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[PSYCHOLOGICAL MEASUREMENT] MAAÑO | MCDI

Maaño Childhood Depression Indicator
(MCDI)
Janmarie Gabrielle DG. Maaño
Department of Behavioral Sciences, University of the Philippines – Manila. jnz.maano@yahoo.com

INTRODUCTION

Depression is an affective disorder which may be unipolar or bipolar. Bipolar depression is
characterized by mania followed by depression. Depressive lifestyle is also very common especially in
adolescents.
The diathesis – stress model is a model associated with depression which assumes that
depression may be affected genetically and through the exposure to specific environments. This scale
focuses on the measurement of depression through the familial environment and childhood experiences.
Certain exposures to people and events may have triggered the onset of a depressive tendency.

THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

FAMILY MEMBER
FAMILY
MEMBERS
COLOR CODES
MEMORY

DEPRESSION
CHILDHOOD
EXPERIENCE
CHILDHOOD
EXPERIENCES
COLOR CODE
MEMORY

Figure 1 Conceptual framework of the MCDI

1 Psychological Measurement


FEASIBILITY

The scale is feasible because it is easy to use and very convenient. The examiner can easily
establish rapport and converse smoothly with the respondent. The domains of “family members” and
“childhood experiences” do not offend participants in any way. This is a good indicator since it
encourages participants to share the memories they have associated with the family member and the
color.

OBSERVATION

People tend to be reminded of certain memories when they are exposed to a certain kind of color.
These colors are associated by the person to memories that they might have even repressed. When
exposed to the color, the person reverts back to a memory which may have underlying tendencies of
depression. In Psychology, colors represent an emotion that is subconscious to a person. These colors
take the person back to a certain memory; from there, the person exposes a subconscious realm to the
examiner, possibly revealing the happiest and lowest point of the person’s life. Through the use of colors,
this scale aims to use exposed realms in correlation to the person’s memory and the nature of the color.

Cultural and individual differences are also considered in this scale. The person follows a certain
pattern to which the examiner traces consistency when it comes to the given definition. After which the
scale is able to define the meaning of the colors to the person in his own interpretation.

METHODOLOGY

The scale is a projective test which uses colors to target certain memories which may root the
depression to childhood experiences. The first part of the scale is a measure of the socio-demographic
profile of the participant. The socio-demographic profile supports the assumption due to the disposition of
the person and also due to the normalcy of the person’s state. Items such as the sex, gender and socio-
economic status can be factors to measure the disposition of the person.

The second domain surveys the familial environment the person grew up to. It paints a general
picture of the person’s childhood – whether it was admirable to the person or not. Items regarding the
parents and who brought up the person were asked to correlate to general answers from the experiences
in domains 3 and 4.

The third domain is when the interviewer starts administering the projective test. The interviewer
will be asking the participant to associate a color with a family member. From there, the interviewer may
ask specific questions of why the participant chose the certain color. The interviewer must remind the
participant that projection of a certain color may not be instantaneous, they can think thoroughly of the
color and the memory they want to reveal. The last domain associates the person’s childhood



experiences to a certain color. In this domain, patterns may already be recognized, therefore making vivid
associations between memory and color.

The scale is measured through norming. The projective test is generally interpreted by the
examiner. Guides for measuring the stories of the participant are evaluated by the polarity of the colors.
Positive and negative indications are given and the examiner traces connections between the nature of
the colors.

SIGNIFICANCE AND APPLICATION

The scale may be used to trace tendencies of depression of a certain person. This may be used
as a tool to trace if depressive tendencies may be due to childhood experiences or environment. This
scale can rule out certain contaminants such as the influences of peers. Examiners may use the scale to
assess a person’s childhood development and indicate if there have been depressive tendencies and if
so, be able to monitor the behavior of the individual. The scale is significant because it is the first scale
which indicates depressive tendencies through a color test. This is considered an advantage because
projective tests may reveal more about the person than standardized tests.

REFERENCES

• Adams, Francis M.; Osgood, Charles E. A Cross-Cultural Study of the Affective Meanings of
Color. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology , Volume 4 (2): 135
SAGE – Jun 1, 1973

th
• John P.J. Pinel, Biopsychology 8 edition, University of British Columbia, Pearson 2011

• Warcoll, Anna. Psychology and Colors. Psychology and Art 2003



APPENDIX

Appendix 1: Informed Consent

University of the Philippines – Manila
Padre Faura St., Ermita, Manila
College of Arts and Sciences
Department of Behavioral Sciences, 2nd floor Rizal Hall

Dear Participant,

Greetings!

I am Janmarie Gabrielle DG. Maaño from the University of the Philippines – Manila. I am a
Behavioral Sciences student in my third year who is currently pre-testing a projective test as our
requirement for our Psychology 162 (Psychological Measurement) class. This scale will measure a
person’s tendency for depression by doing a color test that roots the depression from the person’s
childhood and environment.

