Aggression test (Questionnaire by L.G. Pochebut)

Scales : verbal aggression, physical aggression, objective aggression, emotional aggression, self-aggression.

Purpose test: Diagnosis of aggressive behavior.

Test description

In ethnopsychological research, a special place is occupied by the problem of studying aggressive behavior. Determining the level of aggressiveness can help in preventing interethnic conflicts and stabilizing the social and economic situation in the country. Aggressive behavior is a specific form of human action, characterized by a demonstration of superiority in force or the use of force in relation to another or a group of persons to whom the subject seeks to cause harm.

It is advisable to consider aggressive behavior as the opposite of adaptive behavior.

Adaptive behavior involves a person’s interaction with other people, coordination of the interests, requirements and expectations of its participants. Psychologists B. Bass and R. Darkey developed a test that assesses the level of a person’s aggressive behavior.

Test instructions

« The proposed questionnaire reveals your usual style of behavior in stressful situations and features of adaptation in a social environment. You need to clearly evaluate (“yes” or “no”) the 40 statements below.».

Testa

Test

1. During an argument, I often raise my voice.
2. If someone annoys me, I can tell him everything I think about him.
3. If I need to resort to physical force to protect my rights, I will do so without hesitation.
4. When I meet someone I don't like, I can allow myself to discreetly pinch or push him.
5. When I'm in an argument with another person, I may slam my fist on the table to get attention or prove that I'm right.
6. I constantly feel that others do not respect my rights.
7. Remembering the past, sometimes I feel sad for myself.
8. Although I don’t show it, sometimes I feel jealous.
9. If I do not approve of the behavior of my acquaintances, then I directly tell them about it.
10. When I am very angry, I use strong language and use foul language.
11. If someone raises a hand to me, I will try to hit him first.
12. I get so angry that I throw things.
13. I often have the need to rearrange the furniture in my apartment or change it completely.
14. When communicating with people, I often feel like a “powder keg” that is constantly ready to explode.
15. Sometimes I have a desire to make an evil joke at the expense of another person.
16. When I'm angry, I usually become gloomy.
17. When talking to a person, I try to listen to him carefully without interrupting.
18. When I was young, my fists often itched and I was always ready to use them.
19. If I know that a person deliberately pushed me, then things can lead to a fight.
20. Keeping my desk creatively cluttered allows me to work efficiently.
21. I remember being so angry that I would grab anything I could get my hands on and break it.
22. Sometimes people irritate me just by their presence.
23. I often wonder what hidden reasons force another person to do something good for me.
24. If I am offended, I will lose the desire to talk to anyone.
25. Sometimes I deliberately say nasty things about a person I don't like.
26. When I'm angry, I shout the most vicious curse words.
27. As a child, I avoided fighting.
28. I know why and when to hit someone.
29. When I'm angry, I can slam the door.
30. It seems to me that the people around me don't like me.
31. I constantly share my feelings and experiences with others.
32. Very often I harm myself with my words and actions.
33. When people yell at me, I respond in kind.
34. If someone hits me first, I will hit him back.
35. It irritates me when things are out of place.
36. If I cannot fix a broken or torn object, then in anger I break it or completely tear it.
37. Other people always seem to be successful to me.
38. When I think about a person who is very unpleasant to me, I can become excited with a desire to harm him.
39. Sometimes I feel like fate has played a cruel joke on me.
40. If someone doesn't treat me right, I get very upset about it.

Processing and interpretation of results test

Aggressive behavior is divided into 5 scales according to the form of manifestation.

Verbal aggression (VA) – a person verbally expresses his aggressive attitude towards another person, uses verbal insults.

Physical aggression (PA) – a person expresses his aggression towards another person using physical force.

Object-based aggression (OA) – a person takes out his aggression on the objects around him.

Emotional aggression (EA) - a person experiences emotional alienation when communicating with another person, accompanied by suspicion, hostility, hostility or ill will towards him.

Self-aggression (SA) – a person is not in peace and harmony with himself; he has no or weakened psychological defense mechanisms; he finds himself defenseless in an aggressive environment.

Key to process the dough:

Type of aggression	approval number
	Yes	No
VA	1, 2, 9, 10, 25, 26, 33
F	3, 4, 11,1 8, 19, 28, 34
PA	5, 12, 13, 21, 29, 35, 36
EA	6, 14, 15, 22, 30, 37, 38
SA	7, 8, 16, 24, 32, 39, 40

Mathematical processing. First, the scores for each of the five scales are summed up.

If the score is above 5, this means a high degree of aggressiveness and a low degree of adaptability on the scale.

A score of 3 to 4 corresponds to an average degree of aggression and adaptability. A score from 0 to 2 means a low degree of aggressiveness and a high degree of adaptation for this type of behavior. The scores on all scales are then summed.

If the sum exceeds 25 points, this means a high degree of aggressiveness of a person and low adaptive capabilities.

The total score from 11 to 24 corresponds to the average level of aggressiveness and adaptability.

A score from 0 to 10 indicates a low degree of aggressiveness and a high degree of adapted behavior.

As a result of the research, the validity of the test was tested on 483 subjects. Intrascale correlation coefficients exceed 0.35 and are significant at the 5% level.

Platonov Yu.P. Fundamentals of ethnic psychology. Textbook allowance. – St. Petersburg: Rech, 2003, p. 383-385.

Protocol

Questionnaire L.G. Scrub

Full name_______________________________________________________________

Group______ Age_______ Date_____

You need to clearly (“yes” or “no”) evaluate 40 statements

PSYCHOLOGICAL DIAGNOSTICS AND CORRECTION OF AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR IN CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS

Diagnostic criteria for aggression in a child (questionnaire)

1. At times it seems that he has been possessed by an evil spirit...
2. He cannot remain silent when he is dissatisfied with something.
3. When someone does him harm, he always tries to repay the same.
4. Sometimes he feels like cursing for no reason.
5. It happens that he breaks toys with pleasure, breaks something, guts it.
6. Sometimes he insists on something so much that others lose patience.
7. He doesn't mind teasing animals.
8. It’s difficult to argue with him.
9. He gets very angry when he thinks that someone is making fun of him.
10. Sometimes he has a desire to do something bad, shocking others.
11. In response to ordinary orders, he strives to do the opposite.
12. Often grouchy beyond his age.
13. Perceives himself as independent and decisive.
14. Likes to be the first, to command, to subjugate others.
15. Failures cause him great irritation and a desire to find someone to blame.
16. Easily quarrels and gets into fights.
17. Tries to communicate with younger and physically weaker people.
18. He often has bouts of gloomy irritability.
19. Does not consider peers, does not yield, does not share.
20. I am confident that he will complete any task better than anyone else.

A positive answer to each proposed statement is scored 1 point.
High aggressiveness – 15 - 20 points.
Average aggressiveness –7 - 14 points.
Low aggressiveness –1 - 6 points.

Aggression Questionnaire by A. Bass, A. Darkey

Target
Motivational aggression is diagnosed as a direct manifestation of the implementation of destructive tendencies inherent in a person. Having determined the level of these destructive tendencies, it is possible to more likely predict the possibility of open motivational aggression.

Range of application of the technique
The technique is used to study aggressiveness starting from adolescence.

