House-Tree-Person (H-T-P) Projective Drawing Technique

The House-Tree-Person (H-T-P), developed by John B. Buck, is one of the most distinguished and widely used projectives. The H-T-P is popular not only because it yields abundant clinical information, but also because it saves time and is easy to use.

The H-T-P can be administered to anyone over the age of 3. The subject simply produces three drawings – of a house, a tree, and a person. Then he or she is given the opportunity to describe, define, and interpret these drawings.

Because drawing can reduce tension in testing situations, the H-T-P is often administered as the first in a battery of psychodiagnostic tests. It is an ideal way to assess personality in individuals who are culturally different, educationally deprived, developmentally disabled, or non-English-speaking. H-T-P drawings are highly sensitive to the presence of psychopathology – early in its development.