DRAW-A-PERSON TEST AS A MEASURE OF INTELLIGENC IN PRESCHOOL CHILDREN FROM VERY LOW INCOME FAMILIES LOIS-ELLIN DATTA National Institute of Mental Health Ethnic group and sex gruent validities of the figure-drawing test( Goodenough- Harris scoring)in a nationally represe Start programs, Higher correlations were obtained for performance(Caldwell Soule Preschool Inventory) than for verbal(PPVT)measures and for older -1 yr. than for younger children. The obtained coefficients(3-5)compare vorably with those previously reported for kindergarten and 1st-grade hildren from less impoverished families. Both PPVT and DAP mean IQ equivalents indicated, however, substantially lower performance for Head Start than for normative groups. Recent interest in special educational pro- test(DAP)with the results obtained from grams has drawn attention to problems in the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test measuring intellectual abilities and changes in (PPvt)and the Caldwell-Soule Preschool performance in preschool children from low Inventory(PSI). The PPVT(Dunn, 1965) income families. The question of "culture- is a widely used measure of verbal intelli- fairness"is thus added to the already consid- gence; the PSi has been developed as a"cul erable task of obtaining reliable measures at ture fair"measure of intelligence in preschool in age when the behavioral repertoire is lim- children. The DAP requires less equipment administration time, and examiner training The figure-drawing test has been widely than does the PPvt. The pSi is similar to sed as a measure of intelligence in children the WISC in terms of equipment, examiner (Sundberg, 1960). It is simple to administer training, administration and scoring time, and and score and is considered to have predic- the apparent contribution of verbal and non- tive and congruent validity coefficients that, verbal skills to test performance while relatively low, compare favorably with For the DAP, psychometrically desirable those reported for other standardized characteristics of a culture-fair test would gence and achievement tests( Shipp include (a)a mean standard score of about don, 1964; Vane Kessler, 1964) 100 and (b)correlations between the DAP (1966)concluded that Draw-A-Person per- and the PPVt and the DaP and the psi at onal art rather than parental educ literacy. ris,1963) The availability of data from a nationwide ample of children enrolled in Project Head METHOD Start centers provided an opportunity to esti- Seventy-two Project Head Start centers were se mate the congruent validity of the figure- lected to provide a sample representative of the income families. This was measured by from each center. 12-15 child en were comparing the results of the Draw-A-Person random from an identification numl lusion in the survey 1 This study used data collected by the Planning The DAP, PPVT, and PSI were administered indi- esearch Corporation for the Office of Economic vidually by college graduates with special training Opportunity under Contract No. OE0-1308, 1966. The author wishes to thank Ann Drake B. Caldw nd D. Soule. The Preschool Inven- assistance in data a Unpublished paper, Project Head Start, Office for her contributions to every phase of the study. of Economic unity, Contract S14, 1966Journal ol Consulting Psychology 1967, Vol. 31, No. 6, 626-630 DRAW-A-PERSON TEST AS A MEASURE OF INTELLIGENCE IN PRESCHOOL CHILDREN FROM VERY LOW INCOME FAMILIES LOIS-ELLIN DATTA 1 National Institute of Mental Health Ethnic group and sex did not affect either the IQ-equivalent scores or the congruent validities of the figure-drawing test (Goodenough-Harris scoring) in a nationally representative sample of 956 children enrolled in full-year Head Start programs. Higher correlations were obtained for performance (Caldwell￾Soule Preschool Inventory) than for verbal (PPVT) measures and for older (4-7 yr.) than for younger children. The obtained coefficients (.3-.S) compare favorably with those previously reported for kindergarten and Ist-grade children from less impoverished families. Both PPVT and DAP mean IQ equivalents indicated, however, substantially lower performance for Head Start than for normative groups. Recent interest in special educational pro￾grams has drawn attention to problems in measuring intellectual abilities and changes in performance in preschool children from low income families. The question of "culture￾fairness" is thus added to the already consid￾erable task of obtaining reliable measures at an age when the behavioral repertoire is lim￾ited. The figure-drawing test has been widely used as a measure of intelligence in children (Sundberg, 1960). It is simple to administer and score and is considered to have predic￾tive and congruent validity coefficients that, while relatively low, compare favorably with those reported for other standardized intelli￾gence and achievement tests (Shipp & Lou￾don, 1964; Vane & Kessler, 1964). Dennis (1966) concluded that Draw-A-Person per￾formance reflects experience with representa￾tional art rather than parental education or literacy. The availability of data from a nationwide sample of children enrolled in Project Head Start centers provided an opportunity to esti￾mate the congruent validity of the figure￾drawing test for younger children from very low income families. This was measured by comparing the results of the Draw-A-Person l This study used data collected by the Planning Research Corporation for the Office of Economic Opportunity under Contract No. OEO-1308, 1966. The author wishes to thank Ann Drake, for her assistance in data analysis, and Ruth Ann O'Keefe, for her contributions to every phase of the study. test (DAP) with the results obtained from the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT) and the Caldwell-Soule Preschool Inventory (PSI).2 The PPVT (Dunn, 1965) is a widely used measure of verbal intelli￾gence; the PSI has been developed as a "cul￾ture-fair" measure of intelligence in preschool children. The DAP requires less equipment, administration time, and examiner training than does the PPVT. The PSI is similar to the WISC in terms of equipment, examiner training, administration and scoring time, and the apparent contribution of verbal and non￾verbal skills to test performance. For the DAP, psychometrically desirable characteristics of a culture-fair test would include (a) a mean standard score of about 100 and (b) correlations between the DAP and the PPVT and the DAP and the PSI at least similar in magnitude to validity coeffi￾cients typically reported for the DAP (Har￾ris, 1963). METHOD Seventy-two Project Head Start centers were se￾lected to provide a sample representative of the population of 1966 full-year program centers in terms of geographic distribution and program length. From each center, 12-15 children were selected at random from an identification number list for in￾clusion in the survey. The DAP, PPVT, and PSI were administered indi￾vidually by college graduates with special training 2 B. Caldwell and D. Soule, The Preschool Inven￾tory. Unpublished paper, Project Head Start, Office of Economic Opportunity, Contract S14, 1966. 626