relationships.
It is a test of the projective couple where our quality as artists or cartoonists does not matter, but what we reflect on paper. It is able to show which is the link with which we fantasize, what our ideal partner would be like and, like all projective tests, some of the aspects that we keep in the subconscious about our partner.
“Draw a couple”
That is the slogan to carry out this test, although there are some analysts who may say a similar slogan, “draw any two people” and another check “draw a couple.” But that’s where the data goes. The participant receives a sheet, a pencil and an eraser. The most common thing is to draw yourself with the most important person at that moment (almost always, a love).
In the event that the “cartoonist” is not in a relationship, it will be shown to him with a person who was to his liking and probably would be the one who at that moment felt closest. That is, according to this test of the couple, on the sheet the interpretation of reality is mixed with a projection of wishes and dreams.
Tell the story of the couple
Once the drawing is finished, the analyst asks that a story be written or told to point out the main characteristics of that couple : what they do, where they met, what happens to them, what they feel, etc.
Again the differences are striking between those who are in a relationship and those who are not. The former will probably tell their own experience, give personal attributes to the drawings and talk about real data, even if they are a bit disguised. In the second case, they will narrate potential events, such as “they met at a disco or on the subway” and everything they would expect to happen to them when they fall in love.
With all the data collected by the analyst (the drawing plus the history) it is possible to have a fairly faithful profile of the examinee. The interpretation of the couple’s test basically takes into account the perceptions and projections of the person who draws and is not based on the quality of the line. Heights are analyzed, if people are together or apart, if there are other components in the sheet (for example a road, the sun or a tree), etc.
The internal couple in a drawing
The bet goes beyond drawing two people who may or may not be real. Jaime Bernstein indicated, in 1958, that this test of the couple serves to explain the internal aspects of the analyzed subject. This means how we are with ourselves or what we need from who we have next to us.
The “inner couple” is really interesting because it helps us realize what we need and what we already have “covered” by being alone. On a fantastic level we can understand each other a little more, even if we think that we are simply drawing two ordinary people.
Often the person who draws relates his current situation in a conscious way (if he is a boyfriend, married, likes a colleague at the office, has just separated) but what really matters in this test of the couple is what is projected or it is said “between the lines”. Desires, dreams, longings and the ideal life are written down on paper.
If people do not know that the drawing will be analyzed later, they are more open to showing their current emotions, even through two figures made in pencil. It is fascinating to discover what they feel or want with something so simple, so simple that it seems like child’s play. Would you like to try this couple’s test with your partner or someone else?
Criticisms of Projective Tests
As mentioned above, the partner test is a project test. This type of test is not without controversy. According to Fernando Sabogal (2004), if the tests were judged with the normal ones of classical psychometry, they would be excluded from the psychological tests for three reasons:
- They do not have quantifiable ratings.
- They lack an estimate of internal consistency (reliability).
- There is no possibility of adequate normative data.
These criticisms could be translated into projective tests that measure the information appropriately. There is no objective outcome that highlights an individual inner builder such as depression or anxiety. And it is also criticized that the results may vary depending on who evaluates them.
Despite criticism, projective tests continue to be used and investigated. Psychology continues to grow, so research is essential. That is why any tool that serves to shed light on our way of being will be investigated from science. In this way, a much more complete and quality help can be offered.
