PROJECTIVE TECHNIQUES

PROJECTIVE TEST
DEFINATION
A projective test is a type of personality test in which you offer responses to
ambiguous scenes, words, or images.1 A person's responses to a projective test are
thought to reflect hidden conflicts or emotions, with the hope that these issues can
then be addressed through psychotherapy or other appropriate treatments

What are projective tests?

Projective tests are a type of personality test in which the individual must
respond to ambiguous scenes, words or images or in some cases even draw. It
differs from objective tests in that the answers can be very varied, there are no correct
or incorrect answers. Although there are guidelines for correcting projective tests (and
even extensive training is necessary), it can happen that two experts come to different
conclusions from the same tests. This, however, is almost impossible in objective
tests.
The purpose of projective tests is to know the structure and functioning of the
person, in addition to discovering emotions or internal conflicts that the
individual is going to project in the answers. After this, the therapist can lead
psychotherapy to help the person.
This personality evaluation came from the psychoanalytic school, which suggested
that people have unconscious thoughts and impulses. Through the psychoanalyst’s
interpretation of the answers, it was possible to bring to light those feelings, desires,
and conflicts that are hidden in our unconscious that were causing problems in the
patient.

Despite the controversy surrounding the application of projective tests, the use of
these techniques continues to be widespread, both in the clinical and forensic fields
(assessment of offenders). In fact, the Rorschach Test is the third most used technique
by Spanish psychologists.

Although the projective tests can be very different from each other, we could find
some basic assumptions, common to most:

 Projective tests assume that the person has a basic and stable personality
structure. This structure is made up of dimensions, features or constructions

1
PROJECTIVE TECHNIQUES

organized in a unique way. This will be studied through the responses to projective
tests
 There is a relationship between the unobservability of the structure and the
behavioral manifestations of the person so the analysis of the structure will allow
predicting future behavior.
 Any response to projective tests is significant and will be understood as a sign
of the person’s personality.
 The more ambiguous the properties of the projective test, the more the
person’s personality is reflected.
 The person is not aware of the relationship between his answers and the inner
world, so it is difficult to misrepresent.
 The analysis of the responses is global.

History of the Projective Test

This type of test emerged from the psychoanalytic school of thought, which
suggested that people have unconscious thoughts or urges. Projective tests
are intended to uncover feelings, desires, and conflicts that are hidden from
conscious awareness.

History of the Projective Test Emerged from the psychoanalytic school of thought, to uncover
feelings, desires, and conflicts that are hidden from conscious awareness. By interpreting
responses to ambiguous cues, psychoanalysts hope to uncover unconscious feelings that might be
causing problems in a person's life. Training in projective testing in psychology graduate settings
has rapidly declined over the past decade or so. Despite the controversy over their use, projective
tests remain quite popular and are extensively used in both clinical and forensic settings. At least
one projective test was noted as one of the top five tests used in practice for 50% of 28
worldwide survey-based studies

Francis Galton (1879): trials of word association method for measuring

intelligenceKraepelin (1892): Association method for studying effects
of fatigue, hunger etc.Carl Jung: The first to formulate a standardized
word association projective test. Hermann Rorschach (1921)
published his famous work Psychodiagnotik, concluding the
researches he did earlier in 1916. Murray and Morgan (1935):
Thematic Apperception Test in 1935 in USA.

Szondi (1937): developed his own test in Europe.

Sentence completion technique: flourished in 1920s, brought into
concern in 1950s. A stem of sentence was given and the second part
was free to fill in. Goodenough and Harris (1930s): ‘Expressed

2
 PROJECTIVE TECHNIQUES

drawings’ as a supplemental measure of intelligence.Buck (1949):

House-Tree-Person Test, which should consist of drawings of a house,
a tree and some persons.Karen Machover (1949): Draw-A-Person Test
for personality assessment .

Features

The seminal works on the “projective hypothesis” were proposed by Murray (1938) and Frank
(1939). They suggested that allowing free-form responses to ambiguous or “culture-free” stimuli
would encourage the emergence of personal meanings, feelings, and other implicit processes that
may be resistant to conscious efforts at misrepresentation.

Labeling certain assessment techniques as “projective” provided a clever conceptual contrast to

more “objective” measures, such as rating scales that restrict the range of acceptable responses.

Some prototypical features of projective instruments include:

1. The test stimuli incorporate some degree of ambiguity – for example, the Rorschach inkblots
elicit the question “What might this be?” and the Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) requires
crafting stories based on pictures of people engaged in unclear behavior.

2. While some responses violate the instructions (e.g., refusing to respond), the number of
acceptable responses is essentially infinite. Traditional Rorschach administration allowed the
respondent to decide how many responses to give, though the Rorschach Performance
Assessment System (R-PAS) now limits this to four responses per card.

3. The ambiguity is intended to provoke idiosyncratic patterns of responding, such as unusual

perceptual interpretations or justifications on the Rorschach or atypical story content or
structure on the TAT.

4. The free-response format often necessitates individualized administration and specialized

training in giving instructions, scoring, and interpretation.

Smith, D., & Dumont, F. (1995). A cautionary study: Unwarranted interpretations of the Draw-
A-Person Test. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 26(3), 298.

Weiner, I. B. (1994). The Rorschach Inkblot Method (RIM) is not a test: Implications for theory
and practice. Journal of Personality Assessment, 62(3), 498–

The projective hypothesis

3
PROJECTIVE TECHNIQUES

(Lawrence Frank, 1939):

“When people try to understand vague or ambiguous unstructured
stimuli, the interpretation they produce reflects their needs, feelings,
experience, prior conditioning, thought processes ”Reduces
temptation to fake Does not depend as much on verbal abilities Taps
both conscious and unconscious traits Focus is clinical perspective -
not normative - but has developed norms over the year

Types of projective tests

Projective tests can be classified into:

 Structural. Very abstract visual material that the person must define by saying what he sees
or suggests (Rorschach)
 Thematic. Visual material with different degrees of definition, human or parahuman content
whose objective is to tell a story (TAT: Test of Thematic Perception)
 Expressive. Instruction to draw (test of the tree, the human figure, the house)
 Constructive. Concrete material is provided with which the subject must construct
something.
 Associations. The subject must verbally associate or complete words, phrases or stories
according to certain instructions.