Questionnaire text

1. At times I cannot control the desire to harm others.

3. I get irritated easily, but I also calm down quickly.
4. If I am not asked in a good way, I will not fulfill the request.
5. I don't always get what I'm supposed to.
6. I know that people talk about me behind my back.
7. If I don't approve of my friends' behavior, I let them feel it.
8. When I happened to deceive someone, I experienced painful remorse.
9. It seems to me that I am not capable of hitting a person.
10. I never get so irritated that I throw things.
11. I am always forgiving of other people's shortcomings.
12. If I don’t like an established rule, I want to break it.
13. Others know how to almost always take advantage of favorable circumstances.
14. I am wary of people who treat me a little more friendly than I expected.
15. I often disagree with people.
16. Sometimes thoughts come into my mind that I am ashamed of.
17. If someone hits me first, I will not answer him.
18. When I get irritated, I slam doors.
19. I am much more irritable than I think.
20. If someone imagines himself to be a boss, I always act against him.
21. I am a little saddened by my fate.
22. I think that many people don't like me.
23. I can't resist arguing if people don't agree with me.
24. People who shirk work should feel guilty.
25. Anyone who insults me and my family is asking for a fight.
26. I am not capable of rude jokes.
27. I get angry when people make fun of me.
28. When people pretend to be bosses, I do everything so that they do not become arrogant.
29. Almost every week I see someone I don't like.
30. Quite a lot of people are jealous of me
31. I demand that people respect me.
32. It depresses me that I don’t do enough for my parents.
33. People who constantly harass you are worth getting punched on the nose.
34. I am never gloomy with anger.
35. If people treat me worse than I deserve, I don’t get upset.
36. If someone makes me angry, I don't pay attention.
37. Although I don’t show it, I am sometimes consumed by envy.
38. Sometimes it seems to me that they are laughing at me.
39. Even if I am angry, I do not resort to “strong” expressions.
40. I want my sins to be forgiven.
41. I rarely fight back, even if someone hits me.
42. When things don’t go my way, I sometimes get offended.
43. Sometimes people irritate me just by their presence.
44. There are no people I truly hate
45. My principle: “Never trust strangers.”
46. ​​If someone annoys me, I am ready to say everything I think about him
47. I do a lot of things that I later regret.
48. If I get angry, I might hit someone
49. Since childhood, I have never shown outbursts of anger.
50. I often feel like a powder keg ready to explode.
51. If everyone knew how I felt, I would be considered a difficult person to get along with.
52. I always think about what secret reasons force people to do something nice for me.
53. When people shout at me, I start shouting back.
54. Failures make me sad.
55. I fight no less and no more often than others.
56. I can remember times when I was so angry that I grabbed something that came into my hand and broke it.
57. Sometimes I feel like I'm ready to start a fight.
58. Sometimes I feel that life treats me unfairly.
59. I used to think that most people tell the truth, but now I don’t believe it.
60. I only swear out of anger.
61. When I do wrong, my conscience torments me.
62. If I need to use physical force to protect my rights, I use it
63. Sometimes I express my anger by slamming my fist on the table.
64. I can be rude to people I don’t like.
65. I have no enemies who would like to harm me
66. I don’t know how to put a person in his place, even if he deserves it.
67. I often think that I have lived wrong
68. I know people who can bring me to a fight.
69. I don't get upset over little things.
70. It rarely occurs to me that people are trying to make me angry or insult me.
71. I often only threaten people, although I do not intend to carry out the threats.
72. Lately I have become a bore.
73. When arguing, I often raise my voice.
74. I usually try to hide my bad attitude towards people.
75. I would rather agree with something than argue.

Processing the results
The results of the questionnaire by A. Bass and A. Darka are processed using indices of various forms of aggressive and hostile reactions, which are determined by summing up the responses received.
1. Physical aggression:
- “yes” - 1, 25, 33, 48, 55, 62.68;
- “no” - 9, 17, 41.
2. Indirect aggression:
- yes - 2, 18, 34, 42, 56, 63;
- no - 10, 26, 49.
3. Irritation:
- yes - 3, 19, 27, 43, 50, 57, 64, 72;
- no - 11, 35, 69.
4. Negativism:
- yes - 4, 12, 20, 23, 36.
5.Resentment:
- yes - 5, 13, 21, 29, 37, 51, 58;
- no - 44.
6. Suspiciousness:
- yes - 6, 14, 22, 30, 38, 45, 52, 59;
- no - 65, 70.
7. Verbal aggression:
- yes - 7, 15, 28, 31, 46, 53, 60, 71, 73;
- no - 39, 66, 74, 75.
8. Remorse, guilt:
- yes - 8, 16, 24, 32, 40, 47, 54, 61, 67.

The questionnaire identifies the following forms of aggressive and hostile reactions.
1. Physical aggression (attack) - the use of physical force against another person.
2. Indirect aggression - this term refers to aggression that is directed in a roundabout way at another person (gossip, malicious jokes), and aggression that is not directed at anyone - explosions of rage, manifested in screaming, stomping feet, beating the table with fists etc. These explosions are characterized by lack of direction and disorder.
3. Tendency to irritation (in short - irritation) - readiness to manifest temper, harshness, and rudeness at the slightest excitement.
4. Negativism is an oppositional measure of behavior, usually directed against authority or leadership; this behavior can increase from passive resistance to active struggle against established laws and customs.
5. Resentment - envy and hatred of others, caused by a feeling of bitterness, anger at the whole world for real or imaginary suffering.
6. Suspicion - distrust and caution towards people, based on the belief that others intend to cause harm.
7. Verbal aggression - the expression of negative feelings both through form (quarrel, screaming, screeching) and through the content of verbal responses (threats, curses, swearing).
8. In addition, the eighth point stands out - remorse, guilt. Answers to questions on this scale express the restraining influence of guilt on the manifestation of forms of behavior that are usually prohibited (by social norms). This item expresses the degree to which the subject is convinced that he is a bad person who does wrong things, and whether he has remorse.

Physical aggression, indirect aggression, irritation and verbal aggression together form the total index of aggressive reactions, and resentment and suspicion form the hostility index.
The hostility index includes scales 5 and 6, and the aggressiveness index (direct and motivational) includes scales 1, 3, 7.
The norm of aggressiveness is the value of its index, the average value of aggressiveness is 21, standard deviation is 4, and the average value of hostility is 6.5-7, standard deviation is 3. At the same time, attention is drawn to the possibility of achieving a certain value indicating the degree of manifestation of aggressiveness.
During processing, it is recommended to compare the individual values ​​of the subject with the group average data.

2.6. Questionnaire “Aggressive behavior” (children’s version)

Target
The questionnaire is used to identify tendencies towards verbal and physical aggression.
Age range – starting from early adolescence.

Instructions

Questionnaire text
1. I cannot resist using rude words if someone disagrees with me.
2. Sometimes I gossip about people I don't like.
3. I never get irritated enough to throw things.
4. I rarely fight back if I get hit.
5. Sometimes I sharply demand that my rights be respected.
6. Out of anger, I often silently curse the offender.
7. There were times when I was so angry that I grabbed something that came to hand and broke it.
8. If I get angry, I might hit someone.
9. If someone annoys me, I tell him everything I think about him.
10. When a conflict arises in class (school), I most often “throw out” my irritation in a conversation with friends and family.
11. Sometimes I express my anger by banging on the table with my fist.
12. If I need to use physical force to protect my rights, I use it.
13. When people yell at me, I start yelling back.
14. I often talk at home about the shortcomings of my classmates who criticize me.
15. Out of frustration, I can kick anything that comes along.
16. As a child, I liked to fight.
17. I often simply threaten people, although I have no intention of carrying out the threats.
18. I often think about what I need to say to the teacher (coach, club leader), but I never do it.
19. I consider it indecent to knock on the table, even if the person is very angry.
20. If someone took my thing and does not give it back, then I can use force.
21. When arguing, I often get angry and shout.
22. I believe that judging a person behind his back is not very ethical.
23. There has never been a time when I broke anything out of anger.
24. I never use physical force to resolve controversial issues.
25. Even if I’m angry, I don’t resort to strong expressions.
26. I don't gossip about people, even if I really don't like them.
27. I can get so angry that I will destroy everything.
28. I am not capable of hitting a person.
29. I don’t know how to put a person in his place, even if he deserves it.
30. Sometimes I silently call the teacher (coach, circle leader) names if I am dissatisfied with his decision.
31. I think it is unacceptable to take out evil on children by giving them slaps on the back of the head.
32. People who constantly harass you are worth hitting.
33. No matter how angry I am, I try not to offend others.
34. After troubles at school, I am often rude to my parents at home.
35. When I get irritated, I slam doors when I leave.
36. I never liked to fight.
37. I can be rude to people I don’t like.
38. If someone stepped on my foot in public transport, I swear in my head with all sorts of words.
39. I always condemn parents who beat their children just because they themselves are in a bad mood.
40. It is better to convince a person than to force him physically.

Keys to the questionnaire scales
1. Tendency to direct verbal aggression:
- “yes” - 1, 5, 9, 13, 17, 21, 37;
- “no” - 25, 29, 33.
2. Tendency to indirect verbal aggression:
- “yes” - 2, 6, 10, 14, 18, 30, 34, 38;
- “no” - 22, 26.
3. Tendency to direct physical aggression:
- “yes” - 8, 12, 16, 20, 32;
- “no” - 4, 24, 28, 36, 40.
4. Tendency to indirect physical aggression:
- “yes” - 7, 11, 15, 27, 35;
- “no” 3, 19, 23, 31, 39.

For each match with the key, 1 point is awarded. The higher the sum of points scored, the higher the subject’s propensity for this type of aggressive behavior.
The sum of points for direct and indirect physical aggression makes it possible to judge the lack of restraint or restraint of a given person.
The number of points for indirect verbal aggression only indicates the degree of propensity for this type of aggression.
In order to draw a conclusion about the severity of the tendency to display direct and indirect physical and verbal aggression, it is necessary to compare the test person’s results with the group average values ​​for a given age.

