Projective Projective Personality TestsPersonality Tests

Projective Personality Projective Personality TestsTests

Based on PROJECTIVE HYPOTHESIS:Based on PROJECTIVE HYPOTHESIS: when people attempt to understand an ambiguous when people attempt to understand an ambiguous

or vague stimulus their interpretation of that or vague stimulus their interpretation of that stimulus relfect their needs, feelings, experiences, stimulus relfect their needs, feelings, experiences, prior conditioning, thought processesprior conditioning, thought processes

Ambiguous stimuli that have been used Ambiguous stimuli that have been used include:include: Ink blots (Rorschach)Ink blots (Rorschach) Ambiguous pictures (Thematic Apperception Test)Ambiguous pictures (Thematic Apperception Test) Sentence stemsSentence stems

PopularitPopularity of y of

ProjectivProjective Testse Tests

The Rorschach Inkblot The Rorschach Inkblot TestTest

use of inkblots to assess personality functioning proposed by Binet in 1916

Rorschach was first person to use them to identify psychological disorders

began his inverstigations around 1911 “Psychodiagnostik” 1921 died in 1922 at age of 36

History of the TestHistory of the Test initially unenthusiastic response to book David Levy brought test to US from Europe his student, Samuel J. Beck, wrote a no. of

books about the test, & helped popularize it until his death in 1980

others who popularized it were Marguerite Hertz, Bruno Klopfer, Zygmunt Piotrowski & David Rapaport

became extremely popular WLU library holds about 20 books on Rorschach there is an annual international conference just

on the Rorschach

Test StimuliTest Stimuli

inkblots formed by dropping ink on piece of paper & folding it

Rorschach selected 10 from thousands of inkblots he experimented with: five black & gray; 2 black, grey & red; 3 different colours

Administration of TestAdministration of Test examiner hands card to subjects & asks

“what might this be” examiner keeps a verbatim record of

responses to each card, reaction time & duration of responses, position in which cards are held, spontaneous remarks, emotional expressions

each card administered twice free association inquiry

during inquiry, tester attempts to ascertain what in the inkblot made person see what he/she saw

What might this What might this be?be?

ScoriScoringng

Scoring SystemsScoring Systems

Content analysisContent analysis Exner’s scoring systemExner’s scoring system

Reliability & ValidityReliability & Validity Reliability using Exner’s scoring system is Reliability using Exner’s scoring system is

reasonably high (.61 to .74), but many do not reasonably high (.61 to .74), but many do not consider this to be adequateconsider this to be adequate

Poor as a diagnostic tool: no relationship Poor as a diagnostic tool: no relationship withwith psychopathologypsychopathology conduct disorderconduct disorder antisocial personalityantisocial personality depressiondepression PTSDPTSD anxiety disorderanxiety disorder antisocial personality etc., etc., etc.antisocial personality etc., etc., etc.

The Thematic Apperception The Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)Test (TAT)

introduced by Christiana Morgan & Henry Murray in 1935 as a method to explore unconscious thoughts and fantasies

based on Murray’s theory of needs test material administered to any

one subject consists of 10 or 12 cards, chosen from 31 available (1 of these being blank)

Administration Administration ProcedureProcedure

“I am going to show you some pictures. I want you to tell me a story about each picture. Tell me what led up to the story, what is happening, what the characters are thinking and feeling, and what the outcome will be”

ScoringScoring HERO:

character with whom subject seems to have identified

traits of hero: superiority, intelligence, loneliness NEEDS of the hero:

using Murray’s formulation – includes achievement, agression, nurturance

scored on an intensity scale from one to five PRESS (environmental forces that interfere

with or facilitate satisfaction of various needs) e.g., aggression, in which hero’s property or

possessions are destroyed; dominance, where hero is exposed to commands; rejection, where hero is rejected, ignored

Scoring (continued)Scoring (continued) OUTCOMES

amount of hardship, frustration experienced degree of success, failure usually inferred from the way in which

respondents wind up their stories THEMES

interplay of the hero’s needs, press, and unsuccessful or successful resolution of conflicts, constitute a theme

they represent need-press combinations when reviewing totality of response, question

is “what issues, conflicts, or dilemmas are of the greatest concern to the respondent?”

Reliability & ValidityReliability & Validity

mixed results for reliability and validity

better for specific scoring protocols, such as achievement motivation

Other Projective TestsOther Projective Tests

Blacky PicturesBlacky Pictures Rosenzweig Picture Frustration TestRosenzweig Picture Frustration Test Draw-a-Person TestDraw-a-Person Test Word Association TestWord Association Test Rotter Incomplete Sentence BlankRotter Incomplete Sentence Blank