ROARSHAH
INKBLOT TEST

PROJECTIVE THEMATIC
HOUSE TREE
PERSON TECHNIQUE APPERCEPTION
TEST
S

SENTENCE
COMPLETION
TEST

THEMATIC APPERCEPTION TEST

4
PROJECTIVE TECHNIQUES

INTRODUCTION

TAT means Thematic Apperception Test. The TAT definition refers to

a psychological personality test that focuses on thesubconscious
dynamics of a person's personality.
The TAT is the second most popular projective test used by
psychologists today and can be used to assess both adults and
children. The TAT is considered a projective test because it utilizes
images to gather information regarding a person's feelings, conflicts,
and desires. The TAT projective test should not be used as a stand-
alone test but should be used in addition to other various personality
tests or evaluations. The TAT projective test can be used for the
following reasons:

 To help a person express their feelings.

 To learn more about a person.
 To uncover themes in a person's major life events.
 To evaluate a person for a mental health disorder.
 To evaluate suspects of crime.
 To screen potential employees.

History.

The TAT was developed by American psychologist Murray and lay psychoanalyst Morgan at the
Harvard Clinic at Harvard University during the 1930s. Anecdotally, the idea for the TAT
emerged from a question asked by one of Murray's undergraduate students, Cecilia Roberts.[3]She
reported that when her son was ill, he spent the day making up stories about images in magazines
and she asked Murray if pictures could be employed in a clinical setting to explore the
underlying dynamics of personality.

Murray wanted to use a measure that would reveal information about the whole person but found
the contemporary tests of his time lacking in this regard. Therefore, he created the TAT. The
rationale behind the technique is that people tend to interpret ambiguous situations in accordance
with their own past experiences and current motivations, which may be conscious or
unconscious. Murray and Morgan spent the 1930s selecting pictures from illustrative magazines
and developing the test. After 3 versions of the test (Series A, Series B, and Series C), Morgan
and Murray decided on the final set of pictures, Series D, which remains in use today.Her role in

5
 PROJECTIVE TECHNIQUES

the creation of the TAT was primarily in the selection and editing of the images, but due to the
primacy of the name on the original publication the majority of written inquiries about the TAT
were addressed to her; since most of these letters included questions that she could not answer,
she requested that her name be removed from future authorship.Murray aimed to create a method
that could uncover deeper aspects of an individual's psyche.

After World War II, the TAT was adopted more broadly by psychoanalysts and clinicians to
evaluate emotionally disturbed patients. Later, in the 1970s, the Human Potential
Movement encouraged psychologists to use the TAT to help their clients understand themselves
better and stimulate personal growth. In the 1950s the TAT was widely used to support
assessment of needs and motives.

Procedur.

The TAT is popularly known as the picture interpretation technique because it uses a series of
provocative yet ambiguous pictures about which the subject is asked to tell a story. The TAT
manual provides the administration instructions used by Murray, although these procedures are
commonly altered. The subject is asked to tell as dramatic a story as they can for each picture
presented, including the following:

 what has led up to the event shown

 what is happening at the moment
 what the characters are feeling and thinking
 what the outcome of the story was

If these elements are omitted, particularly for children or individuals of low cognitive abilities,
the evaluator may ask the subject about them directly. Otherwise, the examiner is to avoid
interjecting and should not answer questions about the content of the pictures. The examiner
records stories verbatim for later interpretation.

The complete version of the test contains 32 picture cards. Some of the cards show male figures,
some female, some both male and female figures, some of ambiguous gender, some adults, some
children, and some show no human figures at all. One card is completely blank and is used to
elicit both a scene and a story about the given scene from the storyteller. Although the cards were

6
PROJECTIVE TECHNIQUES

originally designed to be matched to the subject in terms of age and gender, any card may be
used with any subject. Murray hypothesized that stories would yield better information about a
client if the majority of cards administered featured a character similar in age and gender to the
client.

The interpretation may involve identifying underlying psychological conflicts; defense

mechanisms and personality traits .Finally the examiner provides feedback to the participant ;
discussing the themes identified in their stories and offering insights into their personality
dynamics and psychological functioning .It's important to administer and interpret the TAT with
caution and by trained professionals ,as it requires skill and expertise to avoid misinterpretation .

Many of the TAT drawings consist of sets of themes such as: success and failure, competition
and jealousy, feeling about relationships, aggression, and sexuality. These are usually depicted
through picture cards.

Psychometric characteristics.

Thematic apperception tests are meant to evoke an involuntary display of one's subconscious.
There is no standardization for evaluating one's TAT responses; each evaluation is completely
subjective because each response is unique. Validity and reliability are, consequently, the largest
question marks of the TAT.[11] There are trends and patterns, which help identify psychological
traits, but there are no distinct responses to indicate different conditions a patient may or may not
have. Medical professionals most commonly use it in the early stages of patient treatment. The
TAT helps professionals identify a broad range of issues that their patients may suffer from.
Even when individual scoring procedures are examined, the absence of standardization or norms
make it difficult to compare the results of validity and reliability research across studies.
Specifically, even studies using the same scoring system often use different cards, or a different
number of cards.[12] Standardization is also absent amongst clinicians, who often alter the
instructions and procedures.[13] Murstein[14] explained that different cards may be more or less
useful for specific clinical questions and purposes, making the use of one set of cards for all
clients impractical.

Reliability.

7
PROJECTIVE TECHNIQUES

Internal consistency, a reliability estimate focusing on how highly test items correlate to each
other, is often quite low for TAT scoring systems. Some authors have argued that internal
consistency measures do not apply to the TAT. In contrast to traditional test items, which should
all measure the same construct and be correlated to each other, each TAT card represents a
different situation and should yield highly different response themes.[11] Lilienfeld and
colleagues [12] countered this point by questioning the practice of compiling TAT responses to
form scores. Both inter-rater reliability (the degree to which different raters score TAT responses
the same) and test–retest reliability (the degree to which individuals receive the same scores over
time) are highly variable across scoring techniques.[14] However, Murray asserted that TAT
answers are highly related to internal states such that high test-retest reliability should not be
expected.[12] Gruber and Kreuzpointner (2013) developed a new method for calculating internal
consistency using categories instead of pictures. As they demonstrated in a mathematical proof,
their method provides a better fit for the underlying construction principles of TAT, and also
achieved adequate Cronbach's alpha scores up to .84 [15]

Validity.
The validity of the TAT, or the degree to which it measures what it is supposed to measure,[16] is
low.[12] Jenkins [17] has stated that "the phrase 'validity of the TAT' is meaningless, because
validity is specific not to the pictures, but to the set of scores derived from the population,
purpose, and circumstances involved in any given data collection." That is, the validity of the test
would be ascertained by seeing how clinician's decisions were assisted based on the TAT.
Evidence on this front suggests it is a weak guide at best. For example, one study indicated that
clinicians classified individuals as clinical or non-clinical at close to chance levels (57% where
50% would be guessing) based on TAT data alone. The same study found that classifications
were 88% correct based on MMPI data. Using TAT in addition to the MMPI reduced accuracy to
80%.

