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

(3) Formal characteristics may be easier to standardise, systemise and rate than content
because they do not depend on subjective opinion.
I suggest that formal characteristics are rated on positive scales, without reference to
content and with firm discriminations between terms so that they do not overlap with
other terms.
The Therapeutic relationship
Table 7 (appendix 2) summarises papers which concluded that the therapeutic or
supportive relationship was the most important feature of art therapy. There were three
types of relationship presented by 18 studies:
1. Nurturing relationships;
2. Communicative relationship;
3. Relationships which were environmentally supportive.
Nurturing relationships
7 studies (4 males and 3 females with largely different diagnoses and aged 15-30) dealt
with personal and individual guidance of subjects towards a resolution of their situation.
The therapists claimed to recognise structural or developmental psychopathology in the
artwork of the patient and that psychodynamic exploration of these images gave them
access or understanding of their patients' world. They claimed to undertake role play
which allowed the client to transfer their undesirable emotions onto them and thus
through guidance resolve it, or by directed drawing or mirroring to help the client
81