Drawing a Home: Insights on Child Attachment from the Bird’s Nest Drawing Test

Abstract

Background: Attachment is a fundamental aspect of human development. Insecure attachment is associated with various negative outcomes, including mental health problems, relationship difficulties, and academic problems. Bird’s Nest Drawing (BND) is widely known as a projective test to assess attachment. Study aims: This review aimed to (1) critically assess BND and its interpretation toward various attachment styles and (2) examine BND's strengths and operational challenges and (3) provide insight into the cultural and contextual factors that may affect the interpretation of the test results. Method: This study is a literature review with a narrative synthesis approach. Eligibility criteria were accessed through the SPIDER framework. We focused on studies investigating the relationship between BND and attachment theory, with no age restrictions for participants. The authors followed Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) Critical Appraisal checklist to evaluate chosen literature's quality. A narrative synthesis was performed to extract information that can be compared or integrated. Result: Ten studies met the eligibility criteria. The results suggest that texture, colors, and narration following the drawings are strongly associated with attachment security, while other variables show weaker associations with attachment. Conclusion: The BND test is beneficial to explore individuals’ perception and attachment relationships, particularly with their primary caregiver. However, further studies are needed to assess interrater reliability for some themes and cultural context in BND interpretation.