Wartegg test: what is this projective test and how is it used

Psychological evaluation is an omnipresent process in practically all the areas in which it is discipline can be applied: clinical and health, sports, personnel selection, academic orientation, etc.

From it we can extract important information from the person after having previously defined a clear purpose, which will serve as a guide throughout the process and will define other variables susceptible to measurement. This task contemplates a huge variety of different procedures: from the interview to self-reports, through the systematic observation of a phenomenon and objective measurements.

In this article we will describe the Wartegg test, an evaluation tool classified as a projective test, whose use is widely extended in the field of Organizational Psychology.

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What is the Wartegg test

The Wartegg test is a projective test, as well as the iconic and well-known Roscharch test (in which a set of ink stains on white sheets must be interpreted to build a coherent image from a highly ambiguous stimulus, which would allow the evaluator to infer the basic aspects of the personality).

Its use arises from theoretical models that conceive the human being as an agent element in the construction of its reality, being able to give meaning to everything that happens to it through perceptual processes that combine experience and individuality. Thus, faced with a situation of notable indefiniteness, people would articulate a unique perceptual outcome from which your hopes and fears, capabilities and aspirations could be inferred.

Then we will present what this well-known evaluation test is like. Its application is usually carried out in the context of personnel selection processes, often subject to criteria and requirements established in advance. It requires the drawing of eight different figures for which technical quality is not valued; otherwise the implicit meaning of the lines, the use of space and the integration of certain graphic elements.

What is the Wartegg test

The Wartegg test physically consists of a single page, which collects a set of elements that the evaluated subject will have to complete during the process. In the first place, all the basic identification data (full name, age, sex, date of completion, academic training and profession) appear at the top.

After completing this information, the test itself begins. We will access a rectangle crossed by a horizontal line and three vertical lines, which divided into 8 spaces of equal size (squares), where later the drawings will have to be drawn free. Each of them contains a series of strokes inside, lines or curves. In a position adjacent to each of the squares, there is also a small white rectangle.

In the second half of the page there are 8 numbered lines under the heading of "titles of drawings", which must be completed by assigning a sentence that describes the content of each of the eight illustrations that were previously generated. At the end of this part, four questions are accessed. They explore which drawings are considered favorites, as well as the degree of difficulty involved in drawing them.

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How to perform the Wartegg test

This test requires between 25 and 35 minutes to complete; which includes the identification, the realization of the drawings and the answer to the different questions. The part that requires the most time is the preparation of the drawings, which can be approached in the order in which it is considered appropriate, but clearly identifying the sequence that was chosen (writing a number from 1 to 8 in a small rectangle, adjacent to the squares where draw).

Each of the tables contains a series of simple shapes (lines, curves or figures) that serve as a preliminary indication, and from which a drawing will have to be drawn that integrates them into its composition. 4 of these squares (1, 2, 7 and 8) have curves inside them, while the rest (3, 4, 5 and 6) have straight lines. Thus, the former will facilitate the elaboration of organic drawings (such as landscapes or animals) and the rest will suggest content with a more artificial appearance.

After making these drawings, the person is asked to title them. It does not have to be through a precise statement that describes its content, but it can also be opted for more poetic or metaphorical elaborations. In any case, it should represent the way in which the person perceives his eight works, summarizing in a simple way how he sees them.

Finally, it will be necessary to indicate if any of the images drawn during the drawing phase was particularly easy or difficult, as well as your preference for any of them. In this point the personal assessment that emerges from the development of the test is explored, which also provides relevant information for its proper interpretation. After this step, the exercise can be finished.

How to interpret the Wartegg test

This test explores essential aspects of the personality using the precepts of the psychodynamic model. It includes the management of emotions, interpersonal relationships, expectations or ambitions, the solidity of the life project, the analysis of situations and values.

One of the first aspects that must be considered is the degree to which the person integrates the pre-established line or curve with the drawing that he has subsequently made, since there are subjects that overemphasize its relevance and others that practically ignore its presence, suggesting a certain tendency to anarchy or firm adherence to the rules (respectively).

The author of this test (Ehrig Wartegg, 1930) considered that the structure of each of the contents to be treated (lines or curves) was a meeting point with executive problems that had to be dealt with. be resolved, dealing with their physical properties and what they might suggest to the evaluated person: lightness, weight, rigidity, chaos, order, tension between opposites, insignificance, centrality, etc.).

We proceed to expose each of the eight fields and a brief review of the way in which their interpretation is carried out.

Field 1

It only shows a point, of small dimensions, in the center of the space on which the drawing will be made.. It represents individuality, the way in which the person feels about the environment that surrounds them. The wide white margins that surround the tiny point represent everything external, which is different from the person himself, while that one shows identity in immersion with the environment.

Field 2

Displays a subtle curved line in the upper left quadrant of the field to fill, similar to the virgulilla of the "ñ". This part explores the affective component of relationships, that is, the way in which the person shows himself emotionally to others. Depending on the respect for the spaces reserved for the symbol, the positive or negative valence of the ties that develop in the domain of the social will be interpreted.

Field 3

Represents three lines located successively and parallel, of increasing length, in the lower left quadrant of this field. It alludes to ambition and the desire for growth. The way in which the person takes advantage of each of these lines, as well as the continuity solution proposed for the progression (following it or interrupting it), it will offer information on how expectations are projected in the challenges personal.

Field 4

It is a small square, black in color, arranged in the upper right quadrant of the field. Through this figure, the relationship with the unconscious and the ability to elaborate deep cognitive content at the level of the imagination are explored. The way in which this small geometry integrates with the drawing suggests emotions of anguish or tranquility, as well as maturity or immaturity. in strategies to address affective problems.

Field 5

These are two separate diagonal lines, located in the lower left quadrant, whose convergence would form an X. It values ​​the regulation of energy and the tendency to act. The way the drawing is made may suggest tendencies toward overt hostility or aggression, auto or heterodirected. When the figures are adequately preserved they are suggestive of a person with dynamism and an appropriate sense of initiative.

Field 6

It is made up of two small straight lines, one horizontal and the other vertical, which are located in the upper half of the painting. Both forms seem to suggest a certain sense of spatial continuity, which the person can take advantage of to seek a complete closure of the figure. In this case, reasoning and the role of the intellect for the evaluated subject are valued. It also specifies the ability to synthesize and discriminate the relevant from the irrelevant.

Field 7

It shows a linear succession of points that make up a crescent with an opening in its upper region, located within the lower right quadrant. Explore the subtlest aspect of sensitivity, even basic eroticism. It contemplates dedication, openness to the other and aesthetic values, as well as the tendency to show attitudes of social care in interactions with others. The way in which the stippling is respected or not will suggest gentleness or roughness.

Field 8

It is formed by a long and marked curve, which extends transversely and occupies a good part of the upper half of the frame. It evaluates the tendency to seek protection, as well as the relationship that the individual maintains with his parents and the tendency to seek shelter in the group. The drawing that is generated from this predefined shape will indicate how the person feels about her ability to transcend adversity.

Final thoughts

The Wartegg test is subject to constant reliability and validity tests, including the inter-judge modality, to determine if its use can provide useful information to understand the structure of the personality.

Bibliographic references:

• Crisi, A. and Dentale, F. (2016). The Wartegg Drawing Completion Test: Inter-rater agreement and criterion validity of three new scoring categories. International Journal of Psychology and Psychological Therapy, 16 (1), 85-92.
• Soilevuo, J. and Gronnerod, C. (2012). The Wartegg Zeichen Test: A Literature Overview and a Meta-Analysis of Reliability and Validity. Psychological Assessment, 24 (2), 476-489.