Abstract

The paper focuses on technology use in therapeutic settings, particularly in the field of art therapy. Art therapy uses visual arts materials to address therapeutic issues and assessment. Technology now provides numerous art-based alternatives to traditional art materials. This study compared two forms of the Arrington Visual Preference Test (AVPT)—the original AVPT and the newly developed digital AVPT. The study gathered comprehensive survey data by comparing participants’ user experiences with the original and digital AVPT. Participants took both the original AVPT and the digital AVPT in random order. Following completion of the AVPT sessions participants completed a survey regarding their experience. Surprisingly younger participants (21-30 years old) stated preference for the original AVPT and older participants (over 40 years of age) preferred the digital AVPT. However, Asians under 30 years old showed a strong preference for the digital AVPT compared to other ethnic groups. The digital AVPT presented via the Internet could be easily converted into different languages making it available at domestic and international locations. Norms could be generated from a large pool of participants in various locations, cultures, and spoken languages. This could clarify cultural variations in response to the AVPT increasing its validity and reliability in clinical settings.