Scoring systems.

When he created the TAT, Murray also developed a scoring system based on his need-press
theory of personality. Murray's system involved coding every sentence given for the presence of
28 needs and 20 presses (environmental influences), which were then scored from 1 to 5, based
on intensity, frequency, duration, and importance to the plot.[8] However, implementing this

8
 PROJECTIVE TECHNIQUES

scoring system is time-consuming and was not widely used. Rather, examiners have traditionally
relied on their clinical intuition to come to conclusions about storytellers.[21]

Although not widely used in the clinical setting, several formal scoring systems have been
developed for analyzing TAT stories systematically and consistently. Three common methods
that are currently used in research are the:

Each of these scoring categories attempts to measure the following information:

 Story Design measures the examinee's ability to identify and formulate a problem situation.
 Story Orientation assesses the examinee's level of personal control, emotional distress,
confidence and motivation.

Examiners are encouraged to explore information obtained from the TAT stories as hypotheses
for testing rather than concrete facts.

1. Schacter, Daniel, Daniel Gilbert, and Daniel Wegner. Psychology. 2nd. New York: Worth
Publishers, 2009. 18. Print.

2. ^ Definition of Thematic Apperception Test at TheFreeDictionary.com

3. ^ Jump up to:a b Morgan, W. (2002). "Origin and History of the Earliest Thematic Apperception
test". Journal of Personality Assessment. 79 (3): 422–
445. doi:10.1207/s15327752jpa7903_03. PMID 12511014. S2CID 45859195. ; see Weber's
"Christiana Morgan (1897–1967)," in Michel Weber and William Desmond, Jr. (eds.), Handbook of
Whiteheadian Process Thought, Frankfurt / Lancaster, Ontos Verlag, 2008, v. II, pp. 465-468.

9
PROJECTIVE TECHNIQUES

CRITICISIM
TAT is a projective test that means the stimulus is ambiguous in this test and the stimulus that is shown toan
individual is in the form of an image, card, event or a situation. To which the individual has to give itsresponse
and the response is in the subjective form and it varies from individual to an individual.

Validity and reliability:

The biggest criticism on the TAT is that it is not valid for all the populations and for all the individuals.
Itis a nonscientific test. As it is a projective technique
so that it must be valid and reliable but in real itis not. As the TAT is based upon the multiple
regression model the coefficient alpha is notsuitable or appropriate. More over the test retest
correlation is also badly affected by theinstructions that are given to the individual to write a
particular creative story after watching the picture or card for some seconds.

Circumstances of the story:

Another criticism on the TAT is that the situations in which the story is presented will might produce thedifferent
story each time the subject is given the same card. The story that an individual write may have adifferent
circumstances each time the individual writes the creative story.
Cards of TAT:
It is another criticism on the TAT is that the all the cards of the TAT are out dated and old
fashioned. Asthese were established and developed in 30s. the perception of the people and the fades and
fashions of
30s were more likely to be very different from the individuals of today’s time. They might feel the

10
PROJECTIVE TECHNIQUES

difficulty to find the stimulus and then to give response to it in the form of a creative writing as
they are
outdated. The beliefs of the old people were different from the people of today’s time.
(Shrestha,2017).
Freudian principle:
As the TAT was based upon the Freud’s most f
amous principle of repression. That means the story thatan individual write is based upon the desires those were
repressed in the unconscious of an individual bythis story method he reveals these desires and a clinician can
identify those desires that did not getfulfilled that created the conflicts in the mind of an individual. Therefore, it
was criticized by most of the professionals that it is a false and outdated test so it cannot be applied to
all individuals.

Characteristics of cards:
The criticism on the characteristics of the card is that the environment and the situations in the cards isoutdated and
old fashioned it is not up to the standards of today. These cards are culturally biased andwere created for the people
of that particular area. It creates the psycho- social and cultural differences between the patients and their
identification of stimulus. They are differently interpreted by different people. Because the card
and the characteristics are old fashioned and out dated. The identification of thestimulus is
very less likely among the patients. (Holmstrom, 1990).

ROARSHAH INKBLOT TEST

DEFINATION

The Rorschach test also known as the Rorschach inkblot test. the Rorschach technique, or
simply the inkblot test is a psychological test in which subjects' perceptions of inkblots are
recorded and then analyzed using psychological interpretation, complex algorithms, or both

Some psychologists use this test to examine a person's personality characteristics and
emotional functioning. It has been employed to detect underlying thought disorder, especially
in cases where patients are reluctant to describe their thinking processes openly.

History of the Rorschach test

11
PROJECTIVE TECHNIQUES

Hermann Rorschach grew up in Switzerland.Hermann Rorschach did not make it clear where
he got the idea from the test. However, like most children of his time, he often played the
popular game called Blotto (Klecksographie), which involved creating poem-like associations or
playing charades with inkblots. Rorschach enjoyed the game so much that his classmates
nicknamed him "Klecks," the German word for "inkblot.". When Eugen Bleuler coined the term
schizophrenia in 1911, Rorschach took interest and wrote his dissertation about hallucinations
(Bleuler was Rorschach’s dissertation chairperson).While studying patients with schizophrenia
in medical school, Rorschach observed that, when asked what they saw in the inkblots, the
patients gave responses much different from those of his friends. He wondered if the inkblots
could be used to create profiles of different mental disorders. Perhaps people with depression
interpreted the images differently than those with anxiety or schizophrenia or no mental illness.
He made a brief report of this finding to a local psychiatric society, but nothing more came of it
at the time. It was not until he was established in his psychiatric practice in Russia’s Krombach
hospital in Herisau in 1917 that he became interested in systematically studying the Blotto
game. Rorschach used about 40 inkblots in his original studies in 1918 through 1921, but he
would administer only about 15 of them regularly to his patients. Ultimately he collected data
from 405 subjects, 117 of whom were not psychiatric patients. Each person was presented with
a card and asked, "What might this be?" This was repeated with as many as 15 different cards
per subject. Rorschach didn't analyze what the subjects saw, but rather the characteristics of
what they reported, including if they focused on the image as a whole or on a smaller detail, or
if they took a long time to provide an answer. For example, one card shows an image often
interpreted as depicting two people. If the subject took a long time to respond, he or she might
be revealing problems with social interactions. In 1919 and 1920, he tried to find a publisher for
his findings and the 15 inkblot cards he regularly used. However, every published balked at
publishing all 15 inkblots because of printing costs. Finally in 1921, he found a publisher the
House of Bircher willing to publish his inkblots, but only 10 of them. Rorschach reworked his
manuscript to include only 10 of the 15 inkblots he most commonly used. The printer, alas, was
not very good at being true to the original inkblots. Rorschach’s original inkblots had no shading
to them they were all solid colors. The printer’s reproduction of them added shading.
Rorschach reportedly was actually quite pleased with the introduction of this new addition to
his inkblots. After publishing his monograph with the inkblots, entitled a Form Interpretation