2.7. Questionnaire “Personal Aggression” (adolescent version)

Target
The questionnaire is used to identify such character traits as hot temper, vindictiveness, intolerance to other people's opinions, suspicion, touchiness, a tendency to intransigence, compromise, offensiveness, and an attacking style of behavior and communication.
Age range – starting from adolescence.

Instructions
You are asked several questions about the characteristics of your behavior and feelings. Each statement in the questionnaire must be answered “Yes” or “No”. Work quickly, without spending too much time thinking about questions, as the most interesting is your first reaction, and not the result of too much thinking. Remember that you need to answer every question without skipping any. There are no good or bad answers here; this is not a test of your abilities, but only identification of the characteristics of your behavior.

Questionnaire text
1. I get irritated easily, but I calm down quickly.
2. In disputes, I always try to take the initiative.
3. I most often do not get credit for my work.
4. If they don’t ask me nicely, I won’t give in.
5. I try to do everything to avoid tension in relationships.
6. I'm much more irritable than I think.
7. The opinion that the best defense is attack is correct.
8. Circumstances are almost always more favorable for others than for me.
9. If I don’t like a rule, I try not to follow it.
10. I try to find a solution to a controversial issue that would satisfy everyone.
11. I get angry when people make fun of me.
12. In an argument, I often interrupt my interlocutor, imposing my point of view on him.
13. I am often offended by the comments of others, even if I understand that they are fair.
14. If someone tries to command me, I always act against him.
15. I try to find a position that is between mine and the other person's position.
16. If someone makes me angry, I don’t pay attention to it.
17. I consider it tactless not to allow the other side to speak out in a dispute.
18. I am offended by the lack of attention from others.
19. I don’t like to give in when playing, even with children.
20. In a dispute, I try to find something that will suit both sides.
21. I never have outbursts of anger.
22. I can listen carefully and to the end to the arguments of the side arguing with me.
23. I am always offended when I am not among those awarded for a cause in which I took part.
24. If someone in a queue tries to prove that he is ahead of me, I lose my mind.
25. I try to avoid aggravating relationships.
26. I always react calmly to criticism, even if it seems unfair to me.
27. I always confidently defend my rightness.
28. I am not offended by my friends’ jokes, even if they are mean.
29. Sometimes I give others the opportunity to take responsibility for solving an issue that is important to everyone.
30. In a controversial situation, I try to convince the other person to come to a compromise solution.
31. In a conflict situation, I have good self-control.
32. My loved ones are often offended by me because “I don’t let them open their mouths.”
33. I am not upset if my name is not mentioned when praising overall work.
34. When negotiating with a senior official, I try not to contradict him.
35. When solving any problem, I prefer to choose the “golden mean”.
36. I am not outraged when people push me on the street or in public transport.
37. When in a conversation a person expresses a point of view different from mine, I am tempted to express my opinion.
38. Sometimes I feel that life treats me unfairly.
39. I always try to get out of the carriage (bus, trolleybus) before others.
40. It is hardly possible to find a solution that would satisfy everyone.
41. I cannot restrain myself when I am undeservedly reproached.
42. In games (intellectual, sports, etc.) I like to attack more than defend.
43. I dislike people who are overly touchy.
44. It doesn’t really matter to me whose point of view in a dispute turns out to be correct - mine or someone else’s.
45. Compromise is not always the best solution to a dispute.
46. ​​It’s usually difficult to make me angry.
47. If I see shortcomings in people, I do not hesitate to criticize them.
48. I don’t see anything wrong with what people tell me about my shortcomings.
49. If I were a seller on the market, I would not give in on the price of my goods.
50. To compromise means to show your weakness.
51. If someone acts unfairly towards me, then I silently send him all sorts of misfortunes.
52. I often get angry when people object to me.
53. I think that people are talking badly about me behind my back.
54. I believe that kindness is more effective than revenge.
55. I believe in the honesty of most people's intentions.
56. I believe that the slogan “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth” is fair.
57. If I have thought everything through, then I do not need the advice of others.
58. I am wary of people who are nicer than I expected.
59. The statement “A mind is good, but two is better” is true.
60. The statement “If you don’t deceive, you won’t live” is true.
61. I often imagine the punishments that could befall my offenders.
62. I don’t think that I am stupider than others, so their opinion is not a decree for me.
63. I believe that evil can be repaid with good and I act in accordance with this.
64. I often turn to my comrades to find out their opinion.
65. If I am praised, it means people need something from me.
66. I have a negative attitude towards vindictive people.
67. I don’t think that a manager should take into account the opinions of his subordinates, since after all, he is responsible for everything.
68. I am often afraid of tricks from other people.
69. No insult should go unpunished.
70. I don’t like it when others come to me with advice.
71. I suspect that many people keep acquaintance with me out of self-interest.
72. I don’t calm down until I take revenge on the offender.
73. I believe that it is better to consult with others than to make decisions alone.
74. I doubt the sincerity of most people's words.
75. I don’t feel disadvantaged if someone else’s opinion turns out to be more correct.
76. Most often, when people give me compliments, I think that people do it sincerely.
77. Can you forgive an offender for the harm done to you if this act was committed a very long time ago?
78. I never suspect people of dishonesty.
79. Is it always necessary to punish evil?
80. I can listen to criticism, but I will do it my own way.

Key to the questionnaire
Hot temper:
- “yes” - 1, 6, 11, 41;
- “no” - 16, 21, 26, 31, 36, 46.
Vindictiveness:
- “yes” - 51, 56, 61, 69, 72, 79;
- “no” - 54, 63, 66, 77.
Intolerance to other people's opinions:
- “yes” - 52, 57, 62, 67, 70, 80;
- “no” - 59, 64, 73, 75.
Suspicion:
- “yes” - 53, 58, 60, 65, 68, 71, 74;
- “no” - 55, 76, 78.
Touchiness:
- “yes” - 3, 8, 13, 18, 23, 38;
- “no” 28, 33, 43, 48.
Tendency to be intransigent:
- “yes” - 4, 9, 14, 19, 24, 39, 49;
- “no” - 29, 34, 44.
Tendency to compromise:
- “yes” - 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35;
- “no” - 40, 45, 50.
Tendency to be aggressive, attacking style of behavior and communication:
- “yes” - 2, 7, 12, 27, 32, 37, 42, 47;
- “no” - 17, 22.

For a match with the key, 1 point is awarded. For each parameter under study, the sum of points can range from 0 to 10. In order to draw a conclusion about the severity of the tendency to display direct and indirect physical and verbal aggression, it is necessary to compare the test person’s results with the group average values ​​for a given age.

2.8. Graphic technique “Cactus”

Target
The technique is used to study the emotional and personal sphere of the child. Personal qualities such as aggressiveness, impulsiveness, egocentrism, self-doubt, anxiety, etc. are studied.

Age range
The technique is intended for working with children over 3 years old.

Equipment
When conducting diagnostics, the test subject is given a sheet of paper in A4 format and a simple pencil. An option using eight “Lucher” colors is possible. In this case, the corresponding indicators of the Luscher test are taken into account when interpreting.

Instructions
“On a piece of white paper, draw a cactus the way you imagine it.” Questions and additional explanations are permitted.

Data processing
When processing the results, data corresponding to all graphical methods is taken into account, namely:
- spatial arrangement;
- size of the drawing;
- line characteristics;
- the force of pressure on the pencil.
In addition, specific indicators specific to this methodology are taken into account:
- characteristics of the “image of a cactus” (wild, domestic, primitive, feminine, threatening, etc.);
- characteristics of the drawing style (drawn, carelessly depicted, schematic, etc.);
- characteristics of needles (size, location, quantity).
After finishing the work, you can ask the child questions, the answers to which can clarify the interpretation of the drawing.
- Is this cactus domestic or wild?
- Does this cactus prickle a lot? Can you touch it?
- Does the cactus like to be looked after, watered, fertilized?
- Does the cactus grow alone or with some plant next door?
- When the cactus grows, how will it change (needles, volume, shoots, other cacti, etc.)?

Interpretation of results
Based on the results of the processed data from the drawing, it is possible to diagnose the personality traits of the child being tested.
Aggressiveness – the presence of needles, especially a large number of them. Strongly protruding, long, closely spaced needles reflect a high degree of aggressiveness.
Impulsiveness – abrupt lines, strong pressure.
Egocentrism, desire for leadership - a large drawing located in the center of the sheet.
Self-doubt, dependence - a small drawing located at the bottom of the sheet.
Demonstrativeness, openness - the presence of protruding processes in the cactus, pretentious forms.
Stealth, caution - arrangement of zigzags along the contour or inside the cactus.
Optimism – the image of “joyful” cacti, the use of bright colors in the version with colored pencils.
Anxiety – the predominance of internal shading, broken lines, the use of dark colors in the version with colored pencils.
Femininity - the presence of soft lines and shapes, decorations, flowers.
Extroversion – the presence of other cacti or flowers in the picture.
Introversion - the picture shows only one cactus.
The desire for home protection, a sense of family community - the presence of a flower pot in the picture, an image of a home cactus.
Lack of desire for home protection, a feeling of loneliness - an image of a wild, desert cactus.

