The Hand Test Final
The Hand Test Final
The Hand Test Final
Introduction
least 5 years of age). Nonthreatening and easily administered in just 10 minutes, it’s an
ideal starting point in any diagnostic personality evaluation. It utilizes ten bound 3.5 x
4.5 inch cards, nine with simple line drawings of a single hands and one blank card.
Using pictures of hands as the projective medium, the Hand Test elicits
responses that reflect behavioral tendencies. The client is shown 10 picture cards, one
at a time.
History
Like human face, the hand of a human being is singularly suitable for eliciting
projective responses. The symbolic use of hands can be found in primitive religions and
Christianity. About 3500 B.C. Egyptians and other cultures employed the hand as a
symbol of life; “ka” the vital principle. Philosophers and physicians of antiquity were
age old pre-scientific pursuit of palmistry reflects an abiding interest in the use of hands
palm line for reading “character” or predicting future behaviour. Charles Bell (1834)
developed out of the study of body types. In discussing the theory of somatotypes;
Kretcher reported that the “pyknic” type of man with a disposition to manic depressive
states has a large and rather short hand with stout fingers; the “asthenic “man, with a
contributor to the study of the hand was Charlotte Wolff. She introduced the theory of
“chirology” based on the early typological work of Camus (1848) and Vaschide (1909).
Recognizing the relationship between the hand and the brain via motoric and tactile
representation of the hand in the brain. As stated by Wolff, “The hand is the
seismograph of emotional reactions. The pale hand of the melancholic, the red hands of
the choleric, the moist hand of the inhibited adolescent, the cold hands of the terrified all
nervous system.” She studied certain selected characteristics of the hand such as it’s
form, nails, parts, lines and categories can be further subdivided according to the more
appropriate reaction to the drawn hands. In the monograph, clinical inference to the
poison palette” (obsession and sadistic); “a fearful hand protecting itself” (phobic
The hand test is a diagnostic technique consisting of 10 cards which utilize the
different pictures of hands as projective medium. The subject projects by telling what
the hands are doing. For the last card which is a blank, the subject imagines a hand is
telling what is doing. Responses are recorded along with the initial response times per
card and other significant behaviour. The Hand test utilizes relatively structured stimuli
response yet restricting these responses to definable and classified categories, namely:
description of hand actions and attitudes. It is assumed the prototypal action tendencies
will be projected into the pictures of hands, since the hand is both genetically and
functionally crucial for interacting with and relating to the external world. The hands and
not the eyes or ears can furnish more kinaesthetic feedback and the most intraindividual
information. This test can be used with any individual old enough to verbalize the
response but protocols of younger subject handedness and derived a “practical method
Perhaps the first empirical research was a report by Carmichael, Roberts and
Wessell. As was the case with the human (figure) face, most of the initial interest in the
hundred students with task of judging the emotional expression portrayed by still or
motion pictures of the hands. In the former situation, most easily judged were attitudes
of prayer, pleading, thoughtfulness, surprises and fear. With the former attitudes in
addition to these, determination, anxiety, warning and satisfaction were also portrayed.
The authors suggested the possible use of cinematograpic technique in studying
manual expression.
The hand test was originated by E. Wagner, in 1959. It sprung from Wagner’s
interest in the projection of aggression. In his search for a medium when would reflect
related to interpersonal responses, Wagner published the first initial exploratory study in
which the drawings of hands were used to differentiate normals from schizophrenics. In
1962, Brieklin, Pictrowski and Wagner published a monograph with an initial rationale
and scoring system for the hand test in an application of the test to assessment of
the same year with slightly modified and expanded scoring system. The theoretical
rationale generated a classification system of Hand test response upon which the
scoring system is based. Thus, since the human organism interacts with 1. Other living
things 2. Inanimate objects, responses to the hands yield two major scoring categories:
the administration of Hand test, usual precautions should be taken to establish rapport.
It is not necessary to engage in lengthy preliminaries since the hand test elicits little
anxiety.
SCORING PROCEDURE
Scoring occurs after test has been administered. Scoring symbols are inserted in
the right hand margin of the recording sheet next to the responses they represent. After
responses have been scored, they are tabulated, summarized and fitted into the major
scoring ratios which are conveniently arranged in the reverse side of the recording
sheet. Specific symbols for scoring, basic definition and examples follow.
exchange of information.
hostility or aggression.
responses are distinguished from ACQ responses in that the object or goal
has been, or will be, accomplished and the issue is therefore not in doubt.