12
PROJECTIVE TECHNIQUES

Test, he died in 1922 after being admitted to a hospital for abdominal pains. Rorschach was
only 37 years old and had been formally working on his inkblot test just four years.

The Rorschach Scoring Systems

Prior to the 1970s, there were five primary scoring systems for how people responded to the
inkblots. They were dominated by two the Beck and the Klopfer systems. Three other that was
used less often were the Hertz, Piotrowski and the Rapaport-Schafer systems. In 1969, John E.
Exner, Jr. published the first comparison of these five systems entitled The Rorschach Systems.
It has been extensively validated and shows high inter-rater reliability. The findings of Exner’s
ground breaking analysis were that there actually weren’t five scoring systems for the
Rorschach. He concluded that the five systems differed so dramatically and significantly, it was
as if five uniquely different Rorschach tests had been created. It was time to go back to the
drawing board. Given Exner’s disturbing findings, he decided to undertake the creation of a
new, comprehensive Rorschach scoring system that would take into account the best
components of these five existing systems, combined with extensive empirical research on each
component. A foundation was established in 1968 and the significant research began into
creating a new scoring system for the Rorschach. The result was that in 1973, Exner published
the first edition of The Rorschach: A Comprehensive System. In it, he laid out the new scoring
system that would become the new gold standard (and the only scoring system now taught)

Prior to the 1970s ,there were five primary scoring system for the Roarshah inkblot test .

The beck and klopfer systems were the most dominant while the hertz and Rapperport system
were used less often. In 1969 John external Jr. public a comparison of the five systems called
the Roarshah system externals analysis revealed significant differences among the systems
leading him to create a new comprehensive scoring system in 1973 Exner publish the first
edition of the Roarshah a comprehensive system which became the new gold started in
Roarshah scoring.

. Introduction to Rorschach Plate

Rorschach test consist a series of ten Plates of 24x17cm size with inkblots printed on them.

13
PROJECTIVE TECHNIQUES

 In the series of ten plates five are achromatic, two plates are black and red; and the
remaining three plates are “Polychromatic” in combination of green, blue, orange and pink
blots.
 The card no, I, IV, V, VI & VII (five cards) are printed in black which are called as Black and
White Cards or Achromatic Cards.
 The remaining cards: II, III, VIII, IX, & X (five cards) contain two or more colors. These are
called colored card

Administration of Rorschach test

 The roarshah test is appropriate for subjects from age 5 to adulthood.

 The administrator and subject set next to each other at a table with the administrated
slightly behind the subject .
 side by side seating is used to reduce inadvertent cues from the examiner to the subject
this seating arrangement create a relax but controlled atmosphere they are 10 official
inkblot each printed on the separate white card.
 the cards are approximately 18 by 24 cm and size and have near perfect bilateral
symmetry the subjects response is based on the position of the card also known as
orientation .
 the subject free to rotate the card and view it in any position each card positions are
different similar for the subject associate with the retinal image changes with each
change in card position the examination records all card position from the subjects
relative position

There are four options to record card positions.

1. Top (↑)
2. Bottom (↓)
3. Left (←)
4. Right (→)

Materials Required for Administration

1. Rorschach Plates: The standard set of 10 Rorschach plates

14
PROJECTIVE TECHNIQUES

2. Location Chart: A printed single sheet of paper containing 10 Rorschach Images. These are
available separately from the test supplier
. 3. Response Sheet: A specially designed full scape plain sheet of paper with defined columns.
You need to prepare it for yourself as per the scheme mentioned below. The meanings of
acronyms used are provided at appropriate place in the administration section.
4. Colored Ink Pen Set: You could take a set of 6 colored ink pen set may be sketch pen or gel
pen. You will need them to mark blot areas on the location chart.
5. Digital Stop Watch: You could use your mobile set if it has a stop watch or a stop watch of
any make. The wrist watch is not recommended. You will need to record timings during
administration of the Rorschach Test.
6. Rorschach Test Manual: Any manual including this one and according to the preferred
scoring system would do.
Instructions
 Show inkblots card one at a time as the subject to describe what to see on each card give
them plenty of time to come up with association if they return the first card to quickly
remind them to take their time if they give only one response to the first card you might
end that most people see more repeat the earring procedure if needed on the second card
but not after that.
Scoring method of Rorschach test
Rorschach images were initially tested in the clinical atmosphere. The use of ink blot
psychology upon mental retardates, normal, artists, scholars and other persons of the known
characteristics has provided critical data. The controlled studies gave birth to categories of
responses in various psychiatric syndromes and resulted in numerous scoring systems.
However, most of them have location, determinants, content, form quality and popularity as
their significant categories.
Location (where it is?)
When you respond to Rorschach images, you may focus on any of the following areas:
1- The whole areas of the inkblot pictures (W)
2- The common details of the Rorschach images (D)
3- The unusual details of the inkblot pictures (Dd)
4- White spaces of the inkblot pictures (S). A white space area is used in the response (scored

15
PROJECTIVE TECHNIQUES

only with another location symbol, as in WS, DS, DdS).

