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Scary picture

procedure

This is similar to the “happy place” drawing, but is instead a creative expression of the child’s fears. Therefore, it can only be completed if the child is willing and will not be under severe psychological stress performing the activity. The professional directs the child to use any available crafting materials to create a picture of something that scares them, particularly a haunted house. The child is encouraged to fill the drawing with whatever they believe would be a good addition to a real haunted house. Once the child has finished, the parents come in the room to examine the drawing and the professional takes note of their reaction.

Reasoning

​As with any psychological evaluation, the activity will lose effectiveness if the child is uncomfortable and unable to produce consistent responses. Therefore they should not be forced to complete this activity if their fears are too intense or disturbing. Just as with the “Happy Picture” activity, the child’s wide array of available supplies allows them to express themself in the most original way possible. It would be most effective to direct the child to create a haunted house because it gives them the most opportunities to include multiple objects and demonstrates whether the child thinks other people are scared of the same things as them. If the child believes the majority of people are scared of the same thing as them and they actually are not, the child’s fear may be irrational or based on delusions and therefore a possible sign of Schizophrenic behavior. When the parents come back to examine the drawing, they will determine whether the child’s drawing is consistent with their everyday behavior and personality, which might reveal whether or not the child is putting on a front for the professional in an attempt to mislead them.

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