Method "Man in the Rain": description and general provisions

The inner world of man, his experiences and contradictions are always associated with the external world. They cannot constantly be locked up, but find all sorts of escape routes, signaling themselves in habits, behavior and creative pursuits. For example, children's drawings often tell psychologists more than just talking with a child. They are able to extract information from the most secret corners of the child’s soul and at an early stage identify serious mental problems. Based on these principles of interaction between the soul and the surrounding world, the picturesque methodology "Man in the Rain" was created. In relation to children, she is able to tell how the child responds to stress, whether he is able to overcome life's difficulties, what are his protective functions in dangerous situations. What is the essence of the methodology and by what parameters are conclusions drawn?

Description of the technique

One of the versions of the psychological test "Human Figure" is the method "Man in the Rain." Its description is quite simple. The subject is asked to draw an appropriate picture, where rain is associated with stress, and the person drawn is associated with the image of the author himself. Depending on what actions this little man performs and what surrounds him, we can say what patterns of behavior and emotions a child lives in an uncomfortable situation for him. Does he try to overcome it or, on the contrary, gives in, tries to get around in every way, to escape ...

Practical application of the technique

The “Man in the Rain” methodology is applicable to people of any age, but it achieved the greatest popularity and effectiveness in studies of school adaptation. So, for many educators and psychologists, one of the main goals is to study the interaction of first-graders and help them quickly learn in a new team. It is necessary to help children overcome fears and complexes, to cope with stressful situations outside of school, so that they do not interfere with the educational process in the future. To achieve this, you must choose the right tool. It should quickly and clearly cover the entire flow of first-graders and provide extensive information for compiling the correct psychological picture.

The projective method "Man in the Rain" is the most accurate and accurate system for assessing the character and volitional qualities of a child. It will help to diagnose in a short time and give the specialist the necessary information. The authors of this pictorial method are E. S. Romanova and T. I. Sytko. They proceeded from the fact that personal resources and protective mechanisms of a person are more clearly and fully manifested when he is faced with an unfavorable situation - in this case, rain. Children are especially keen and sensitive to the world around them, so the image of a natural phenomenon and a person meeting him can give a very emotional and deep answer to questions of social adaptation and help to formulate the right decision in eliminating psychological blocks, fears and complexes.

Key Points

The method "Man in the Rain" for children in its classic version is implemented in two stages. First, it is proposed to draw just a person, then a condition is added - rain. Thus, the psychologist receives two drawings from the child. The difference is sometimes amazing. Not only the emotional background changes due to the landscape, but also the image of a person, the use of colors. Also, experts revealed the difference between the drawings of girls and boys, which indicates the gender characteristics of social adaptation. In general, there are several key points or parameters on which the "Man in the Rain" methodology is built. The analysis of the drawings takes place precisely according to the size of the figure and figure of the person, his actions, age and gender, color palette, as well as the landscape and additional objects.

Picture size

In this category, a human figure is associated with negative attributes (raindrops, puddles, clouds, lightning). The abundance and non-standard sizes of the latter indicate an inability to accept stressful situations and try to quickly resolve them. The reverse situation, in addition to the accuracy of the drawing and its aesthetics, indicates a sufficient personal resource that allows the child to easily adapt to an unusual environment.

Figure size

Considerable emphasis in the analysis falls on the size of a human figure. The small size indicates some impotence and the need for support. An indicator of the loss of support (soil under the feet) can also be the too large figure of a person in the rain, when it is enlarged so that only the body is placed on a sheet of paper, the legs remain “outside the picture”.

Attention is also paid to the location of the figure itself relative to the center of the picture. Loss of it and displacement indicate internal discomfort of the child, loss of the inner core or "center" that arose as a result of adverse situations. These include the same adaptation to new conditions and conditions.

Human action

Each detail in the children's drawing provides an answer to a number of questions posed by experts and the projective method "Man in the Rain." Interpretation of the actions or omissions of the main character indicates a willingness to overcome difficulties or pass in front of them. However, the nature of the action may vary. A person can stand, walk quietly, flee, jump and rejoice, sit or lie in a puddle. Each option, as a rule, directly correlates with the actual behavior of the child under adverse factors.