When interpreting the completed drawings, the child’s visual experience must be taken into account. The presence or absence of visual skills (according to age), the use of stereotypes, templates, age-related characteristics - all this affects the diagnostic portrait of the child’s personality, but at the same time it is also an indicator for interpreting the personality portrait.

2.9. Methodology “Non-existent animal”

Target
Diagnosis of emotional characteristics of personality, aggressiveness, sphere of communication.

Age range
The technique is used starting from senior preschool age.

General characteristics of the technique
The research method is based on the theory of psychomotor connection. To register the state of the psyche, a study of motor skills is used (in particular, the motor skills of the drawing dominant right hand, recorded in the form of a graphic trace of movement, drawing). According to I.M. Sechenov, every idea that arises in the psyche, any tendency associated with this idea, ends with movement (literally - “Every thought ends with movement”).
If a real movement is not carried out for some reason, then a certain tension of energy is summed up in the corresponding muscle groups, which is necessary to carry out a response movement (to an idea - a thought). For example, images and thought-perceptions that cause fear stimulate tension in the leg muscle groups and in the muscles of the arms, which would be necessary if the response to fear was to flee or defend with the hands - to hit, to shield. The tendency of movement has a direction in space: moving away, approaching, tilting, straightening, rising, falling. When making a drawing, a sheet of paper (or a painting) represents a model of space and, in addition to the state of the muscles, fixes the relationship to space, i.e. emerging trend. Space, in turn, is associated with the emotional coloring of the experience and the time period: present, past, future. It is also connected with the effectiveness or ideal-mental plan of the psyche. The space located behind and to the left of the subject is associated with the past period and inactivity (the absence of an active connection between thought-idea, planning and its implementation). The right side, the space in front and above are associated with the future period and effectiveness. On the sheet (model of space), the left side and bottom are associated with negatively colored and depressive emotions, with uncertainty and passivity. The right side (corresponding to the dominant right hand) - with positively colored emotions, energy, activity, specificity of action.
In addition to the general laws of psychomotor connection and attitude to space, when interpreting the test material, theoretical norms for operating with symbols and symbolic geometric elements and figures are used.
By its nature, the “Non-existent animal” test is projective. For statistical testing or standardization, the result of the analysis can be presented in descriptive forms. In terms of composition, this test is indicative; as the only research method, it is usually not used and requires combination with other methods as a battery research tool.

Instructions
Come up with and draw a non-existent animal and call it a non-existent name.

Indicators and interpretation
Position in the picture. Normally, the pattern is located along the midline of a vertically placed sheet. It is best to take a sheet of paper that is white or slightly creamy, not glossy. Use a medium soft pencil; You cannot draw with a pen or felt-tip pen.
The position of the drawing closer to the top edge of the sheet (the closer, the more pronounced) is interpreted as high self-esteem, as dissatisfaction with one’s position in society, lack of recognition from others, as a claim for advancement and recognition, and a tendency towards self-affirmation.
The position of the picture in the lower part is the opposite trend: self-doubt, low self-esteem, depression, indecision, disinterest in one’s position in society, in recognition, lack of a tendency to self-affirmation.
The central semantic part of the figure (the head or a part replacing it). The head is turned to the right - a stable tendency towards activity, efficiency: almost everything that is thought out, planned is carried out, or at least begins to be carried out (if not even completed). The subject actively proceeds to the implementation of his plans and inclinations.
The head is turned to the left - a tendency to reflect, to think. This is not a man of action: only a small part of his plans are realized or at least begins to be realized. Often there is also fear of active action and indecision. (Option: lack of tendency to action or fear of activity - should be decided additionally.)
“Full face” position, i.e. the head is directed at the person drawing (at himself), interpreted as egocentrism.
On the head there are details corresponding to the sense organs - ears, mouth, eyes. The meaning of the “ears” detail is direct: interest in information, the importance of others’ opinions about oneself. Additionally, using other indicators and their combination, it is determined whether the subject is doing anything to win a positive assessment or is only producing appropriate emotional reactions to the assessments of others (joy, pride, resentment, grief), without changing his behavior. A slightly open mouth in combination with the tongue in the absence of drawing the lips is interpreted as greater speech activity (talkativeness), in combination with the drawing of the lips - as sensuality; sometimes both together. An open mouth without drawing the tongue and lips, especially a drawn one, is interpreted as the ease of apprehension and fear, mistrust. A mouth with teeth - verbal aggression, in most cases - defensive (snarls, bullies, is rude in response to a negative appeal, condemnation, censure). Children and adolescents are characterized by a pattern of a drawn, rounded mouth (fearfulness, anxiety).
Particular importance is attached to the eyes. This is a symbol of the inherent human experience of fear: it is emphasized by the sharp drawing of the iris.
Pay attention to the presence or absence of eyelashes.
Eyelashes – hysterical and demonstrative behavior; for men: feminine character traits with the drawing of the pupil and iris rarely coincide. Eyelashes are also an interest in admiring others for external beauty and manner of dressing, giving this great importance.
An increased (in accordance with the figure as a whole) size of the head indicates that the subject values ​​the rational principle (possibly erudition) in himself and those around him.
There are also additional details on the head: for example, horns - protection, aggression. Determine by combination with other signs - claws, bristles, needles - the nature of this aggression: spontaneous or defensive-reactive. Feathers are a tendency towards self-decoration and self-justification, towards demonstrativeness. Mane, fur, similarity of hairstyle - sensuality, emphasizing one's gender and, sometimes, orientation towards one's sexual role.
The supporting, supporting part of the figure (legs, paws, sometimes a pedestal). The solidity of this part is considered in relation to the size of the entire figure and shape:
a) thoroughness, thoughtfulness, rationality of decision-making, paths to conclusions, formation of judgment, reliance on essential provisions and significant information;
b) superficiality of judgments, frivolity in conclusions and unfoundedness of judgments, sometimes impulsive decision-making (especially in the absence or almost absence of legs).
Pay attention to the nature of the connection of the legs with the body: the connection is precise, carefully or carelessly, weakly connected or not connected at all - this is the nature of control over your reasoning, conclusions, decisions. The uniformity and one-directionality of the shape of the legs, paws, and any elements of the supporting part - conformity of judgments and attitudes in decision making, their standardness, banality. The diversity in the form and position of these details is the originality of attitudes and judgments, independence and non-banality; sometimes even creativity (corresponding to the unusual form) or dissent (closer to pathology).
Parts that rise above the level of the figure. They can be functional or decorative: wings, extra legs, tentacles, shell details, feathers, bows like curls, floral-functional details - the energy of covering different areas of human activity, self-confidence, “self-propagation” with indelicate and indiscriminate oppression of others, or curiosity, the desire to participate in as many of the affairs of others as possible, gaining a place in the sun, passion for one’s activities, courage in enterprises (according to the meaning of the symbol detail - wings or tentacles, etc.). Decorating details - demonstrativeness, a tendency to attract the attention of others, mannerisms (for example, a horse or its non-existent likeness in a plume of peacock feathers).
Tails. They express their attitude to their own actions, decisions, conclusions, to their verbal products - judging by whether these tails are turned to the right (on the sheet) or to the left. Tails turned to the right - attitude towards your actions and behavior.
To the left - attitude towards your thoughts, decisions; to missed opportunities, to one’s own indecision. The positive or negative coloring of this attitude is expressed by the direction of the tails upward (confident, positive, cheerful) or the falling movement downward (dissatisfaction with oneself, doubt of one’s own rightness, regret about what has been done, said, remorse, etc.). Pay attention to tails consisting of several, sometimes repeating, links, especially fluffy tails, especially long and sometimes branched.
Contours of the figure. They are analyzed by the presence or absence of protrusions (such as shields, shells, needles), drawing and darkening of the contour line. This is protection from others, aggressive - if it is done in sharp corners; with fear and anxiety - if there is a darkening, “smudging” of the contour line; with fear, suspicion - if shields, “barriers” are placed, the line is doubled. The direction of such protection is in accordance with the spatial location: the upper contour of the figure is against superiors, against persons who have the opportunity to impose a ban, restriction, and exercise coercion, i.e. against elders, parents, teachers, bosses, managers; lower contour - protection against ridicule, non-recognition, lack of authority among lower subordinates, juniors, fear of condemnation; lateral contours - undifferentiated caution and readiness for self-defense of any order and in different situations; the same thing - elements of “protection” located not along the contour, but inside the contour, on the animal’s body itself.
On the right - more in the process of activity (real).
On the left there is more defense of one’s opinions, beliefs, tastes.
Total energy. The number of depicted details is assessed - is it just the necessary amount to give an idea of ​​an imaginary non-existent animal (body, head, limbs or body, tail, wings, etc.): with a filled outline, without shading and additional lines and parts, simply primitive contour, - or there is a generous depiction of not only necessary, but additional parts that “complicate” the design. Accordingly, the more components and elements (in addition to the most necessary), the higher the energy. In the opposite case - energy saving, asthenicity of the body, chronic somatic disease. (The same is confirmed by the character of the line - a weak, cobweb-like line, “moving a pencil across the paper” without pressing on it.) The opposite character of the lines - thick with pressure - is not polar: it is not energy, but anxiety. You should pay attention to sharply pressed lines, visible even on the back of the sheet (convulsive, high tone of the muscles of the drawing hand) - sharp anxiety.
Also pay attention to what detail, what symbol is made in this way (i.e. what the alarm is attached to).
Assessment of the nature of the line (duplication of the line, negligence, sloppy connections, “islands” of overlapping lines, blackening of parts of the drawing, “smudging”, deviation from the vertical axis, stereotypical lines, etc.). The assessment is carried out in the same way as when analyzing a pictogram. The same - fragmentation of lines and shapes, incompleteness, raggedness of the drawing.
Thematically, animals are divided into threatened, threatening, neutral (like a lion, hippopotamus, wolf or bird, snail, ant, or squirrel, dog, cat). This is an attitude towards one’s own person and one’s “I”, an idea of ​​one’s position in the world, as if identifying oneself by significance (with a hare, a bug, an elephant, a dog, etc.). In this case, the animal being drawn is a representative of the person drawing.
Likening the animal being drawn to a person, starting with putting the animal in a position of walking upright on two legs, instead of four or more, and ending with dressing the animal in human clothes (pants, skirts, bows, belts, dresses), including the similarity of the muzzle to the face, legs and paws to hands , - indicates infantility, emotional immaturity, according to the degree of severity of the “humanization” of the animal. The mechanism is similar (and parallel) to the allegorical meaning of animals and their characters in fairy tales, parables, etc.
The degree of aggressiveness is expressed by the number, location and nature of the corners in the drawing, regardless of their connection with a particular detail of the image. Particularly significant in this regard are direct symbols of aggression - claws, teeth, beaks. You should also pay attention to the emphasis on sexual characteristics - the udder, nipples, breasts with a humanoid figure, etc. This is an attitude towards gender, even to the point of fixation on the problem of sex.
The figure of a circle (especially one empty) symbolizes and expresses the tendency towards secrecy, isolation, closedness of one’s inner world, reluctance to give information about oneself to others, and finally, reluctance to be tested. Such figures usually provide very limited data for analysis.
Pay attention to cases of mounting mechanical parts into the body of an “animal” - placing the animal on a pedestal, tractor or tank tracks, tripod; attaching a propeller or propeller to the head; mounting an electric lamp into the eye, and into the body and limbs of the animal - handles, keys and antennas. This is observed more often in patients with schizophrenia and deep schizoids.
Creative possibilities are usually expressed by the number of elements combined in a figure: banality, lack of creativity take the form of a “ready-made” existing animal (people, horses, dogs, pigs, fish), to which only a “ready-made” existing part is attached so that the drawn animal becomes non-existent - a cat with wings, a fish with feathers, a dog with flippers, etc. Originality is expressed in the form of constructing a figure from elements, and not from whole blanks.
The name can express a rational combination of semantic parts (flying hare, “begecat”, “fly-catcher”, etc.). Another option is word formation with a book-scientific, sometimes Latin suffix or ending (“ratoletius”, etc.). The first is rationality, a specific attitude in orientation and adaptation; the second is demonstrativeness, aimed mainly at demonstrating one’s own intelligence, erudition, and knowledge. There are names that are superficial and sound without any comprehension (“lyalie”, “lioshana”, “grateker”, etc.), signifying a frivolous attitude towards others, the inability to take into account a danger signal, the presence of affective criteria at the basis of thinking, the preponderance of aesthetic elements in judgments over rational ones.
Ironic and humorous names are observed (“rhinochurka”, “bubbleland”, etc.) - with a correspondingly ironic and condescending attitude towards others. Infantile names usually have repeating elements (“tru-tru”, “lyu-lyu”, “couscous”, etc.). The tendency to fantasize (usually of a defensive nature) is usually expressed by elongated names (“aberosinotykliron”, “gulobarnikletamieshiniya”, etc.). In the illustrated guide A.L. Wenger presents the following version of the implementation, analysis and interpretation of the “Nonexistent Animal” technique.