“Might be typing”
“Picking up a coin”
“Writing with a pencil”
“Sprinkling salt”
“Carrying a suitcase”
“Threading a needle”
“Throwing a ball”
“Dropping money in a till”
“Pulling in a fish”
“Pointing at something”
“Just resting”
“Laying your hand flat on the table”
“Drying your fingernails”
“Laying out like this” (D) (Q) “Just limp”
“Hand folded in your lap”
“A sleeping hand”
“Just dangling over a chair arm”
“A natural, relaxed. Like in the statue of the thinker”
“Hanging limp at your side”
“Folded over” (Q) “Like when you’re relaxed reading a book”
10. Tension, TEN – Energy is being exerted but nothing or little is accomplished.
include cases where energy is exerted to support oneself against the pull of
11. Crippled, CRIP – Hand is crippled, sore, dead, disfigured, sick, injured or
incapacitated.
12. Fear, FEAR – Responses in which the hand is threatened with pain, injury,
feeling tones.
“Just a hand”
“Palm up (Q) that’s all”
“Just straight out… not doing anything”
“A left hand (Q) Lady (Q) that’s all”
“A firm hand… nothing special”
“A fist (Q) no, nothing”
“Hand with a string tied around its fingers”
“A plain ordinary hand”
“Five fingers. Two fingers together. That’s all”
included in the response total R, since it is not really a response but a failure
to respond.
Summarizing there are 15 possible symbols used in scoring the Hand Test
protocol: AFF, DEP, COM, EXH, DIR, AGG, ACQ, ACT, PAS, TEN, CRIP,
Even when appropriate inquiries are given during the test administration,
scoring problems are bound to arise. The general rule in deciding between
express the psychological intent of the response. For example, a rare response,
“Warning your hands over a fire” would be scored DEP rather than ACT because
of the obvious implication of the need for warmth, protection, and succor. “A
teacher lecturing a class” would be scored DIR rather than COM since, in this
than directing the lives of others for one’s own purpose. “Going to pick up a
cookie,” would be scored ACT rather then ACQ since, although the object has
not yet been attained, there is a little implication of strain and doubtful outcome.
“Hitting a nail with a hammer.” And similar responses, would be scored AGG
rather than ACT since the act, although directed at an inanimate object, seems to
often useful to take the entire protocol into account when single scoring problems
arise. For example, in the “Warming of hands over the fire” response mentioned
previously, the subject also produced three unambiguous DEP responses out of
the ten total responses to the test, greatly enhancing the probability that the
“warming” response was, psychologically speaking a DEP rather than an ACT.
Experience with the hand test has indicated that, after the examiner has given a
minimum.
COMPUTATION
After the protocol has been scored, total and ratios are computed.
Summary scores, totals, and ratios are listed on the reverse side of the special
recording sheet, but totals can be computed on any available sheet of paper by
1. List all the scoring symbols and inserts the total number of times each
category has appeared on the record proper beside the appropriate symbol.
ratio. This is known as the Experience Ratio, ER, and provides a useful
opposite the total number of DIR+AGG responses. This constitutes the Acting
4. Compute the total number of responses; R. Failures are not included in the
response total.
5. Compute the average initial response time, AIRT, by totalling then ten initial
response times in seconds (one for each card), and dividing by ten. If a FAIL
occurs on any card the initial response time for that card is not included in the
total response time. Therefore, if one FAIL occurs divide the total initial
response time by nine, if two FAIL occurs divide by eight, and so on.
6. Compute the high minus low score, H-L, by subtracting the lowest initial
7. Fins the pathological, PATH, score by adding the total number of Maladjusted
scores to two times the total number of Withdrawal scores (PATH= {MAL} + 2
{WITH}).
These people must be loved for some attribute which they possess, real or
display.
to DEP.
*NOTE: AFF, DEP, COM are considered socially positive since they imply a
degree of awareness of and concern with the rights and privileges of others, DIR
and AGG are socially negative since in these responses, the rights of others are
relatively unimportant, ignored or attacked.
grip with the environment in a characteristic fashion. People who often give
people. Normal individuals give approximately the same number of ENV and
INT responses.
order to attain important goals along with the subjective feeling of desire
b. ACT (Active) – responses are the most common of ENV scores and are
psychologically to relax and watch, the world go by. They are passive
leaders.
than psychotic.
with actual physical inferiority and/or impotence, but in all cases it is the
CRIP. FEAR is the least common of the MAL responses and is found most
possibilities.
interaction with people, objects and ideas to traumatic, difficult and non-
abandoned.
drawn hand in order to protect his autistic and illogical perceptions and
EXAMINER:
PAMANTASAN NG LUNGSOD NG MAYNILA
INTRAMUROS MANILA
Submitted by:
Bunag, Angela E.
Limpin, Rosell M.
Jamero, Kathy
Subnitted to:
Dra. Tagaro