From lines to minds: Exploring the relationship between attachment, mentalization and children's drawings
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Date
2024
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İstanbul Bilgi Üniversitesi
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info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
Abstract
İç dünyalarını kelimelerdense çizimlerle çok daha kolay ifade edebildikleri düşünüldüğünde, çocukların bağlanma özellikleri ve mentalizasyon kapasitelerinin kendi kullandıkları yaratıcı dil üzerinden anlaşılabilmesi oldukça değerli, araştırma açısından da bir o kadar da gözden kaçırılmış bir noktadır. Çocukların bağlanma güvenlikleri, bağlanma stilleri, mentalizasyon kapasiteleri ve ev-ağaç-insan (H-T-P) çizimleri arasındaki ilişkilerin incelendiği bu çalışmada, 6-12 yaşlarındaki 85 çocuktan veri toplanmıştır. Bağlanma güvenliği ve stili bir hikaye tamamlama testi (ASCT) ile, mentalizasyon Mental State Talk (MST) kodlama sisteminin ASCT dahilindeki hikayelere uygulanması ile ölçülmüştür. Çocukların H-T-P çizimlerini nicel bir açıdan değerlendirebilmek amacıyla yedi boyuttan (çizgi kalitesi, boyut, konum, detay seviyesi, tuhaf elementler ve olumsuz yüz ifadeleri) oluşan özgün bir puanlama sistemi geliştirilmiştir. Bu sistemin geçerliliğini ölçmenin yanı sıra, bağlanma güvenliği ve mentalizasyonun H-T-P skorlarını yordaması ve, bağlantılı olarak, farklı bağlanma stilleri arasında H-T-P skorları açısından bir fark bulunması beklenmiştir. Yapılan analizlerde yaş, cinsiyet, bilişsel zeka ve problematik davranışlar kontrol edilmiştir. Sonuçlar toplam bağlanma ve mentalizasyon skorlarının yordayıcı gücünü destekleyen yönde olmasa da yapılan analizlerde güvensiz bağlanma daha basitleştirilmiş çizimlerle, daha yüksek MST skorları ise daha detaylandırılmış çizimlerle ilişkili bulunmuştur. Ayrıca, daha küçük çizim yapan çocukların MST skorlarının daha düşük olduğu gözlemlenmiştir. Son olarak, kaygılı bağlanan çocukların çizimlerinde kaygılı bağlanmayanlara göre daha fazla detay bulunduğu görülmüştür. Genel olarak, H-T-P çizim skorları geçerli ve güvenli bulunmuştur. Bulgular detaylıca tartışılmış, klinik açıdan önemleri ve limitasyonları anlatılmıştır.
Considering it is easier to reflect their inner worlds with drawings rather than words, comprehension of children's attachment quality and mentalization capacity based on their creative language is valuable despite being overlooked in research. The relationships between children's House-Tree-Person (H-T-P) drawings and attachment security, attachment stles and mentalization capacity were explored in the current study with 85 participants aged 6-12. Attachment security and prototypes were assessed by ASCT whereas mentalization capacity was assessed by application of the coding system for Mental State Talk (CS-MST) to the narratives within ASCT. To evaluate H-T-P drawings quantitatively, a novel scoring manual with seven dimensions (line quality, size, location, level of detail, bizare items and negative facial expressions) was developed. Along with testing the manual's reliability, in the present study, it was hypothesized that attachment security and mentalization capacity would predict H-T-P scores, and, relatedly there would be differences regarding H-T-P scores of children with different attachment protototypes. Age, gender, intelligence, and problematic behaviors were controlled in analyses. Although the results were not supportive of attachment security and mentalization's predictive power, insecure attachment was linked to more simplified drawings while higher MST was linked to more detailed drawings. Moreover, lower MST was also linked with smaller figure size. It was lastly found that anxiously attached children had more details in their drawings compared to others. Overall, H-T-P scores were shown to be reliable and valid indicators of attachment and mentalization. The findings are discussed elaborately, with a focus on clinical implications and limitations.
Considering it is easier to reflect their inner worlds with drawings rather than words, comprehension of children's attachment quality and mentalization capacity based on their creative language is valuable despite being overlooked in research. The relationships between children's House-Tree-Person (H-T-P) drawings and attachment security, attachment stles and mentalization capacity were explored in the current study with 85 participants aged 6-12. Attachment security and prototypes were assessed by ASCT whereas mentalization capacity was assessed by application of the coding system for Mental State Talk (CS-MST) to the narratives within ASCT. To evaluate H-T-P drawings quantitatively, a novel scoring manual with seven dimensions (line quality, size, location, level of detail, bizare items and negative facial expressions) was developed. Along with testing the manual's reliability, in the present study, it was hypothesized that attachment security and mentalization capacity would predict H-T-P scores, and, relatedly there would be differences regarding H-T-P scores of children with different attachment protototypes. Age, gender, intelligence, and problematic behaviors were controlled in analyses. Although the results were not supportive of attachment security and mentalization's predictive power, insecure attachment was linked to more simplified drawings while higher MST was linked to more detailed drawings. Moreover, lower MST was also linked with smaller figure size. It was lastly found that anxiously attached children had more details in their drawings compared to others. Overall, H-T-P scores were shown to be reliable and valid indicators of attachment and mentalization. The findings are discussed elaborately, with a focus on clinical implications and limitations.
Description
Lisansüstü Programlar Enstitüsü, Klinik Psikoloji Ana Bilim Dalı, Psikoloji Bilim Dalı
Keywords
Psikoloji, Psychology