Whatever location you focus upon, counts differently for your personality analysis.
Determinants (what make it look like that?)
The determinants of your responses to the Rorschach images include:
1- Form
1. F Use of Shape or Outline of the Inkblot Picture (F)
2. F+ Excellent Match of percept and the inkblot image (F+)
3. F- Poor Match of percept and the ink blot picture (F-)
2- Movement (M)
M- Human movement response. Used for responses involving the kinesthetic activity of an
human or an animal or fictional character in human like activity.
FM- Animal movement response. Used for responses involving the kinesthetic activity of an
animal. The movement perceived must be congruent to the species identified in the content.
Animal is reported in movement not common to their species should be coded as M.
m- Inanimate movement response. Used for responses involving the movement of inanimate,
inorganic, or insensate objects.
3- Color
C- Pure color response. Used for answer based exclusively on the chromatic color feature of the
blot. No form is involved.
CF- Color form response. Used for answers which are formulated primarily because of
chromatic
color feature of the blot. Form feature are used but are of secondary importance.
C’F- Achromatic color form response. Used for response which are created mainly because of
black, white, or gray feature clearly used as color. Form feature are used but are of secondary
importance.
FC’- Form achromatic color response. Used for answers which are based mainly on the form
feature. The achromatic feature, clearly used as color, are also included but are of secondary
importance.
4- Shading – texture
T- Pure texture response. Used for answers in which the shading component of blot are
translated

16
PROJECTIVE TECHNIQUES

to represent a tactual phenomenon, with no consideration to the form feature.

Content (what is it?)
The handling of content varies from one scoring system of the inkblot psychology to another.
However, there are still some standard features among all of them. The broad scoring
categories
include:
1- Human figures (H). For responses involving a whole human form.
2- Body parts of the human figures (Hd). Such as an arms, head, leg, fingers, feet, the lower
part of the person, a person without a head.
3- Animal figures (A). For responses involving a whole animal form.
4- Animal details (Ad). For responses involving an incomplete animal form, such as the hoof
of a horse, claw of the lobster, head of a dog, animal skin.
5- Nature. Such as sun, moon ,planet, sky, water, ocean, lake, river, ice, snow, raindrop, night,
storm, fog etc.

Interpretation

Test administration and interpretation are separate processes .interpreting roarshah required
knowledge of personality dynamics and experience with the method .becoming proficient as an
administrator can take a few months while interpreters continue learning for years
interpretation is not solidly based on response content but considered variables like response

17
PROJECTIVE TECHNIQUES

time and additional comments. each response is describe by its what ,where and why
characteristic. specific scoring system like those by SAMUEL J.BECK and EXNER are commomly
used.

In all the scoring system scores for each response is given on the basis of the following
characteristics:

1. Its location

2. The determinants used in forming the response,

3 The level of accuracy

4 Its contents. For e.g., if a patient says BAT to card 1 than it is coded WF+ AP here, W means
the

whole blot & F means form, + means accurate response, a means animal, p means popular

response. Each response is conducting these dimensions & then total is obtained for each

category. Each response represents a particular aspect of psychological functioning but the

interpretation depends upon the responses & how they relate to each other. If there is a
balance in

first three categories i.e., location, determinants & accuracy it indicates the stable
personalitycognitive characteristics of the patient.

Movement responses

Seeing movements will be interpreted as expressions of imagination. Therefore it maybe wise

to

describe, what we see, as something that walks, runs, dances, flies, swims, falls and so on.

Animals in motion will often indicate a dynamic way of solving problems. The movement

18
PROJECTIVE TECHNIQUES

responses are of particular interest because the responses are immobile. M is scored when the

subject experience movement regarding a human being or animal or inanimate object. M is a

measure capacity for fantasy & inner reflection. If M responses are M+ means it indicates

creative thinking. M indicates delusion. High M score indicates that a person is imaginative well

equipped intellectually, capable of delaying action & giving more weightage to fantasy rather

than a particular thought or an action.

Color responses

Responses which implies colors will indicate emotions. Note that five of the cards are black and

white, and five contains colors. If, for example, one says that the two persons in card II are

Christmas goblins, because they have red caps, then you have given a color response. Color

responses are related to the emotional life of the individual. If the subject has given FC
response

it means that his affects are modulated & socialized If the responses are pure this shows lack of

intellectual capacity, impulsive, hyper stimulant, minimal logic & to person can leap into action

without minimal thought & logic. The balance between the FC, CF & C is the focus of

interpretation as well as the relationship of all the C responses to F & M is also evaluated. Some

subjects are proved to color shock whenever they are first confronted with color blots with

tendency is seen in neurotic individuals. Shading responses are often related with anxiety & the

use of achromatic colors.

Shadows responses

19
PROJECTIVE TECHNIQUES

Interest in shadows will indicate depression and a feeling of loss of control.

Surface Structure responses

Interest in surface structure indicates a need for emotional connection with others. Many
surface

structure responses will indicate a need for care. Surface structure means if the surface is said
to

be hard or soft, rough or smooth, and so forth.

Form- color responses

If in a response both form & color is being used then it is being which is more dominating. The

accuracy of the response is being marked by giving the symbol + or – In this category the

examiner can get the variety of responses and here his judgment is the most important. The

responses related with form tell us about an individual concern with external realities. The

responses related to form also shows ego control.

Form responses

High proportion of F responses indicates that the person is literal, factual & colorless & has little

capacity for spontaniety, emotional warmth & fantasy. If the F responses are well in extreme

than it shows a person who is rigid & who does not show feelings. If a person has given very low

perception of F responses & if they are inaccurate- also then it shows that the person is

impulsive. It shows emotional dominance & has low capacity of logical thinking. If a well

integrated person the three quarters of the F responses are the accurate ones.

Content

20
PROJECTIVE TECHNIQUES

The score describe in this category that what is the content of the response such as human,
part

of human, animal, part of animal, nature, object, clothing, anatomy, sex, food etc. To a lay man

the content is most obvious & most important quality of the response or for the examiner it is
of

the least concern. Content scores are related with educational, cultural, vocational & other

background factors. The analysis of content score give us a some score about personality

structures, personal interest, concerns & conflicts of the subject. The richness of content give us

an idea about variety of interest of the subject in various issues & topics & stereotypes.
Contents

can result from limited intelligence, experience, anxiety, inhibition, rigidity, or conflict of the

patient.

