Pata Negra Test: what is it and how is this projective test used?

In psychological evaluation, projective tests consider that there are certain tendencies in people who are repressed and that project their covert mental processes thanks to external stimulation (such as a drawing).

In this article we will learn about the Pata Negra Test, a thematic projective test especially applicable in childhood, and which aims to explore the dynamic structure of personality, as well as define the person's psychic organization.

• Related article: "Types of psychological tests: their functions and characteristics"

Black Leg Test: characteristics

The Black Leg Test is a projective test (psychodynamic) of psychological evaluation, of thematic type. Thematic projective tests are characterized by having a visual material of different degree of structuring that causes in the person different emotions and memories, from which the person must elaborate a history.

The Black Leg Test is about one of the most widely used tests in schools and clinics to try to detect and interpret personality conflicts in children. It was developed by Louis Corman in 1979, although it is still widely used in the field of psychological evaluation.

Louis Corman (1901-1995) was a French psychiatrist, considered the father of morphopsychology. He also created the Family Test. He worked with children with different pathologies and communication difficulties.

• You may be interested in: "Projective tests: the 5 most used types"

For what do you use it?

The Black Leg Test explores the dynamic structure of personality, placing special emphasis on the mechanisms of the Self and instinctive tendencies.

The test aims to identify (if they exist) deep personality conflicts, especially in the early stages of life.

How does it work?

The Black Leg Test It is made up of 19 sheets with scenes featuring little pigs., among which is the little pig "Pata Negra" (protagonist).

It uses the free expression method based on perceptive stimuli (scenes of little pigs, from which the examined subject must elaborate a story and/or explain what is happening).

That is, it is a verbal thematic apperception test, which uses perceptual stimuli as reactive material. According to Bellack, apperception is a meaningful interpretation that an organism makes of a perception.

preferences-ids method

The Pata Negra Test also uses the “preferences-identifications” method, where the child separates the pictures that he likes from those that he does not, and then explain why; he also identifies the characters he would like to be.

All this serves to show relevant issues in child development according to psychoanalysis or psychodynamic orientation. These themes are some such as orality, anality, sexuality, aggressiveness and sibling rivalry, dependency-independence, guilt, sex inversion, nurturing father and ideal mother.

• You may be interested in: "Sigmund Freud's 5 stages of psychosexual development"

Goals

The objectives of the Black Leg Test there are essentially four:

• Explore the dynamic structure of personality.
• Identify the defense mechanisms of the self.
• Recognize the instinctive tendencies of the subject.
• Define the child's psychic organization based on its conflicts, defenses and significant psychosexual dimensions.

Data sheet

There is currently a paper version of the Pata Negra Test, with variable administration time (approximately one hour). The age of application is between 4 and 15 years, preferably.

The fields in which it is applied, as we have seen, are especially in the clinical field and the school field.

Sheet types

The black leg test sheets are divided into four types:

1. Frontispiece plate (first)

the characters are introduced (consists of the first sheet).

2. General sheets

They are the 16 "intermediate" sheets, where the adventures of the little pig Pata Negra are shown.

3. Plate 18

It shows the figure of a ladder.

4. closing sheet

A fairy is introduced; the boy is told that the fairy grants Blackfoot three wishes and is asked to say what they are.

Advantages and disadvantages

Some of the advantages of the Pata Negra Test are that it can be applied in clinical and research with children, adolescents and even adults. It can also be applied to psychotic adults.

As for its limitations, we find that it presents too many variables to analyze, and that sometimes its interpretation can be somewhat "subjective". Furthermore, all the criticism directed at projective tests can be attributed to her, such as the problem caused by having to interpret in a systematic way the answers given by the subject evaluated.

Bibliographic references:

• Ballús, E., Casas, M, Virgili, C. and Perez. Testor, C. (2015). Evaluation of Triangular Relations: Development and validation of an instrument based on the Pata Negra projective test. Aloma: Journal of Psychology, 33(2), 87-94.
• TEA Editions. (2019). Black Leg Test (c).
• Zabarain-Cogollo, S. (2011). Sexuality in early childhood: a current look from psychoanalysis to the stages of child sexual development. Thinking Psychology, 7(13), 75-90.