Gender and age

The willingness to make decisions is also indicated by the gender of the figure. Numerous studies have proved that boys do not always draw a male figure, and girls - a female one. In this case, gender symbolizes a model of behavior in resolving a stressful situation, namely: male and female. The first is characterized by decisiveness, responsibility, active actions in the search for a way out. The female model of behavior is characterized by passivity, vulnerability, and the dominance of intuition. The “ sex change ” of a person in the picture is a clear pointer to a change in the style of behavior and response.

Often in children's works, the age of the main character also changes. It is clear that the person portrayed is a direct projection of the author of the picture. Therefore, age in this case can be interpreted as a level of qualities that help the child make decisions. So, the image of an adult can indicate prudence, even some wisdom in difficult situations, or indicates the need for support, support from adults. The image of a child in the rain indicates the author’s childhood. The analytical background of the “Man in the Rain” methodology in this situation gives an assessment of the character of the author according to the actions of the drawn figure and the general mood of the picture.

Color

An important role is given to the method "Man in the Rain" and the color palette of children's drawings. Usually the child uses his favorite colors, so purple puddles, blue or pink rain can be depicted. The human figure itself, as a rule, is the same color and rainbow. However, when researching, contrasting patterns were also encountered, where rain and clouds were painted in a dark and gloomy color, and a person, on the contrary, was represented by light or bright colors. Using a wide palette of colors and contrasting a person with the natural elements speaks of a clear awareness of the child's stress and himself in this uncomfortable situation. Thus, color is a manifestation of the unconscious, an indicator of the author’s attitude to himself, rain and the situation.

Remedies

Additional attributes in the figure also fall under the psychological assessment. So, the most predictable are the images of an umbrella, cloak, hood, cape. A person putting these protective equipment on himself can calmly continue to do his usual business - this is quite natural. However, sometimes, despite the umbrella and other elements, rain still penetrates the human space. For the specialist, this serves as a signal that the usual protective mechanisms are no longer working, and a new style of behavior and response to negative influences from the outside is needed. There is another type of drawing when it is depicted in a raincoat or with an umbrella, but there is no rain or clouds. Such a composition is rarely encountered by the Man in the Rain technique. Its interpretation comes down to the characterization of the author as a person who is super-protected, always ready for a blow. He quite successfully overcomes stress, but at the same time he is in constant tension. Is the game worth the candle? This is the question that the child has to solve together with the psychologist.

Scenery

In addition to the rain itself, the figures depict clouds - the cause of the rain, and puddles - its consequence. Sometimes a small rain pours from huge clouds. This means that negative expectations, the author’s fears often exceed reality. The method “Man in the Rain” interprets puddles as the child’s excessive sensitivity, ability to worry about unpleasant factors for a long time, and “carry the sediment”.

However, there are also positive images (for example, a rainbow, the peering sun, flowers). As a rule, they indicate resources that contribute to favorable psychological adaptation. Negative symbols, on the contrary, exacerbate a stressful situation and require specialist intervention.

The emotional background of the picture (positive or negative) is built from the totality of its parameters. If a person’s figure is active in the rain, accompanying positive symbols are drawn, then the child has enough personal resources to withstand stress. If negative parameters dominate the picture, then the child is invited to verbally compose a story for the image. And already from it you can get information about the ability to withstand adverse factors.

Psychological commentary

The projective method "Man in the Rain" is an entertaining and surprisingly accurate way to collect the necessary information about the emotional state of the child, his needs, safety, protective mechanisms in stressful situations. And also she is able to show the level of need for self-esteem, self-realization and personal self-improvement. For psychologists, the results of a picture test determine the degree of work on the style of children's behavior and response to stress. When identifying problems and psychological barriers, specialists should deal with the correct formation of a meaningful attitude of the child to adverse effects, understanding their causes and consequences.

The method "Man in the Rain" for preschoolers is a unique opportunity to predict and prevent psychological problems, prepare children for possible situations, thereby smoothing out sharp and negative reactions.

Observations

Of greatest interest are drawings of children who are brought up in boarding schools. After all, each of them already has a huge baggage of emotions behind them (divorce or death of parents, their alcoholism and deprivation of parental rights, etc.). As a rule, the depicted figures are defenseless before the rain, which is a symbolic projection. The deformed image, the inability to make out the gender and age of the character, the blurred lines indicate that traumatic situations do not allow to be resistant to influences, change the perception of the child’s world and the image of his “I”.