Low level of aggressiveness

The most complete information about the level of aggressiveness of the subject is provided by comparing the classic version of the “Nonexistent Animal” technique with the additional option “Angry Animal” (according to A.L. Wenger). In particular, such a comparison allows us to identify hidden, including deliberately hidden, aggressive tendencies. An indicator of the absence of such tendencies is the absence of aggressive symbolism (weapons of attack) in the main drawing and a slight increase in aggressive accessories during the transition to the “Evil Animal.” An example of this is the drawings of Polina Sh. As an ordinary non-existent animal, she made a drawing corresponding to the generally accepted scheme, devoid of signs of aggression ( Fig.1). Aggression is also completely absent in the description of the animal’s lifestyle, which Polina called the round whale - a minke whale: “A very kind and sweet animal, very devoted to people. Loves to eat grass, eats apples and wild berries. A very smart creature. Lives mainly in villages closer to the forest. It itself is brightly colored and can be seen from afar. He himself occurred in a hybrid from various most beautiful animals. He lives in a hut with his family and children.”
In the drawing of “The most evil and terrible” animal, a very moderate symbolism of verbal aggression appears: a toothy mouth ( rice. 2).

In the story about her sorcerer animal, Polina provided him with many negative characteristics, but aggression was absent among them: “This creature lives in deep space, away from people. A rude, arrogant traitor and liar. A very big pretender - a chameleon. He hates people and seeks to destroy the earth. It feeds on small organisms that live on his planet, where he lives alone, called Koldumania.”
The statement that the “most evil and terrible” animal “feeds on small organisms” is a sign of a very low level of aggressiveness. Sometimes similar statements (for example, that the animal eats vegetables and fruits) appear among subjects who deliberately hide their aggressiveness. However, in this case, such an assumption would be extremely doubtful, since Polina conscientiously provided her animal with negative signs and even reported that it “hates people and seeks to destroy the earth.” This message itself is not a sign of aggressiveness, since the girl, neither in the drawing nor in the story, did not give the animal any means that would allow him to realize his inhuman aspirations.

Increased aggressiveness

One of the most common signs of increased aggressiveness in a drawing of a non-existent animal is the presence of sharp protrusions and outgrowths, regardless of what they represent (horns, ears, tentacles, claws).

An example of such a drawing is the drama robot depicted by Arthur S. ( Fig.3). The sharpest outgrowths pointing upward are the arms. Arthur explained: “He has iron hands. They hit. The head can rip someone's head off. His saliva is poison. If someone fights against him, he immediately melts (that is, his opponents melt from poisonous saliva). When he tears his head off, blood comes out, he feeds on blood.” When asked what the drama robot likes to do, the boy replied: “Attacking enemies. He himself is scary and powerful. He attacks unnoticed. It could attack from a tree.” When asked why he would attack “unnoticed,” the answer was received: “Because enemies also attack and can kill. They seem to be taking revenge on other enemies.” When asked who his enemies were, Arthur replied: “I don’t know. Maybe cyborgs,” and about his friends he said that they were “the same as him and of a slightly different species.” He also said that the dramabot lives in another galaxy and that the three things he would ask from the wizard are: “to have very powerful troops to attack enemies”; “endless life so that it would be very difficult to kill him”; “so that he becomes larger - in appearance, in stature.” Such a clear manifestation of aggressive tendencies in a story about the life cycle of an animal is relatively rare. Usually it is inhibited due to social control. In this case, social control is weakened because Arthur has serious socialization disorders. In addition, Arthur is only eight years old, and at this age the control mechanisms are still far from fully developed. In the above story, in addition to one’s own aggressive tendencies, one also manifests a fear of retaliatory aggression from others. It can be assumed that this fear was acquired as a result of the accumulation of negative experiences. Probably, it was this that led to the fact that recently (the last year and a half), the boy, according to his parents, began to fight much less than before.

