Applying the Formal Elements Art Therapy Scale (FEATS) to Adults in an Asian Population

Abstract

Assessment is the foundation for conceptualizing effective interventions. Due to their nonverbal nature, art therapy assessments have an advantage over traditional verbal assessments in some populations and potentially across cultures. This pilot study provides preliminary reliability data to support the cross-cultural use of the Formal Elements Art Therapy Scale (FEATS) as an art therapy assessment tool. A sample of 51 Chinese residents of Hong Kong completed the Person Picking an Apple From a Tree task, and their drawings were scored by two groups of art therapists and social workers in order to examine interrater reliability and to provide normative data for an Asian population. Results of the study showed high interrater reliability on the majority of the FEATS scales. Recommendations are offered to improve the rigor of art therapy assessment research and future normative studies.

Acknowledgments

Editor's Note: Joshua Kin-man Nan, MA, MDiv, BSW, is an art therapist, social worker, and doctoral student at the University of Hong Kong, China. Lisa D. Hinz, PhD, ATR, is an art therapist and clinical psychologist at St. Helena Center for Health, St. Helena, CA, and an adjunct professor in the graduate art therapy program at Saint-Mary-of-the-Woods College, Terre Haute, IN.