A REVIEW OF RESEARCH ON THE WELSH FIGURE PREFERENCE TEST - Review - 6th Mental Measurements Yearbook

Sep 17, 2026

Uploaded by Kyle

A review examines the Welsh Figure Preference Test (WFPT), a non-language, objective personality assessment using 400 black-and-white line drawings. Responses are described in terms of two core factors: liking or disliking figures and preferring simple, symmetrical designs. Findings are summarized across research linking WFPT patterns with antisocial or rebellious tendencies, mental maturity, conformance, and other personality inventories, noting limited prediction of individual behavior. Additional commentary reviews reliability and validity issues and critiques scale development.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages33

Reading Time1 h 23 min

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A REVIEW OF RESEARCH ON THE WELSH FIGURE PREFERENCE TEST

ReviewS and Criticismg

REP。R T RE s u M E s ED 020546 CG 002127 A REVIEW OF RESEARCH ON THE WELSH FIGURE PREFERENCE TEST.BY-AIKEN,LEWIS R.,JR, RICHARDSON FOUNDATION,GREENSBORO,N.C. JUN 67 PUB DATE EDRS PRICE MF-$.25 HC-$1.36 32P. DESCRIPTORS-*PERSONALITY STUDIES,*PERSONALITY TESTS,PERSONALITY,CREAT3VITY RESEARCH,CONFORMITY,*OB JECTIVE7ESTS,MATURATION,WELSH FIGURE PREFERENCE TEST,THE REVISEDART SCALE,MINNESOTA MULTIFHASIC PERSONALITY INVEN,CALIFORNIA PSYCHOLOG ICAL INVENTORY,BARRON WELSH ART SCALE THE WELSH FIGURE PREFERENCE TEST(WFPT)CONSISTS OF 400BLACK AND WHITE LINE DRAWINGS.THE EXAMINEE INDICATED WHETHERHE LIKES OR DISLIKES EACH DRAWING.THIS NON-LANGUAGE,OBJECTIVE METHOD OF ASSESSING FERSONALITY REVEALS TWO MAJORFACTORS--(1)THE TENDENCY TO LIKE OR CISLIKE FIGURES,AND(2)THE TENDENCY TO PREFER SIMPLE,SYMMETRICAL FIGURES.STUDIESDEMONSTRATE THAT THOSE WHO PREFER SIMFLE DESIGNS TEND TO BEANTISOCIAL.OR REBELLIOUS.RESFONSEs ON THE WFPT ARE DISCUSSEDIN RELATIONSHIP TO MENTAL MATURITY,CONFORMANCE,INDEFENDENCEOF JUDGMENT,MASCULINITY-FEMININITY,FERSONALITY INVENTORIES,AND THE DEVIATION HYPOTHESIS.REVIEWS OF THE WFPT INDICATETHAT ALTHOUGH THE TEST ITEMS ARE RELATIVELY CONTENT-FREE ANDDIFFERENTIATE BE TWEEN GROUPS,THEY DO NOT PREDICT WELL ININDIVIDUAL CASES.WFPT SCORES REPORTEDLY Do NOT HAVE HIGHCORRELATIONS WITH RATINGS OF ACTUAL BEHAVIOR.THE BARRON-WELSH ART SCALE AND THE REVISED ART SCALE ARE BRIEFLYREVIEWED.(PH) 94502003 CG 002 127 # A REVIEW OF RESEARCH ON THE WELSH FIGURE PREFERENCE TEST By Lewis R.Aiken,Jr.Guilford College U.S.DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH,EDUCATION&WELFARE0FFICE OF EDUCATION THS DOCUMENT HAS BEEW REPRODUCED EXACTLY AS RECEIVED FROM THEPERSOM 0R ORGANILZATION ORIGIMATING T.POINTS OF VIEW OR OPIWIONSSTATED DO MOT MEESSARILY REPRESENT OFFICIAL OFFICE OF EDUCATIONPOSITION OR POLICY. Published By The Creativity Research InstituteOf The Richardson Foundation,Inc.June,1967 7、C. kenelor) # A REVIEW OF RESEARCH ON THE WELSH FIGURE PREFERENCE TEST¹ Lewis R.Aiken,Jr.Guilford College The Welsh Figure Preference Test,published by Consul-ting Psychologists Press,consists of 400 black and whiteline drawings of varying complexity. In its original form,the drawings on the test were presented individually oncards,but the subsequent booklet form,consisting of eightdrawings per page,has been used more extensively. The examinee is instructed to indicate whether he likes or doesntlike each of the drawings,either by marking an "LI or a D"cn the separate answer sheet.a task which takes about 40to 50 minutes. The Preliminary Manual.for the test(Welsh,1959)states that it can be used with persons of age sixand above and as many as 27 different scores obtained:DL(Don't Like Scale),RP(Repeat Scale),CF(ConformanceScale),BW(Barron-Welsh Art Scale),RA(Revised Art scale),MF(Male-Female Scale),NP(Neuropsychiatric Scale),CN(Children Scale),in addition to 12 a priori content scores,an MV(Movement Scale)score,an FG(Figure-Ground Scale)score,and five sex symbol scores. Welsh's purpose in constructing the test was to providea non-language,objective method of assessing personality.In a sense,the Welsh Figure Preference Test(WFPT)was tobe a non-language form of the MMPI,a test which had provenso successful with literates. Initially(Welsh,1949),143 people,six of whom Were artists,sorted several hundredline drawings,drawn in black ink on 3 by 5 cards,into twopiles—those that they liked and those that they disliked.After these sorts were obtained,a factor analysis of thepreferences revealed two major factors:(I)the tendency tolike or dislike figures(acceptance-rejection factor),and(II)the tendency to prefer simple,symmetrical figures asopposed to.complex,asymmetricai ones. The second bipolarfactor was orthogonal to the first. Further study of the responses to these designs(Welsh,1949)indicated that individuals who preferred the simple,symmetrical figures tended to be conservative and conven-tionai,whereas those who preferr

FAQs

What is the Welsh Figure Preference Test (WFPT)?

The WFPT consists of 400 black-and-white line drawings, and examinees indicate whether they like or dislike each drawing using an answer sheet. The test is designed as a non-language, objective method for assessing personality.

What two major factors does the WFPT reveal?

Research on the WFPT indicates two main factors: the tendency to like or dislike figures, and the tendency to prefer simple, symmetrical figures over complex, asymmetrical ones.

How do WFPT results relate to predicting real individual behavior?

Reviews report that WFPT items differentiate between groups but do not predict well in individual cases, including weak correlations with ratings of actual behavior.

Sep 17, 2026

Uploaded by Kyle