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The Baum test (also known as the "Tree test" or the "Koch test") is a projective test, which reflects individual's personality and their underlying emotional history by drawing a tree then analyzing it. Baum test is used extensively across the world in clinical research like diagnosing cognitive disorder.

History and terminology
In 1952, Karl Koch interprated patterned according to principles of handwriting analysis after asking the subject to draw a tree. He attributed the method to Emil Jucker, who clinically analyses the forms of trees. Baum test is used as a clinical method for personality test and expressing conflicts, especially for assessing personality in the developmental age. Nowadays, it is widely use in clinical and work practice.

"Baum" is the german word of tree. The contents it analyzed are size of trees, the elements of trees (trunk, crown, branches), the ground and the prosperity of trees.

Materials:
For preparing the materials, it needs one paper, a set of colorful pencils and an eraser. The evaluation time is about ten minutes and thirty minutes, which depends on everyone needs.

Process:
Asking the participant to draw a tree on the paper. There are cases where the patients are also asked to write a short essay about the drawn tree.

Note:
The process must be spontaneous. Besides, the same exercise can vary completely a few months apart.

Besides, the precondition is the ability to draw basic patterns by the participants.

Indications
It is suggested by some psychologists (e.g. J.H. Plokker) that the type of tree an individual draws relates to the structure of the psyche or unconscious itself or that it symbolizes one's personality as it can project self-image.

This is the analysis raised by Koch and Jucker:


 * Large Baum: indicates self-confidence
 * Small Baum: indicates a lack of self-confidence
 * Big trunk: indicates straightforwardness and liveliness
 * Small trunk: indicates weariness
 * Deep Roots: indicates stability
 * No/shallow roots: indicates a feeling of exclusion
 * Big Branches: indicates arrogance
 * No/small branches: indicates unsocial behavior
 * Large Leaves: indicates friendliness, social ability
 * Small Leaves: indicates shyness

Uses in Cross-cultural psychology
Since drawing is nonverbal character, it overcomes the language barriers in different countries. In 1966, Dennis analyzed children’s drawing s and found that they are great indicators of group values and cognitive functioning. Though familiarity is a factor children choose to depict, they would also draw things they valued (wishes and desires). He concluded that, drawing as a projective technique, providing children with a good opportunity to express their personal feelings and their attitudes towards others and environment. Research conducted in 2007 encouraged people who work with young people to use drawing as a child-centered procedure and evaluation tool, though during the process of interpretation expect a level of subjectivity.

Uses in psychodiagnosis and further treatment
There are many conducted research provides evidence of the Baum test. Roberto and his colleagues researched the Baum test with a group of mild cognitively impaired (MCI) patients and controls. By comparing their tree-drawing test with the control groups, they found that the trunk-to-crown ratio of trees drawn by MCI is greater than controls, while their size of trees is significantly smaller than controls. This indicates its inverse relationship with the ability of using language, which also supported by previous studies. One research on Alzheimer's disease also confirmed the relationship. By founding the MCI drawn trees are different from those drawn by healthy subjects with a progressive differentiation from degrees of cognitive impairment, it helps the diagnosis of cognitive related diseases.

Another recent implications of Baum test is for diagnosing depression disorders. This research has provided evidence of the statistical significance of canopy width. Besides, it could help to find the characteristics of eating disorders.

Uses in personality psychology
This projective test is used for reflecting human personality constructs, while it is an introspective, self-report questionnaire. It represents the unconsciousness of primary personality and the assessment by responding to a stimulus(drawing the tree). According to Ursula, the size of the tree and the width of the trunk symbolize "a sense of self-expression and the amount of mental energy". The position of a tree symbolizes "how one perceives and relates to the mental space and time in which one lives."

Importance
There are some advantages of Baum test:

1.     As a tool for psychodiagnosis, provide valid personality information for psychotherapy, while not easy to cause trauma to the subject.

2.    Suitable for both individual test and group test, easy and convenient for large range of testing.

However, researchers have pointed out that like other projective test, Baum test lack the scientific evidence of supporting its analysis. The methods of analysis depends on individual subjective judgement.