21
PROJECTIVE TECHNIQUES

Reliability of Rorschach test

 Reliability of the rosher test can be influenced by various factor such as testing procedure
details
 Factors like sitting arrangments,introductory words, verbal and nonverbal is constant
response recording can impact reliability.
 Detailed in structure for administrating the text exit but they may not always be followed.
 Coding responsive is time consuming and subject to the authors style and the quality of
instruction .
 some Court Cases have challenged the roarshah test standardization, reliability are validity
 controversy exist around the interpretation and effectiveness of the roarshah test.
 Achieving consistered measurement is important for a reliability previously publish papers
also reported high inter rater reliability 85% to 99% test retest over 1 year interval
ranged . .26 .92 for different variables related to state changes were less reliable while
factors like ratios and percentage were more reliable.

22
PROJECTIVE TECHNIQUES

 Overall the comprehensive system can yield high reliability under specific conditions.

VALIDITY

 Results of the roarshah test as a projective test are poorly verifiable. the exner system also
known as the comprehensive system AIIMS to address this issue that's necessary focuses on
factors like shading colour and outline of the inkblots .disagreement about test validity
persist as interpretation remains partly subjective .some research suggest that certain
scores on the roarshah test corelate with general intelligence. however this is criticism that
the test lack validity over all.
 Scale for organizational activity ,complexity, from quality and human figure responsive
correlate with intelligent.
 The test has shown validity in detecting conditions like schizopherinia thought disorders
and personality disorder .there is some evidence that the deviant verbalization scale
relates to bipolar disorder. however the test does not consistently relate to psychological
disorder symptom personality characteristic potential for violence or health problem like
cancer .validity depends on comparing the Rooarshah with clinical data or other
established personality test .
 Early studies found validity scores of 0.40 to.50 but latest studies found scores as low as
.29.
 variable like age number of responsive verbal aptitude and education confounded these
studies. recent study on the validity of the roarshah have had mixed result .
 the logical roarshah system may have some validity in assessing trauma related
phenomena .
 another study found no agreement between the roarshah and a self assessed personality
using the MMPI-2

Norms

Another controversial aspect of the test is its statistical norms. Exner's system was thought to

possess normative scores for various populations. But, beginning in the mid-1990s others began

23
PROJECTIVE TECHNIQUES

to try to replicate or update these norms and failed. In particular, discrepancies seemed to
focus

on indices measuring narcissism, disordered thinking, and discomfort in close relationships.

Lilienfeld and colleagues, who are critical of the Rorschach, have stated that this proves that the

Rorschach tends to "overpathologise normals". Although Rorschach proponents, such as

Hibbard, suggest that high rates of pathology detected by the Rorschach accurately reflect

increasing psychopathology in society, the Rorschach also identifies half of all test-takers as

possessing "distorted thinking", a false positive rate unexplained by current research. U.S
norms

published by Exner. Resent research has revealed that norms cannot be used from one country
to

other and differences within the same cultural group are also be founded. Norms developed by

D’Netto and Rubey reported differences in the response of military personnel as compare to
the

normative civilians..

Critical Evaluation

The Rorschach testing is quite problematic in a way. Inkblots used in the testing must be

considered truly ambiguous in order to have a non biased testing. A patient might interpret the

ink blots in a way that defined him in a certain manner, but who’s to say that the therapist

conducting the test is correct? Certainly another therapist can’t be used to assess the answers
of

24
PROJECTIVE TECHNIQUES

the therapist. The process would never end. Experts invented standardized interpretations of
each

sort of answers, to save the need of interpretation of an interpretation individually. Both

content

and form are standardized. For example, a patient who sees half-human or half-animal figures

show that he is on the brink of schizophrenic withdrawal from people, according to Dawes –
148.

Because it’s a projective test, it’s not scientific. Someone calling it scientific would also have to

be ready to defend interpreting dreams as a scientific method. So, it’s an unprovable

assumption

that a simple inkblot test will lead the therapist to the center of the patient.

Merits of Rorschach test

1. Rorschach test is considers to be excellent at bypassing a person conscious resistance.

2. The Rorschach purported high resistance to faking.
3. Easy to administration. The card can be easily handled and total administration time is
typically 50 minutes.

Demerits of Rorschach test

1. Validity is quite variable across different scoring categories and formulas.

2. Typically multiple scores and formulas are derived from the Rorschach response, some
of
which have relatively good validity, and some of which are moderate, controversial or
even nonexistent.
3. Error can potentially be introduced from many different direction, like scoring error,
poor
handling of subtleties of interpretation.

25
PROJECTIVE TECHNIQUES

4. Incorrect incorporation of the implication of age and education, examiner bias.

5. Previous lack of single standardized administration and scoring system.
6. Single alternation in wording, rapport and encouragement can significantly alter the
number and types of response.
7. In summary Rorschach is difficult to evaluate because of its complexity, its frequent

frequency and considerable variability related to validity of its variables.

References

1. Exner Jr., John E.: "Obituary: Samuel J. Beck (1896–1980)", "American Psychologist", 36(9)

2. Kumar N, Verma, Romesh. Textbook of Statistics, Psychology & Education. p. 225. ISBN

978-81-261-1411-5.

3. Exner, John E. (2002). The Rorschach: Basic Foundations and Principles of Interpretation:

Volume 1. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 978-0-471-38672-8.

4. Harry Bakwin; Ruth Mae Morris Bakwin (1960). Clinical management of behavior disorders

in children. Saunders. p. 249. The Rorschach Test consists of 10 inkblots, printed on a white

background and mounted on cardboard 7 by 9 inches”

5. Giuseppe Costantino; Richard H. Dana; Robert G. Malgady. (2007). TEMAS (Tell-Me-AStory)

assessment in multicultural societies. Mahwah, N.J.: Lawrence Erlbaum. p. 213. ISBN

978-0-8058-4451-1.

6. Alfred M. Freedman; Harold I. Kaplan; Benjamin J. Sadock (1972). Modern synopsis of

Comprehensive textbook of psychiatry. Williams & Wilkins. p. 168. The Rorschach test consists

of 10 symmetrical inkblots printed on a white background.

26
PROJECTIVE TECHNIQUES

7. Gardner M, Lois B.M, Theodore M.N, (1931). Experimental social psychology: aninterpretation of
research upon the socialization of the individual. Harper & Brothers. It consistsof ten irregular but
symmetrical ink blots, five of them in blacks and grays, and five partially in colors, on a white
background

HOUSE TREE PERSON TEST

INTRODUCTION
We subconsciously project our personality onto the paper each time we draw
something. Without us realizing it, even the simplest drawing can shed light on our
emotions, intelligence, self-esteem, and fears.

