In the Bird's Nest: Birth Orders Influence on the Art
Graduation Date
Spring 2016
Document Type
Master's Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy
Degree Granting Institution
Notre Dame de Namur University
Program Name
Art Therapy
Dean
John Lemmon, PhD
First Reader
Jennifer Myers Harrison, PsyD, ATR-BC
Second Reader
Lynnaia Keune, MFT, ATR-BC
Abstract
The impact of birth order on attachment style was examined in emerging adults through the use of Kaiser’s bird nest drawing (1996); an art therapy assessment tool in conjunction with Simpson’s Attachment Index (1990). Due to the small sample size (n=45) distributed across three birth orders (oldest/only, middle, youngest) the findings were unable to yield statistical significance. The KBND when used in comparison with the AI was able to accurately determine attachment style. The drawings produced by each ordinal group exhibited traits that have been attributed to their ordinal position in the family constellation. The statistical trends found in previous bird’s nests studies in regards to themes, image elements, image situation, image composition, and image coloration was evident in this study.