Fourteen-year-old Volodya S., following the standard instructions (draw a non-existent animal), depicted a boxer ( rice. 4), writing an extremely short story about him: “This is a boxer. He conquers everyone” (which is also noted in the inscription on the picture itself: “Hurray - Victory”). Emphasized muscles, fists and particularly broad shoulders indicate the high importance of masculine (male) values. In combination with the main activity of the depicted creature (boxing is an aggressive sport), this allows us to suspect an increased level of aggressiveness. However, the direct symbolism of aggression is represented in the drawing quite little: these are fangs and fists (boxing gloves), drawn with strong pressure.
The particular brevity of the story seems to serve as a means of avoiding self-disclosure. It is very likely that it is aggressiveness that is hidden. An additional basis for this assumption is that in the drawing Volodya set a socially acceptable form of aggressiveness. A pronounced tendency to control external forms of behavior is indicated by the sharply emphasized fence around the depicted figure (ring ropes).
Any doubts about Volodya’s true level of aggressiveness disappear when looking at the evil and scary animal he depicts ( rice. 5). Since in this version of the test the instruction itself legitimizes aggressiveness, that is, makes it permissible, this time the corresponding symbolism is presented in full. There are two sharp horns on the head and one on the nose, long spikes on the shoulders and knee, claws on the feet, a jagged dagger or sword in one hand and a mace with large spikes in the other. All these accessories are emphasized with a line with strong pressure, partially blackened.
The story about the evil animal is somewhat more detailed than about the usual one: “This is Vikongorigosaurus. He lives in the mountains. He is evil and defeats everyone. Lives alone. It feeds on people."
Interestingly, except for the aggressive symbolism, Vykongorigosaurus looks exactly like a boxer. It’s as if they are telling the viewer: “This is how I try to look (boxer), but this is how I really am (Vycongorigosaurus).”

Tendency to verbal aggression.

In the drawing of a non-existent animal, the tendency towards verbal aggression, as in the drawing of a person, is expressed in emphasizing the teeth. Like general aggressiveness, it can be hidden when depicting a simply non-existent animal, appearing only in the drawing of an evil and scary animal. So, Lena F., according to standard instructions, depicted an animal called a merry fellow ( rice. 6). She wrote the following about her animal: “A cheerful, kind, cute animal. His name says so. Lives in the land of laughter. In this country you cannot be sad or cry. Veselchak helps everyone have fun, comes up with various funny games, activities, and stories.”

Anxiety appeared in the drawing (hatching, especially large ears); possible fears (large blackened eyes). The story, one might assume, expresses the girl’s own attitude towards not allowing herself to be sad (“you can’t be sad in this country”). Apparently, like her character, she usually tries to distract herself from her inherent negative experiences. There is no aggressive theme in either the drawing or the story.
In the depiction of an evil and scary animal, the symbolism of physical aggression is presented very moderately: these are claws drawn with strong pressure ( rice. 7).
However, the symbolism of verbal aggression is clearly expressed in it: a huge mouth with underlined (shaded) teeth. The story goes as follows: “The Scarecrow lives in a land of fear. He’s very mischievous, he loves to lie, he avoids everyone, and on nights with a full moon he likes to scare everyone, this is his favorite pastime.” The statement that the “scarecrow” loves to scare everyone, as well as the general appearance of the drawing, indicates a tendency towards verbal aggression.

Fear of aggression and defensiveness

In addition to the level of one’s own aggressiveness, the drawing of a non-existent animal shows one’s attitude towards possible aggression from others. Fear of attack leads to a desire to protect the imagined animal. As protection, a shell can be depicted, as in the drawing by Masha R, scales, armor, especially thick skin (it may not be in the drawing, but it is described in the story). The image of quills, like those of a porcupine, or spines is very widespread. An example would be an animal called a dragon ( rice. 8). He has two arms, six legs, thorns on his body, “so that no one bites him,” and numerous bites, depicted in the form of circles with a dot in the center.
Grisha spoke about the animal’s lifestyle as follows: “He lives in the mountains, in a cave. Only he is already dead. This is a dinosaur. He loves meat, a lot of meat,

he loves to eat." When asked what this animal eats, the boy replied: “Other dragons and men that were a long time ago.” When asked to describe the size of the animal, he said the dragon was “fearful, and big, and huge; like three houses." When asked about friends, there was a clear answer: “No. One lives." Dinosaurs were named as enemies. When the inspector asked what this animal likes to do, Grisha answered: “Eat.” When asked to name any other favorite activities of the animal, the boy said: “Fighting, biting,” and when asked what it doesn’t like, he said: “Eating stones.” It also turned out that the “dragon” is afraid “of being eaten and having huge stones thrown at it.” The inspector asked who could do this, and Grisha explained: “There are dinosaurs even bigger than him.”
Three wishes of the “dragon”: “to be big”; “so that they don’t eat him, so that they don’t throw stones at him”; “so that he has friends.”
Regarding the first wish, the inspector expressed some surprise: “It’s already very big.” “No, little one,” Grisha answered. “It needs to be bigger than everyone else.”
When analyzing a drawing of a person made by Grisha, both anxious and depressive symptoms are noted. The state of anxiety is also diagnosed by the image of a non-existent animal (greatly enlarged in size). Depressive symptoms did not appear in the drawing, but were reflected in the story: this is the theme of death (“only he has already died”).
Based on the drawing and story, one can more specifically determine the nature of the anxious fears characteristic of Grisha. This is, first of all, the fear of aggression: the animal is afraid “of being eaten and having stones thrown at it”; his desire is “so that they don’t eat him, so that they don’t throw stones at him”; despite the thorns, it was all bitten. The image of bites, like any wounds, is an expressive sign of a neurotic state.
Apparently, Grishin's fear of aggression is associated with his inability to communicate with peers. It is reflected in widely spaced arms with very large hands (high unsatisfied need for communication), empty eyes. The “Dragon” lives alone in a cave, he has no friends, one of his wishes is to have friends. The topic of eating stones is also typical in cases of communication disorders.
Fear of aggression is characterized by a description of the gigantic size of the animal (in Grisha it is “huge, like three houses”) and the desire to become even larger (“you need to be bigger than everyone else”). At the same time, the drawing itself can be large (as in this case), or it can be small, so the theme of gigantic dimensions comes up only in the story.
In the story, Grisha repeatedly tries to counter the external threat with the aggression of the dragon he depicts. He is “scary”, eats “other dragons and people”, loves to “fight, bite.” This shows a tendency towards defensive aggression. However, judging by the absence of aggressive accessories in the drawing and the conciseness of the aggressive theme in the story (it is heard only in answers to questions), this trend is not being sufficiently implemented.
A more pronounced tendency towards defensive aggression is manifested in fourteen-year-old Ilya R ( rice. 9). The “three-horned monster” he depicted is completely covered with thorns. Along with this, he has five large sharp spikes on his back, which could be used not only for defense, but also for attack. The thorns themselves are also protected by spines.

In the story, themes related to the fear of aggression are combined with aggressive themes themselves and with statements reflecting a feeling of loneliness: “This is a three-horned monster. It is very evil and eats everyone. It is very large, about the size of an elephant. It is protected by thorns so that no one attacks it. He has another mouth with teeth on his body." From the answers to the questions, it turns out that the three-horned monster lives in the forest, alone. He has neither friends nor enemies. When asked about whom it protects itself from with thorns if it has no enemies, Ilya replied: “For example, from a tiger.”
Ilya reported that the animal would express the following wishes: “for all the animals that he likes to come to him; for example, he likes to eat rabbits”; “to look not scary so that they won’t be afraid of him; someone comes to him and he eats it”; “to have his eye done from behind.”
When asked why the three-horned monster needs an eye at the back, the boy replied: “To see the prey.” The desire to increase sensitivity is a characteristic sign of anxiety and fear. The motivation indicated by Ilya (“to see the prey”) reflects attempts to overcome fears using one of the psychological defense mechanisms - rationalization.
Ilya's parents brought him to a psychological consultation with a complaint that he did not communicate with anyone. If, while walking down the street, he sees one of his classmates, he tries to hide so as not to meet him, although, according to his parents, his classmates treat him well. Not only communication with peers is disrupted, but also communication with teachers. In particular, Ilya does not answer in class, although he copes well with all written work.
All these complaints can be explained by greatly increased anxiety and fear of aggression, on the basis of which a fear of any communication has developed. In Ilya’s behavior, his parents did not notice the tendency toward defensive aggression that appeared in the test materials. This can be explained either by the fact that it is suppressed by fears, or simply by the absence of conflict situations in which it could be realized. The absence of conflicts is ensured by Ilya's tendency to exclude contacts, combined with a good attitude towards him from his classmates.

Defensive aggression is not always so harmless. There are often cases when it actively manifests itself at the behavioral level. Despite the fact that the person himself perceives it as protective, in reality it can become proactive: expecting an attack (perhaps without any reason), the person is in a hurry to attack first.