A drawing assessment known as the house-tree-person test is a common technique

psychologists use to learn more about personality traits.

DEFINATION

The house-tree-person test (HTP) is a projective test, a type of psychological

assessment where individuals are presented with ambiguous, abstract stimuli,
such as images or scenarios, and their interpretations or responses are used to
reveal hidden emotions, desires, and internal conflicts. As a projective test, the
HTP is intended to measure different aspects of personality.

HISTORY
The house-tree-person test was developed by early clinical psychologist John Buck in
1948. Based on the Draw-A-Man personality test created by Florence Goodenough in
1926, it was originally designed to assess children’s intelligence. Buck further updated
the HTP test together with psychologist Emanuel Hammer in 1969.

The house-tree-person test is one of the most widely used projective tests for children
and adults and is suitable for any individuals aged 3 years and older.

The test is used by clinical psychologists, occupational therapists, and educators. It is

also employed as part of a series of personality and intelligence tests, including the
Rorschach, TAT, and WAIS, as a means of personality assessment. What’s more, the
HTP test is an effective tool in evaluating brain damage in patients with schizophrenia.

The House-Tree-Person Test Methodology

27
PROJECTIVE TECHNIQUES

The house-tree-person test takes on average 150 minutes to complete.

Therapists can choose between a one-phase test where a pencil or crayon is used for
drawing and a two-phase test that uses a crayon in the first phase and a pencil in the
second. Each phase has two parts where the first nonverbal and creative step is
followed by the structured, verbal one.

Test takers are instructed to draw a house, a tree, and a person as accurately as
possible on separate sheets of paper. They are then asked a number of questions
about their drawings. Buck proposed a list of 60 questions, however, trained test givers
are free to create their own variations and ask follow-up questions.

Here are some examples of the questions that might be asked:

The house:

 Who lives in the house?

 Do people visit the house?
 Is it a happy house?
 What is the house made of?
 What goes on inside the house?
The tree:

 What kind of tree is it?

 How old is the tree?
 What season is it?
 Is the tree alive?
 Who waters the tree?

The person:

 Who is the person?

 How old is the person?
 How does that person feel?
 Is the person happy?
 What does the person like doing?
After the respondents have answered the questions, their drawings are analyzed and
interpreted.

The House-Tree-Person Test Interpretation

The house-tree-person test is based on the idea that drawings reflect feelings. The
details of a drawing are seen as representations of various personality traits.

28
PROJECTIVE TECHNIQUES

Drawing a house

The house is considered being the expression of the respondent’s family relations and
family values.

 The roof stands for the intellectual side and spiritual life of the individual.
 The walls might be related to the test taker’s character strength.
 The doors and windows represent the individual’s relationship to the outside
world and the level of social integration.
Drawing a tree

The tree is thought to suggest the deepest, unconscious aspects of the personality.

 The branches may show the degree of social connectedness. A tree with no
branches indicates, for instance, that the person has little contact with others.
 The trunk is often seen as a representation of inner strength.
 The tree crown stands for ideas, thoughts, and self-concept.
Drawing a person

The person is a symbolic representation of the ideal self and one’s social interactions.

 The head symbolizes intelligence, communication, and imagination.

 The eyes indicate the perception of the world.
 The hands give information about affectivity and aggressiveness.
There are several other aspects of drawings that therapists take into account when
analyzing HTP tests:

Dimensions of objects

The dimensions of objects in a drawing are thought to indicate the level of self-esteem
and confidence. A very small house, for example, might show the individual’s
dissatisfaction with life at home.

Level of detail

The level of detail is another revealing factor in outlining the respondent’s personality
through drawing. A very detailed face might indicate a need to present oneself in a
favorable social light. On the contrary, pictures lacking details often indicate depression.

Location of objects

The location of objects on the page is also charged with significance. Drawings close to
the top of the page are considered being related to dreams and imagination, while the

29
PROJECTIVE TECHNIQUES

ones at the bottom are connected to the physical world. Drawing on the right side of the
page is linked to the future, in the center are related to the present, and left to the past.

Strokes and lines

The pressure, firmness, and solidity of strokes and lines indicate determination and
decision-making facilities. The same line drawn twice shows insecurity, dissatisfaction,
or perfectionism. Emotional strength, high self-esteem and confidence, on the contrary,
are reflected in the firmness of the lines.

Test taker’s attitude

In addition to all of the above elements, therapists also consider the test taker’s attitude,
words, and gestures while drawing. Any display of frustration, anger, or satisfaction is
taken into account in test analysis.

30
PROJECTIVE TECHNIQUES

The House-Tree-Person Test Scoring

A house-tree-person test can be scored either in an objective quantitative or subjective

qualitative manner. Trained therapists rely on John Buck’s comprehensive 350-page
manual and interpretive guide in administering and scoring the HTP tests.
Quantitative scoring provides a general assessment of intelligence. Research shows
that the quantitative assessment correlates highly with other well-established
intelligence tests
Scoring is often qualitative rather than quantitative, meaning that interpretations are
based on the overall impression of the drawings and the symbolism they represent,
rather than assigning numerical values. Interpretation of the HTP test results requires
training in psychology and experience in administering and analyzing projective
assessments. It's important to note that the HTP test is just one tool among many used
in psychological assessment and should be interpreted within the context of a
comprehensive evaluation.
REFERENCE
Practical Psychology. (2020, April). The House-Person-Tree Personality Test. Retrieved
from https://practicalpie.com/house-person-tree-test/.

CRITICISIM

The House-Tree-Person (HTP) test is a projective psychological assessment tool that has been
used for decades to gather insights into an individual's personality, emotions, and underlying
psychological conflicts. However, like any psychological assessment tool, the HTP test has both
strengths and limitations. Here's a critical evaluation:

31
PROJECTIVE TECHNIQUES

**Strengths:**

1. **Qualitative Insights:** The HTP test allows for the collection of qualitative data, providing
rich insights into the individual's inner world, perceptions, and emotions. It can uncover themes
and patterns that may not be readily apparent through self-report measures.

2. **Projective Nature:** Being a projective test, the HTP allows individuals to express
themselves in a relatively unstructured manner, which can reveal unconscious thoughts, feelings,
and conflicts that may be inaccessible through direct questioning.