You will be answering asked to participate in answering this projective test. This may take at
least 30 minutes of your time. Any information regarding you that will be obtained from this
study will be kept confidential and available only upon your personal request.

Your answering of this test is voluntary and you may withdraw from answering at any point
during the process. By signing the informed consent form, you understand the process of what you
will do and will do it voluntarily.

Thank you very much. Your participation will extremely benefit this pre-testing.

Sincerely,
Janmarie Gabrielle DG. Maaño

INFORMED CONSENT FORM

I have been well-informed regarding the objectives of the study and the process of
participating in the test. I have also agreed on taking part in this study and become a participant. I
understand that I may withdraw from answering anytime during the process and my answering of this
is voluntary.

Signature of Participant over Printed Name Date



Appendix 2: Questionnaire

Maaño Childhood Depression Indicator (MCDI)

INSTRUCTIONS: The following are questions regarding your socio-demographic profile. Please answer as honestly

as possible. Encircle the number corresponding to your answer.
I. SOCIO DEMOGRAPHIC FACTORS

Name (optional):

Contact Number (optional):

Q1. Age:

Q2. Birthday:

Q3. Sex: [1] Male [2] Female

[1] Male
[2] Female
[3] Homosexual
Q4. Gender
[4] Bisexual
[5] Transvestite
[6] Hermaphrodite

[1] Single
[2] Married
Q5. Civil Status: [3] Living-in
[4] Separated/Annulled
[5] Widowed

How much do you earn per month?
[1] below 10, 000
[2] 10, 001 – 30, 000
Q6. Socio-Economic Status:
[3] 30, 001 – 50, 000
[4] above 50, 001
[5] I am not earning money

Q7. Occupation:



II. Childhood experiences

[1] Yes (proceed to question 9)
Q8. Did you grow up with both parents?
[2] No

Q8.1 If not, were you happy being raised by a [1] Yes
single parent? [2] No

[1] Yes
Q9. Did you live with your relatives?
[2] No
Q10. When you ask for something, was it instantly [1] Yes
given to you? [2] No

Q11. Do you think your parent/s were able to [1] Yes
provide you with your needs as a child? [2] No

[1] Yes
Q12. Was it always chaotic in your house?
[2] No (proceed to question 13)
You can encircle more than one.
[1] People were always shouting.
[2] Spanking occurred often.
Q12.1 If yes, what kind of chaotic environment did
[3] I lived with people who drank alcohol.
you have?
[4] I lived with people who smoked.
[5] I lived with people who did drugs.
[6] Others: ____________________________
[1] Mother
[2] Father
[3] A sibling
[4] Aunt
Q13. Who was the closest to you in your family? [5] Uncle
[6] Grandparent
[7] Helper
[8] Cousin
[9] Others: ________________________________
[1] Yes
Q14. Do you share everything with this person?
[2] No

Q15. Rate your overall childhood experience. Kindly place an “X” mark on the line.

Not Happy ____________________________ | ____________________________Very Happy



III. Family Members Color Codes

The following are to be answered by the researcher while doing an interview with the participant.

COLOR
FAMILY MEMBER CODE COMMENTS
CHOSEN

Mother

Father

Siblings

Grandmother



Grandfather

Aunt

Uncle

Cousin

Helper



IV. Childhood Experience Color Codes

Childhood Experience Color Code Chosen Comments

A rainy day

Christmas break

Birthday

Typical Sunday morning

Going home after school

Weekday morning



New Year’s Eve

Summer

Dinnertime

First day of school

Playtime

Before going to bed

Favorite Childhood
Memory



Appendix 3: Color Codes

Appendix 4: Meaning of the colors

COLOR POSITIVE NEGATIVE

Warmth, love, boldness, excitement, speed,
Anger, danger, aggression,
RED strength, energy, determination, desire,
morbidity, obsession
passion, courage



cheerfulness, low cost, affordability,
ORANGE Pessimism, superficiality
enthusiasm, stimulation, creativity, food

durability, reliability, environmental, luxurious,
optimism, well-being, nature, calm,
GREEN Possessiveness
relaxation, Spring, safety, honesty, optimism,
harmony, freshness

peace, professionalism, loyalty, reliability,
Melancholia, boredom, coldness,
BLUE honor, Winter, depth, stability,
conservatism, frigidity
professionalism, honor, trust


PINK Love, nurturing Immature, silly



Comfort, liveliness, optimism, overwhelm, Summer, Attention-grabbing,
YELLOW
comfort, liveliness, intellect, happiness, energy cowardliness, hunger, conflict

Royalty, nobility, elegance, sophistication, artificial,
VIOLET Mystery, power, impractical
luxury, royalty, elegance, magic

GRAY conservatism, traditionalism, intelligence Serious, dull, uninteresting


Death, illegality, depression,
BLACK Elegance, sophistication, formality, strength
morbidity, night, absence

Cleanliness, purity, newness, virginity, peace,
WHITE Cold, death, emptiness
innocence, simplicity, sterility, snow, ice, cold, new


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