Name ____________________________________ Age/Sex___________________

Date_________________________

SACK’S SENTECE COMPLETION TEST

Below are 60 incomplete sentences. Read each one and finish it by writing the FIRST THING
that comes to your mind. Work as quickly as you can. Do not spend too much time on each
item. If you cannot complete an item outright, encircle the number and return to it later.

1. I feel that my father seldom________________________________________________

2. When the odds are against me_______________________________________________

3. I always wanted to________________________________________________________

4. If I were in charge_________________________________________________________

5. To me the future looks_____________________________________________________

6. The men over me_________________________________________________________

7. I know it is silly but I am afraid of_____________________________________________

8. I feel that a real friend______________________________________________________

9. When I was a child________________________________________________________

10. My idea of a perfect woman is______________________________________________

11. When I see a man and woman together_______________________________________

12. Compared with most families, mine__________________________________________

13. At work, I get along best with_______________________________________________

14. My mother______________________________________________________________

15. I would do anything to forget the time I________________________________________

16. If my father would only____________________________________________________

17. I believe that I have the ability to____________________________________________

18. I could be perfectly happy if________________________________________________

19. If people work for me_____________________________________________________

20. I look forward to_________________________________________________________

21.In school, my teachers____________________________________________________

22. Most of my friends don’t know that I am afraid of________________________________

23. I don’t like people who____________________________________________________

24. Before, I_______________________________________________________________

25. I think most girls/boys____________________________________________________

26. My feeling about married life is______________________________________________

27. My family treats me like___________________________________________________

28. Those I work with are_____________________________________________________

29. My mother and I_________________________________________________________

30. My greatest mistake was__________________________________________________

31. I wish my father__________________________________________________________

32. My greatest weakness was_________________________________________________

33. My secret ambition in life__________________________________________________

34. The people who work for me_______________________________________________

35. Someday I_____________________________________________________________

36. When I see the boss coming_______________________________________________

37.I wish I could lose the fear of_______________________________________________

38.The people I like best_____________________________________________________

39.If I were young again_____________________________________________________

40.I believe most women/men_________________________________________________

41.If I had sex relations______________________________________________________

42.Most families I know______________________________________________________

43.I like working with people who______________________________________________

44.I think that most mothers__________________________________________________

45.When I was younger, I felt guilty about________________________________________

46.I feel that my father is_____________________________________________________

47.When luck turns against me________________________________________________

48.In giving orders to others I_________________________________________________

49.What I want most out of life________________________________________________

50.When I am older_________________________________________________________

51.People whom I consider my superiors________________________________________

52.My fears sometimes force me to_____________________________________________

53.When I’m not around, my friends____________________________________________

54.My most vivid childhood___________________________________________________

56.My sex life is____________________________________________________________

57.When I was a child my family_______________________________________________

58.People who work with me usually____________________________________________

59.I like my mother but______________________________________________________

60. The worst thing I ever did_________________________________________________

SACKS’ SENTENCE COMPLETION TEST

NATURE OF THE TEST

Dr. Joseph M. Sacks and other psychologist of the New York Veterans Administrative
Mental Hygiene Service developed a sentence completion test designed to obtain
significant clinical material in four representative areas of adjustment namely: •
family • sex • interpersonal relationship • self-concept

It has felt that items included in this test present sufficient opportunities for the
subject to express his attitudes so that clinical psychologist may infer his dominant
personality traits/trends. Such information is useful in screening patient for therapy,
which gives clues to content and dynamics of patients’ attitudes and feelings.

NATURE OF THE SCALE FAMILY The family area included three sets of attitudes
namely: a) those towards mother, b) father, and c) family unit. It is hoped that even
when the subject becomes evasive or cautious, at least one of the four items in
each area will reveal significant response.

SEX The sex area includes attitudes towards woman and heterosexual relationship.
The 8 items in this area allows the subject to express himself with regards to
woman, towards marriage, and with respect to sexual relationship.

INTERERSONAL RELATIONSHIP The area of interpersonal relationship includes

attitudes towards friends and acquaintances, colleagues at work or school, superior
at work or school, and people supervised. The 16 items in this area affords the
subject to express his feelings towards those.

SELF-CONCEPT The area of self-concept includes fear, guilt feelings, goals and
attitudes towards one’s own ability, concept of himself as he is, he was and as he
hopes to be. There are 24 items included in this area.

SCORING AND INTERPRETATION A rating sheet has been advised for the SSCT which
brings together under each attitude, the four stimulus item and the subject’s
responses to them.

