Abstract
A visual ego state model is presented which uses stylized “circle-face” drawings of the ego states and four “basic feeling” faces. Its effectiveness as compared to the conventional written model was tested in an experiment with 40 preschool and school age children residing in a Home for Children from Problem Families in Berlin, West Germany. The results clearly show that children—especially those with reading and learning problems—relate more quickly to the pictures than to the written descriptions. Practical applications of the circle faces in diagnostic and therapeutic work are discussed.