Perceptual distortion and its relation to adolescent drawings

Abstract

Abstract

The present study addresses cognitive distortion and its relationship to adolescents’ drawings. The research consisted of four chapters. The first chapter addressed the research problem represented by the following question: (What is the relationship between cognitive distortion and adolescents’ drawings?) It also included the significance of the research and the need for it, in addition to the research objective, which is to identify cognitive distortion and its relationship to adolescents’ drawings.

The limits of the study were determined temporally for the period (2025-2026), and spatially in Iraq / Diyala Governorate / Baqubah District Center. The study population included male and female students aged (16) years, in addition to defining the terms used in the research.

The second chapter included the theoretical framework and previous studies, and was divided into three sections. The first section addressed the concept of cognitive distortion and its relationship with knowledge and perception, while the second section discussed the psychological characteristics of adolescents and the emotional and cognitive features that distinguish this stage. The third section dealt with adolescents’ drawings as an expressive field reflecting the adolescent’s psychological and emotional experiences, as it represents the context to which the research belongs.

The third chapter presented the research procedures, including the research sample selected from secondary school students aged (16) years. A cognitive distortion scale in its primary and secondary forms was adopted, in addition to constructing a tool for analyzing adolescents’ drawings. This chapter also included a description of the tool, the procedures for verifying its validity and reliability, as well as the statistical methods used to process and analyze the data.

The fourth chapter included the presentation and interpretation of the results, as well as the conclusions, recommendations, and suggestions. The results revealed several indicators, the most important of which were:

1. The presence of a statistically significant relationship between cognitive distortion and adolescents’ drawings.
2. The appearance of distortions in proportions and balance, as well as distortion in some parts of the human figure in drawings associated with a high level of cognitive distortion.
3. The tendency of some male and female adolescents to use symbols or unrealistic shapes that reflect their perceptual and emotional perceptions.

The study reached a set of conclusions and recommendations emphasizing the importance of paying attention to adolescents’ drawings as a psychological