Neurotic aggression

Neurotic aggression, like defensive aggression, is a response to an unfavorable external situation.
However, this is a much more generalized reaction than defensive aggression: it is directed not directly at the source of a potential threat, but at the entire environment. In such cases, they say that the person is angry with the whole world because of his failures.
A sign of neurotic aggression in the “Nonexistent Animal” test is a combination of neurotic and aggressive manifestations.
At the same time, it is a very common case when in the original version of the test (simply a non-existent animal) only neurotic symptoms are present, and aggression is manifested in a drawing of an angry and scary animal ( rice. 10, 11). Hatching with strong pressure indicates high anxiety and emotional tension. The particular care of the shading suggests that Valera is also distinguished by a high level of rigidity. A carefully emphasized contour is evidence of a high level of control. An image of a long neck is also considered an indicator of good control. Consequently, neurotic symptoms should not be particularly noticeable in the boy’s behavior, since at the level of external manifestations they are inhibited due to increased self-control.
The story he wrote says: “My non-existent animal lives in the swamps. This is a flying turtle. It feeds on worms and algae. Her enemies are snakes and some people, and her friends are fish and birds. Fleeing from danger, she flies into the air and disappears from sight in the blink of an eye.”

This story contains typically neurotic themes. This, firstly, is an emotionally unpleasant place of life - a swamp (the indication that the animal lives in mud, in mud is also interpreted). Secondly, this is a mention of unpleasant food - worms (eating slugs, garbage, muck, etc. is interpreted similarly). And finally, certain types of fears are typical for a neurotic state - neurotic fears. These include, in particular, fear of small animals (insects, mice, etc.) and fear of snakes. The presence of such fears may appear when answering the question of what the animal is afraid of, or (as in this case) when describing its enemies.
Valera's story reflects unspecified anxious fears (“fleeing from danger...”).
Valera depicted the most evil and terrible animal in the form of a sea serpent with an agape mouth ( rice. eleven).
He refused to give it a name.
The picture contains signs of both defensive and active aggression. The former are represented by spikes (or ridges) on the animal's back, the latter by a gaping toothy mouth (a sign of verbal aggression) and sharp tusks. The signs of anxiety, emotional tension, rigidity and high control noted in the first figure also remain.
The story has aggressive themes, but in rather moderate terms: “My animal lives in the depths of the ocean. It feeds on sharks and other large fish. It reaches 20 meters in length. Sometimes attacks ships. His friends are the same as he, but he has no enemies (an animal has not yet been found that could overcome him).”
It seems that Valera is inclined not to real aggression, but to demonstrating an aggressive position in order to scare off a possible enemy. This position of his is associated with a neurotic state, creating a general feeling of discomfort and an uncertain threat emanating from the surrounding world.

A similar picture, but with less pronounced neuroticism, is observed in Lyudmila K. She depicted a cute animal called the “eye-catcher” ( rice. 12). She wrote the following story about her animal: “His name is Little Eye. Since he has very long legs, and there are suction cups at their ends, he uses them to suck himself to the eaves of the roofs of houses and sleeps there (upside down). He has a third eye on his back, which helps him during sleep in case of any danger (it is always open during sleep). Since he lives in the city, he really likes sweet foods (chocolate, cookies). His friends are only his brothers. Together they fly out of town (on weekends), go to the bathhouse together. His enemies are forest animals." Both the drawing and the story make a favorable impression. The pattern shows very moderate aggressiveness (sharp beak). There are also moderate signs of anxiety, possibly fears (increased size of the picture, eyes with blackened irises, a third eye on the back in case of “any danger”). Numerous circles on the body, scales on the legs and ears are evidence of some rigidity. All these features, judging by the low degree of their severity, do not at all go beyond the psychological norm. A significantly different impression is produced by Lyudmila’s drawing of an “evil and terrible” animal, for which she did not come up with a name ( rice. 13). She wrote about this animal: “This monster feeds on land animals. With his long arms he pulls them out from under the ground. Also poses a danger to animals. It sucks the blood out of them with its sharp stings.”

This time both neuroticism and aggression were clearly evident. The entire drawing is painted over in an even gray tone; individual parts of the drawing have been erased and redone. These are signs of high anxiety. There is a desire to defend against a possible threat (spikes on the body and tail).
Gross distortion of the shape of the eyes (in this case, turning them into aggressive points) is one of the indicators of neuroticism. Neuroticism also manifested itself in a sharp change in the style of description. If the description of a simply non-existent animal is done in a completely literary manner, in detailed phrases, then when describing an evil and terrible animal, chopped, extremely simplified phrases are used; Coordination is disrupted, gross errors of attention appear (“these monsters are food...”).
Descriptions of this method of feeding as sucking the blood of victims are often found among people prone to neurotic aggression. Aggressive symbolism is also represented by sharp stings, pointed eyes, and forked claws at the ends of the arms. The tail also ends with a point. As already noted, a massive, upturned tail is a sexual symbol. Therefore, it can be assumed that in Lyudmila’s perception sexuality is closely related to aggression. In the drawing of a simply non-existent animal, although there is a tail, it is by no means as massive as that of an evil and terrible animal.
Manifestations of aggressiveness in Lyudin’s drawing of an angry and scary animal significantly exceed the level typical for girls of her age. They are combined with signs of neuroticism, which makes it possible to qualify aggressiveness as neurotic. Such manifestations are absent in the drawing made according to standard instructions. This suggests that Lyuda’s neurotic aggression is not constant, but arises in response to emotional stress.

Identifying a tendency towards aggression in students

Przhanova Balausa Aidarkhanovna

Teacher - psychologist -

"Secondary school named after M. Gabdullin"

Almaty region, Abay village

Aggression is a psychological strategy based on instinctive awakenings. The instinct of aggression is one of the big four instincts common to all animals: hunger, fear and attack (which is provoked by aggression). The more a person perceives a situation as threatening him, the more prone he is to aggressive manifestations.

Aggression is quite compatible with a high level of intelligence, but in most cases it indicates a person’s lack of self-confidence. He perceives the actions of others, often without a real reason, as a threat to his own “I”, his well-being. And then he acts based on the principle “the best way to defend is to attack.”

This test will make it possible to clarify to what extent adolescents are prone to aggression and in what specific forms it manifests itself in their behavior.

Test "Tendency to Aggression"

Instructions:“In the answer form, you must put “+” next to the numbers of statements with which you agree, and “-” next to which you disagree.”

List of statements:

If I get angry, I might hit someone;

I never get irritated enough to throw things;

I get irritated easily, but calm down quickly;

If you don’t ask me kindly, then I won’t fulfill the request;

It seems to me that fate is not fair to me;

I know people talk about me behind my back;

I can't help but argue if people don't agree with me;

If I did not happen to deceive someone, I experienced painful remorse;

It seems to me that I am capable of hitting a person;

When I get angry, I slam doors loudly;

Sometimes people irritate me simply by being there;

If I don't like the established rule, I want to break it;

Sometimes envy gnaws at me, although I don’t show it;

I think a lot of people don't like me;

If I don’t like a person, then I tell him so directly;

Often thoughts come into my mind of which I am ashamed;

I know people who can bring me to a fight;

Sometimes I express my anger by slamming my fist on the table;

I often feel like a powder keg ready to explode;

If someone pretends to be a boss, I always act contrary to him;

There are no people whom I truly hate;

Quite a lot of people are jealous of me;

Even if I am angry, I do not resort to “strong” expressions;

People who shirk their work should feel guilty;

I rarely fight back, even if someone hits me;

I can remember times when I was so angry that I grabbed the first object I came across and broke it;

I can be rude to people I don't like;

When they talk to me in a commanding tone, I don’t want to do anything;

I usually try to hide my bad attitude towards people;

Sometimes I feel like they are laughing at me;

If someone annoys me, I am ready to tell him everything that I think about him;

It depresses me that I do little good for my parents;

Even if someone hits me first, I still won’t answer him;

I don't get irritated by - zha little things;

When someone shows that he is smart, I do everything so that he does not become arrogant;

I don't always get the good things I deserve;

I think I have no enemies who would like to harm me;

I often threaten people, even if I have no intention of carrying out the threats;

I do a lot of things that I later regret.

Answer form

One point is awarded for each answer that matches what is given in the answer form (where there is a “-” sign in front of the question number, a point is awarded for a negative answer, where there is no sign - for a positive answer). The points are summed up separately in each line (0-2 points - low level, 3 - average, 4-5 - high). They indicate the following characteristics:

Line 1. Physical aggression – the tendency to express one's dissatisfaction by physically influencing something that causes it: for example, getting into a fight or kicking an object that one has tripped over.