For example:

Attitude towards Father items: 1. I feel that my father seldom works. 16. If my father
would do better. 31. I wish that my father is dead. 46. I feel that my father is no
good. Those four responses are considered together and interpretative summary is
made that crystallizes the clinician’s impression of the subjects’ attitude towards in
this area. In this case, the summary stated: “Extreme hostility and contempt or
overt death wishes” A rating is made of the subject’s degree of disturbance in this
area according to the following scale:

2 - SEVERELY DISTURBED Appears to require the therapeutic aid in handling

emotional conflicts in this area. 1 – MILDLY DISTURBED Has emotional conflict in this
area but appears able to handle them without therapeutic aid. 0 – No Significant
disturbance rated in this area X – Unknown, Insufficient evidence

Sacks and Levy feel that it is more desirable to point out areas of disturbance and
determine these through a constellation of response. The validity of the rating is
dependent of course upon the clinical background of the examiner as well as upon
materials produced by the subject.

The following are the summaries and ratings of the individual attitudes and outlines
presented for a general summary of the SSCT findings. This includes the following:

1. Statement of those areas in which subject shows the most disturbed attitudes.
This may provide significant clues for therapist. 2. A description of the
interrelationships between attitudes with respect to content. This often illuminates
dynamic factors in the case.

Certain influences on the subject’s personality structure case be made on the basis
of the SSCT, such as: 1. The subject’s manner of response to impulse from within or
to stimuli from the environment. 2. The subject’s nature of response to stress –
impulsive or well-controlled. 3. The subject’s thinking content: realistic, artistic, and
fantastic.

Interpretation Guide

Attitude towards Mother (14, 29, 44, 59) 2 = Completely rejects and depreciates
mother whom he considers over demanding. 1 = Sees mother’s fault but accepts
and tolerates differences. 0 = express only positive feelings towards the mother.

Attitude towards Father (1, 16, 31, 46) 2 = feels extreme hostility and contempt
with overt death wishes. 1 = admires father but wishes that their relationship were
closer. 0 = expresses complete satisfaction with father’s personality.

Attitude towards Family Unit (2, 27, 42, 57) 2 = feels rejected by the family which
lacks solidarity and which has constantly contended with difficulties. 1 = aware that
the family does not recognize him as a mature person but has no difficulty in
relating with them. 0 = instability of the family domicile has had little effect on his
favorable feeling towards them.
Attitude towards Women ( 10, 25, 40, 55) 2 = extremely suspicious, possible
homosexual tendency 1 = high ideas but ambivalent feelings. 0 = only minor or
superficial criticisms

Attitude towards Heterosexual Relationship (11,26,41,56) 2 = appears to have given

up achieving good sexual adjustment 1 = deserved sexual experiences but
reservation about his ability to maintain marital relationship. 0 = indicates
satisfaction towards this area

Attitude towards Friends and Acquaintances (8,23,38,53) 2 = suspicious and

apparently seclusive 1= seems to wait approval of others before committing himself
emotionally 0 = express mutual relationship with friends and self

Attitude towards People Supervised (4,19,34,58) 2 = feels he can handle or control

hostility in handling others 1 = feels capable of doing good supervisory but has
misgivings about assuming an authoritarian role. 0 = feels controllable and well
accepted by subordinates.

Attitude towards Supervisors at work or School (6,21,36,51) 2 = resents or fear

authority 1 = mild difficulty in accepting difficulty 0 =

Attitude towards Colleague at work/school (13,28,43,58) 2 = feels rejected by

colleagues, and condemns them 1 = has some difficulty at work and depends on
colleagues 0 = expresses good mutual feelings

Fear (7,22,37,52) 2 = disturbed by the apparent fear of loving, possibility to control

his feelings 1 = fear of self-assertion which is fairly common and not pervasive. 0 =
lack of fear

Guilt Feelings (15,30,45,60) 2 = concerned with spiritual feeling and physical sex
drives 1 = has regret over past and seems mildly disturbed by his failure to control
his trouble. 0 = does not seem to be aware of guilt feelings

Attitude towards Own Ability (2,7,32,47) 2 = feels completely incompetent and

hopeless 1 = feels he has a specific ability but tends to fear difficulty 0 = confident
on his ability to overcome obstacles

Attitude towards Past (9,24,39,54) 2 = feels rejected and isolated 1 = 0 = feels well
adjusted, no significant disturbance in the past

Attitude towards the Future (5, 20, 35, 50) 2 = pessimistic, no hope in his own
resources for happiness and success 1 = unsure of himself but tries to be optimistic
0 = seems confident in achieving his goals
Goals (3, 18,53,49) 2 = lack of motivation for achievement 1 = desires material
things for family as well as for himself 0 =