Investigation of immigrant women's personality traits and attachment representations through the projective method of drawing pictures

Migration can have a profound impact on individuals' personality structures and attachment representations. In particular, migrant women may experience psychological difficulties due to the traumas they encounter during the migration process, problems with social integration, and a lack of belonging. In this context, this study aims to examine the personality traits and attachment representations of migrant women living in Turkey through the projective method of drawing tests. The study is based on two main hypotheses: The first is that the drawings produced by migrant women in the "Draw a Bird's Nest" test will differ from those of non-migrant women living in Turkey; the second is that the results of the "Draw a Cactus" test by migrant women will differ from the drawings of non-migrant women. In this direction, a two-stage study was planned: qualitative and quantitative. In the first step, a control group of 100 migrant women and 100 non-migrant women was created, and they were asked to draw bird nests and cactuses in the context of the tests used. Apart from the Draw a Bird's Nest Test and the Draw a Cactus Picture Test, the socio-demographic form prepared by the researcher was also presented to the participants. The drawings were evaluated according to specific criteria examining personality traits, representations of aggression, and representations of attachment. Personal characteristics and aggression themes were examined in cactus drawings, and features related to attachment representations were examined in bird nest drawings. In the second step, the data obtained were subjected to intergroup comparisons with statistical Chi-Square analysis. In the bird nest drawings, it was found that the attachment representations of migrant women were weaker. In particular, themes such as the safety of the nest, family integrity, and nurturing were less pronounced in the drawings of migrant women. In terms of color usage and adherence to naturalism, migrant women also displayed a lower level of representation compared to the control group. This study highlights that migrant women exhibit significant differences in personality traits and attachment representations compared to non-migrant women. Migrant women, in particular, face greater difficulties in expressing a sense of belonging, self-esteem, and representations of aggression. The absence of security and family representations observed in the bird nest drawings indicates that migrant women experience uncertainty in their attachment relationships. These findings emphasize the need for developing psychosocial support programs for migrant women and provide insights for future research to better understand the psychological effects of migration.