X-ray vision: a mental representation of the body of a young and of an elderly person

Abstract

Introduction: The concepts of Young Person and Elderly Person have undergone a diversity of evolutionary nature, permeable to many factors beyond the biopsychosocial conventions involved the definition of the life cycle stages [1]. The evaluation of such subjectivity in several population fringes and in different stages of development may be a clinical key regarding the implementation of suitable strategies for the prevention of disease and health promotion [2,3]. The present study aims to understand how the college students of the anatomy Fine Arts’ class mentally represent the internal morphology of the human body of the “Young Person” and of the “Elderly Person” [4].

Materials and methods: The present study was carried out based on the drawings made by 126 students who attended a Fine Arts higher education institution in the metropolitan area of Lisbon and Tagus Valley. The students were asked to draw the interior of the body of a young person and of an elderly person [2]. In all, 252 drawings were evaluated, and the interpretation of the drawings was based on an analysis matrix designed for this purpose. A comparative analysis of these two different vital life cycle phases was carried out.

Results: The data suggests that in most cases the age attributed to the young figure is on average much lower than the age attributed to the elderly figure. Simultaneously, there was an absence of the contour of the body (the skin), which represented the largest organ of the human body. The drawings reveal an absence of sexual organs, suggesting a desexualization of the portrayed human bodies. The results suggest anatomical differences in the pictorial representation of the young person and of the elderly person, namely in the accentuation of curvatures of the vertebral column, retruded lower jaw and muscle flaccidity. Interestingly, the elderly figure, when invested, is represented with supporting instruments (e.g., cane) or associated with unhealthy behaviours (e.g., smoking).

Discussion and conclusions: The present exploratory study demonstrated that although the body schema was the same for all individuals, the body image was singular, linked to each individual and to his own history, representing a synthesis of his idiosyncratic perceptions, experiences and particularities. The graphic representation of the mind and of the symbolic thought with resource to pictorial instrument enabled the transposition of this internal dimension in the form of imago, endowed with meanings associated with personal and bodily identity.

Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to Ana Ferreira for the translation of the paper. No funding to declare.