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

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Control pictures showed the only association between the brighter colours, red<br />

and yellow, but they were not the only group to use multiple colours: schizophrenics<br />

showed association between all colours but black. Three <strong>of</strong> the other four groups showed<br />

associations with green. <strong>The</strong>re was no polarisation to darker colours/brighter colours for<br />

any or all <strong>of</strong> the patient/control groups. <strong>The</strong> separation between controls and the<br />

patients on quantity <strong>of</strong> colour is clear, especially in red and green. No colours, including<br />

black, isolated depression or personality disorder. <strong>The</strong>re were some positive indicators:<br />

Large quantities <strong>of</strong> black indicated substance abuse<br />

Small quantities <strong>of</strong> black indicated schizophrenia.<br />

Large quantities <strong>of</strong> red and green (and possibly yellow) indicated control.<br />

Most <strong>of</strong> the literature seemed to suggest more chromatic variation 311 , but comparison <strong>of</strong><br />

the DAPA procedure with other major studies is difficult since they group colours or use<br />

a system which includes opinion, such as 'inappropriate colour' 312 . Studies claim to be<br />

supported by reference to the patient, but the assumption that the patient is an informed<br />

source must surely be questionable, especially as most <strong>of</strong> the practical literature insist<br />

that the <strong>art</strong> process is an unconscious one, that the associations are made afterwards, and<br />

cannot be made by the patient alone 313 . This research generally refutes the diagnostic<br />

311<br />

W. L. Wadlington and H.J. McWhinnie (1973) <strong>The</strong> development <strong>of</strong> a rating scale for the study <strong>of</strong><br />

aesthetic qualities in the paintings <strong>of</strong> mental patients, Art Psychotherapy,<br />

V1(3-4):201-20, tested chromatic<br />

variation between 5 patient groups (in value and tonality) but schizophrenics were separated from paranoid<br />

schizophrenics. <strong>The</strong>y found most depressives and neurotics scored higher than schizophrenics and patients<br />

with adjustment reaction.<br />

312 <strong>The</strong> DDS, Cohen, Hammer and Singer (1988), op.cit.; Linda Gantt (1990)A validity study <strong>of</strong> the<br />

Formal Elements in Art <strong>The</strong>rapy Scale (FEATS) for diagnostic information in patients' drawings,<br />

Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation, University Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania - 'colour fit'; <strong>The</strong> SPAR scale,<br />

Bergland & Gonzalez (1993), op.cit. - expressive 'developmental' level.<br />

313<br />

T. Dalley and C. Case (1992), Handbook <strong>of</strong> Art <strong>The</strong>rapy , London: Routledge. This subject is addressed<br />

288

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