Line 2. Indirect aggression – a tendency to express dissatisfaction by physically influencing those people or those objects that have nothing to do with him, but simply come to hand: for example, he got angry with the teacher and kicked the dog.

Line 3. Irritability – the habit of becoming irritated even for minor reasons, emotional instability. Such a teenager resembles a keg of gunpowder: the slightest spark is enough for him to “flare up.”

Line 4 Negativism – a tendency to resist any external influence, even if it is in the person’s own interests. For example, such a teenager may not care what exactly to wear when going for a walk, but the clothes must certainly not be the ones suggested by the parents.

Line 5. Touchiness. Resentment is a negative emotion that occurs when someone's behavior does not meet the person's expectations. Touchy teenagers believe that everything around them should be the way they want, and experience indignation and emotional discomfort if this turns out not to be the case.

Line 6. Suspicion. Such people tend to attribute to others, often without reason, bad intentions towards themselves. Sometimes it seems to them that the whole world has turned against them, and everyone around them is only thinking about how to harm them.

Line 7. Verbal aggression - the tendency to express dissatisfaction through speech, for example, by yelling at someone or saying something offensive to them.

Line 8. Guilt - a tendency to worry painfully about one’s real or imaginary mistakes and past failures. In fact, such experiences are also aggression, but directed - this is also aggression, but directed not at the world around us, but at oneself.

1. Free. This test to determine your level of anger is provided to you absolutely free of charge. It will allow you to determine your level of anger using five parameters that characterize this feeling.

2. Tested in several countries. This anger test has been validated by scientists and has been successfully conducted in several different countries, including the USA, Canada and several other European countries.

3. Comparison of indicators. Although there are other anger tests, ours is one of the few that compares respondents' scores in valid personality surveys to population averages.

4. Statistical control. Statistical analysis of the test is carried out to ensure maximum accuracy and reliability of the results.

5. Designed by professionals. This test was developed with the help of researchers working with psychological and personality differences at the professional level.

Anger Test

Determine your tendency to anger

Based on the work of Dr. Judith M. Siegel, this test shows your level of anger using various empirical aspects. An analysis of Dr. Siegel's work showed that this test has good psychometric data and high reliability. Therefore, this test is often used for research and clinical trials, in which it has proven useful not only in determining the level of anger, but also in determining its impact on a person's physical health and stress levels.

For each of the following statements, indicate how much you agree with it.

Question 1 of 38

I get angry easily.

CONTINUE BACK

The IDR-MAT© should not be confused with the MAI (Anger Inventory) test.

The IDR-MAT © test is the property of IDR Labs International. The MAI test is the property of J.M. Siegel.

The IDR-MAT/MAI test is widely used to determine a person's anger level. As many new questionnaires have recently emerged for use in schools, workplaces, and correctional settings, questions have arisen about the reliability and validity of primary research. Primary tests are already quite outdated, but many modern and scientifically based studies are based precisely on the parameters proposed by Dr. Siegel, which have confirmed their reliability. Current research shows that the IDR-MAT/MAI tests can still be used successfully to determine a respondent's anger tendencies. Analyzes of the MAI have repeatedly shown the accuracy of the results with respect to the temperament dimension (reflecting the frequency and severity of anger), identifying potential causes of anger, and generally identifying the respondent's hostile attitude towards the world.

Although both tests aim to measure anger levels, the IDR-MAT© should not be confused with the MAI test developed by Dr. J.M. Siegel. However, both are professionally developed tests (or questionnaires) that determine the tendency to anger and examine the states associated with this feeling. The IDR-MAT© test is the property of IDR Labs International. The MAI test is the property of J.M. Siegel. The developers of this free online test are certified professionals who have experience with numerous personality tests and have also worked at a professional level with personality typology testing. Please note that the results of our free online anger test are provided "as is" and should not be construed as providing professional or certified advice of any kind. For more information about our online personality test, please check out our

Scales: verbal aggression, physical aggression, objective aggression, emotional aggression, self-aggression.

Purpose of the test: Diagnosis of aggressive behavior.

Test Description

In ethnopsychological research, a special place is occupied by the problem of studying aggressive behavior. Determining the level of aggressiveness can help in preventing interethnic conflicts and stabilizing the social and economic situation in the country. Aggressive behavior is a specific form of human action, characterized by a demonstration of superiority in force or the use of force in relation to another or a group of persons to whom the subject seeks to cause harm.

It is advisable to consider aggressive behavior as the opposite of adaptive behavior.

Adaptive behavior involves a person’s interaction with other people, coordination of the interests, requirements and expectations of its participants. Psychologists B. Bass and R. Darkey developed a test that assesses the level of a person’s aggressive behavior.

Test instructions

“The proposed questionnaire reveals your usual style of behavior in stressful situations and features of adaptation in a social environment. You need to clearly evaluate (“yes” or “no”) the 40 statements below.”

Test

1. During an argument, I often raise my voice.
2. If someone annoys me, I can tell him everything I think about him.
3. If I need to resort to physical force to protect my rights, I will do so without hesitation.
4. When I meet someone I don't like, I can allow myself to discreetly pinch or push him.
5. When I'm in an argument with another person, I may slam my fist on the table to get attention or prove that I'm right.
6. I constantly feel that others do not respect my rights.
7. Remembering the past, sometimes I feel sad for myself.
8. Although I don’t show it, sometimes I feel jealous.
9. If I do not approve of the behavior of my acquaintances, then I directly tell them about it.
10. When I am very angry, I use strong language and use foul language.
11. If someone raises a hand to me, I will try to hit him first.
12. I get so angry that I throw things.
13. I often have the need to rearrange the furniture in my apartment or change it completely.
14. When communicating with people, I often feel like a “powder keg” that is constantly ready to explode.
15. Sometimes I have a desire to make an evil joke at the expense of another person.
16. When I'm angry, I usually become gloomy.
17. When talking to a person, I try to listen to him carefully without interrupting.
18. When I was young, my fists often itched and I was always ready to use them.
19. If I know that a person deliberately pushed me, then things can lead to a fight.
20. Keeping my desk creatively cluttered allows me to work efficiently.
21. I remember being so angry that I would grab anything I could get my hands on and break it.
22. Sometimes people irritate me just by their presence.
23. I often wonder what hidden reasons force another person to do something good for me.
24. If I am offended, I will lose the desire to talk to anyone.
25. Sometimes I deliberately say nasty things about a person I don't like.
26. When I'm angry, I shout the most vicious curse words.
27. As a child, I avoided fighting.
28. I know why and when to hit someone.
29. When I'm angry, I can slam the door.
30. It seems to me that the people around me don't like me.
31. I constantly share my feelings and experiences with others.
32. Very often I harm myself with my words and actions.
33. When people yell at me, I respond in kind.
34. If someone hits me first, I will hit him back.
35. It irritates me when things are out of place.
36. If I cannot fix a broken or torn object, then in anger I break it or completely tear it.
37. Other people always seem to be successful to me.
38. When I think about a person who is very unpleasant to me, I can become excited with a desire to harm him.
39. Sometimes I feel like fate has played a cruel joke on me.
40. If someone doesn't treat me right, I get very upset about it.

Processing and interpretation of test results

Aggressive behavior is divided into 5 scales according to the form of manifestation.

• Verbal aggression (VA) – a person verbally expresses his aggressive attitude towards another person, uses verbal insults.
• Physical aggression (PA) – a person expresses his aggression towards another person using physical force.
• Object-based aggression (OA) – a person takes out his aggression on the objects around him.
• Emotional aggression (EA) - a person experiences emotional alienation when communicating with another person, accompanied by suspicion, hostility, hostility or ill will towards him.
• Self-aggression (SA) – a person is not in peace and harmony with himself; he has no or weakened psychological defense mechanisms; he finds himself defenseless in an aggressive environment.

Key for processing the test:

Type of aggression	approval number
	Yes	No
VA	1, 2, 9, 10, 25, 26, 33	17
F	3, 4, 11,1 8, 19, 28, 34	27
PA	5, 12, 13, 21, 29, 35, 36	20
EA	6, 14, 15, 22, 30, 37, 38	23
SA	7, 8, 16, 24, 32, 39, 40	31

Mathematical processing. First, the scores for each of the five scales are summed up.

If the score is above 5, this means a high degree of aggressiveness and a low degree of adaptability on the scale.

A score of 3 to 4 corresponds to an average degree of aggression and adaptability. A score from 0 to 2 means a low degree of aggressiveness and a high degree of adaptation for this type of behavior. The scores on all scales are then summed.

If the sum exceeds 25 points, this means a high degree of aggressiveness of a person and low adaptive capabilities.