The psychopathology of everyday art: a quantitative Study - World ...

Reliability: 7 experimental and 2 reliability studies generated 19 variables which were
grouped between 2 subcategories of subjective and 1 objective subcategory of content
evaluation. There were 3 significant variables independently tested for item reliability
between 3 studies, and only one unreliable variable appeared in the table. Reliable
subcategories were: overall energy (21, 3; 48, 44 in movement, 38 in tension and 69 in
balance of motion); specific energy in the main subjects of the picture (75 in family or self,
46 in action or function); and motion conveyed by form (line and objects), but not by
colour (38).
Discrimination: From 15 variables tested for discrimination properties, there were 6
significant results between 2 subcategories. There was no great concordance of items
within subcategories. Neither specific function of the main picture elements nor human
energy distinguished schizophrenics from other patient groups (46) but human energy
(self or family) did discriminate depressed patients from controls (75), giving support to
the findings of discrimination in global energy ratings between depressed patients,
controls and patients with organic mental disorder (21). There were also indications that
a secondary diagnosis of depression may be discriminable (3). There were no significant
differences in global tension or balance of motion between schizophrenics and controls
(38, 69), but within patient groups, paranoid schizophrenics were distinguished from
other patient groups (69) and schizophrenics who integrated experiences were
distinguished from those who sealed over (44).
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