Kinetic-family-drawing styles and emotionally disturbed childhood behavior.

The purpose of the study was to achieve empirical verification that Kinetic-Family-Drawing (KFD) styles were reflected by children with moderate/severe emotionally disturbed interpersonal relationships as opposed to the nonstylized drawings of adjusted children. Drawings were obtained from 102 emotionally disturbed children attending the Lesley College Schools for Children. For the normal sample of KFDs, 162 drawings were collected from children attending public elementary schools. The drawings were analyzed and scored for style in a reliable fashion by five judges. The results confirmed the general existence of KFD style; however, style was not predominantly associated with the disturbed sample but rather was present to a greater extent (significant at the .05 level) in the KFDs of adjusted children.