| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Description | The Hand Test™ (Wagner, 1962) is a projective personality test designed to assess individual action tendencies, including behaviors such as acting out and aggression, in both adults and children. The test uses pictures of hands as visual stimuli, and the client is asked to describe what each hand might be doing. The original concept and drawings were created by Edwin E. Wagner, while the scoring system and test rationale were developed by Barry Bricklin and Zygmunt A. Piotrowski. The test serves as a starting point in diagnostic personality evaluations and is applicable in educational, correctional, neuropsychological, and medical settings. No reliability or validity data were provided in the development of the test. |
| Author | Edwin E. Wagner |
| Purpose | To assess behavioral reactions or tendencies likely to be expressed in overt behavior. |
| Construct | Behavioral Tendencies |
| Instrument Type | Task |
| Administration Method | Physical Object |
| Test Year | 1962 |
| Format | The test consists of 10 picture cards displaying hand drawings in different positions. Clients describe what each hand is doing. |
| Test Items Available | No |
| Reliability | No reliability indicated |
| Validity | No validity indicated |
| Factor Analysis | No factor analysis indicated |
| Classification | Personality |
| Age Group | Childhood (birth-12 years); Adulthood (18 years and older) |
| Population Details | Intended for both adults and children |
| Keywords | Acting Out; Aggressive Behavior; Behavioral Reactions; Behavioral Tendencies; Hand Pictures; Projective Personality Test; Visual Stimuli |
| Index Terms | Aggressive Behavior; Behavior Problems; Emotional Responses; Hand (Anatomy); Personality Traits; Pictorial Stimuli; Projective Personality Measures; Antisocial Behavior Measures |
| Reference | Bricklin, B., Piotrowski, Z. A., & Wagner, E. E. (1962). Introduction. In B. Bricklin, Z. A. Piotrowski, & E. E. Wagner, The hand test: A new projective test with special reference to the prediction of overt aggressive behavior (pp. 3–5). Charles C Thomas Publisher. https://doi.org/10.1037/13123-001 |
Cite this article
Mohammed looti (2026). Hand Test™. PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES. Retrieved from https://scales.arabpsychology.com/s/hand-test/
Mohammed looti. "Hand Test™." PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES, 4 Apr. 2026, https://scales.arabpsychology.com/s/hand-test/.
Mohammed looti. "Hand Test™." PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES, 2026. https://scales.arabpsychology.com/s/hand-test/.
Mohammed looti (2026) 'Hand Test™', PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES. Available at: https://scales.arabpsychology.com/s/hand-test/.
[1] Mohammed looti, "Hand Test™," PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES, vol. X, no. Y, ص Z-Z, April, 2026.
Mohammed looti. Hand Test™. PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES. 2026;vol(issue):pages.