3. **Versatility:** The HTP test can be adapted for use with various populations, including
children, adolescents, and adults. It can also be administered in different settings, such as clinical
assessments, therapeutic interventions, or research studies.

4. **Supplementary Tool:** While not a standalone diagnostic tool, the HTP test can
complement other assessment methods and provide additional information to aid in diagnosis,
treatment planning, or understanding of psychological functioning.

**Limitations:**

1. **Subjectivity:** Interpretation of the HTP test relies heavily on the clinician's subjective
judgment and expertise. Different clinicians may interpret the same drawings differently, leading
to inconsistencies in assessment outcomes.

32
PROJECTIVE TECHNIQUES

2. **Cultural Bias:** The HTP test's interpretation may be influenced by cultural factors,
including the symbolism attached to houses, trees, and human figures. Drawings may vary across
cultures, and what is considered "normal" or "abnormal" may differ significantly.

3. **Limited Standardization:** Unlike many psychometric tests, the HTP test lacks
standardized scoring criteria and normative data, making it challenging to compare results across
individuals or populations. This lack of standardization can affect the reliability and validity of
the test.

4. **Potential for Misinterpretation:** Without proper training and clinical experience, there is a
risk of misinterpreting the drawings and making inaccurate assumptions about the individual's
psychological state. Overreliance on projective tests like the HTP without considering other
sources of information can lead to diagnostic errors or inappropriate interventions.

5. **Ethical Considerations:** Projective tests like the HTP raise ethical concerns regarding
confidentiality, informed consent, and the potential for coercion or manipulation. It's essential for
clinicians to use these tests responsibly and ethically, ensuring that the individual's rights and
well-being are protected.

In conclusion, while the House-Tree-Person test can provide valuable insights into an
individual's psyche, it is not without its limitations. Clinicians should approach its administration
and interpretation with caution, taking into account its strengths and weaknesses, as well as the
broader context of the assessment process.

INTERPRETATION AND SCORING

The Sentence Completion Test (SCT) is a projective psychological assessment tool used to gain
insights into an individual's thoughts, feelings, and attitudes. In the SCT, individuals are
presented with a series of sentence stems and asked to complete them with their own words or
phrases. The interpretation and scoring of the SCT are typically qualitative and subjective,
relying on the clinician's expertise in understanding the underlying psychological themes and
motivations expressed in the responses. Here's a general framework for interpretation and
scoring:

33
PROJECTIVE TECHNIQUES

**1. Content Analysis:**

- **Themes and Patterns:** The clinician examines the completed sentences for recurring
themes, patterns, or motifs. Common themes might include relationships, self-concept, family
dynamics, fears, aspirations, etc.

- **Emotional Tone:** The emotional tone of the responses is noted, such as expressions of
anxiety, depression, anger, optimism, etc.

- **Depth of Exploration:** Responses that delve deeper into the meaning of the sentence
stem may provide more insight into the individual's inner conflicts or psychological dynamics.

**2. Scoring:**

- **Quality vs. Quantity:** Scoring is not based solely on the number of completed sentences
but rather on the quality and richness of the responses.

- **Elaboration:** Responses that are detailed, insightful, and reflect introspection may
receive higher scores than brief or superficial answers.

- **Originality:** Responses that demonstrate creativity, complexity, or uniqueness may also

be considered positively.

**3. Clinical Interpretation:**

- **Psychological Dynamics:** The completed sentences are interpreted in the context of the
individual's psychological functioning, personality traits, and life experiences.

- **Defense Mechanisms:** Certain responses may suggest the use of defense mechanisms
(e.g., denial, projection, rationalization) as coping strategies.

- **Unconscious Processes:** The SCT can provide access to unconscious thoughts, feelings,
and conflicts, offering valuable material for psychoanalytic or psychodynamic interpretations.

- **Diagnostic Considerations:** The responses may offer clues to underlying

psychopathology, personality disorders, relational issues, or areas of psychological distress.

**4. Reliability and Validity:**

34
PROJECTIVE TECHNIQUES

- While the SCT lacks standardized scoring criteria and normative data, its reliability and
validity depend on the clinician's training, experience, and skill in administering and interpreting
the test.

- Inter-rater reliability may vary depending on the consistency of scoring criteria and the
agreement among clinicians in interpreting responses.

**5. Ethical Considerations:**

- Clinicians must adhere to ethical guidelines regarding confidentiality, informed consent, and
the responsible use of projective techniques.

- It's essential to communicate to the individual the purpose of the test, assure confidentiality,
and offer appropriate debriefing and follow-up if necessary.

CHARACTERISTICS

1) Stems and Responses

In sentence completion tests, respondents are provided with sentence
beginnings known as stems.Their task is to complete these sentences in ways that
hold personal meaning for them.

2.Disclosure and Concealed Feelings:

Sentence completion techniques encourage respondents to reveal concealed

feelings.By allowing them to express themselves through sentence completion,
these tests tap into deeper layers of their psyche.

2) Variability in Form and Purpose:

Sentence completion tests come in various forms
a. Short forms: Used to assess responses to advertisements.
b. Long forms: Used for assessing personality traits. For instance, the Forer
Sentence Completion Test comprises a whopping 100 stems.

3) Structured vs. Less Structured:

a. The structure of sentence completion tests varies:
b. Structured tests: Longer stems lead to more specific responses.
c. Less structured tests: Shorter stems yield a wider variety of responses. 1

35
PROJECTIVE TECHNIQUES

CRITICISM

 Test usage surveys consistently find that sentence completion tests (SCTs) are
among the most popular personality assessment instruments used by practitioners.
What is not noted is which SCTs practitioners are using, why these tests are so
popular, and whether practitioners are using formal scoring. We surveyed a random
selection of 100 members of the Society for Personality Assessment. With a 60%
return rate on a single mailing, we found that most psychologists who use
incomplete sentence tests use the Rotter (1951) Incomplete Sentences Blank with
children (18%), adolescents (32%), and adults (47%). Most practitioners said they
do not read stems aloud and record answers themselves, and even fewer said they
use formal scoring. The most common reasons for using an SCT are (a) to use it as
part of an assessment battery (41 endorsements), (b) to determine personality
structure (18 endorsements), and (c) to elicit quotable quotes (17 endorsements).
Implications for practitioners and training suggestions for academicians who prepare
future psychologists are noted.

36