Projective assessments

Projective tests
Is A personality test designed to let A person respond
to ambiguous stimuli, presumably revealing hidden
emotions and internal conflicts.
Designed to evolve highly individual ,variety response
with less conscious control
Scoring procedure is less structured and interpreter
must often rely heavily on a subjective evaluation of
response
Less dependent on the subjects willingness or ability to
give personal information
Subjects are unaware of the purpose of the test and
unable to judge how particular responses are
interpreted
Types of projective test
Depending on the type of task involved ( LIindzey,
1961)
• ASSOCIATION TECHNIQUE: ASK THE SUBJECT TO TELL
WHAT IS SUGGESTED BY A VERBAL, VISUAL, OR AUDITORY
STIMULI
WORD ASSOCIATION, RORSCHACH

• CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUE INVOLVE THE CREATING

OF AN IMAGINAL PRODUCTION FOR WHICH THE TEST
MATERIALS PROVIDE A FRAME WORK
 TAT, MAKE A PICTURE STORY, BLACKY
Completion technique : requires that subjects complete
a statement or story; they are more structured
constructured procedure (semi structured).
-Rosenzweig picture-frustration study, sentence
completion tests
Choice or ordering technique involve
arranging material in story tellin sequences, in order of
choice, etc., Often with no verbal elaboration
– Tomkins-horn picture arrangement test,
Expressive technique do not depend on test
stimuli, but rather ask the subject to perform an artistic or
creative activity.
– Draw a person, finger painting, play, psychodrama
Theoretical Basis
PROJECTIVE TESTS HAVE THEIR ORIGINS IN
Psychoanalytic psychology, which argues that
humans have conscious and unconscious attitudes
and motivations that are beyond or hidden from
conscious awareness
Thematic Apperception Test
was conceptualized by Henry Murray and
Christina Morgan on 1935.
Henry Murray
– was born on May 13, 1893 into a wealthy
family.
– Has a good relationship with his father but
poor one with his mother, that result him to
feel depression.
Morgan – Murray Thematic apperception Test
– the original name of the TAT but later on
Murray is given primary credit for the test, along with the
staff of Harvard Psychological Clinic.
 1938 the year that Tat was established in Harvard
Psychological Clinic
Explorations in Personality in which the description
of TAT was included.
Murray’s Theory of Personality
The TAT is so integrally involved with Murray’s
concept of personality that a survey and
knowledge of his basic theoretical components is
important. In constructing the theory, Murray
emphasizes the biological basis as well as the
social and environmental determinants of
behavior. He is also consistently aware of how
individuals interact with their environment.
Testing materials
In the present form, it consists of a series of 13
pictures one of which is blank.
TAT was standardized for Indian
conditions by uma choudary(1974))
FOR THE CLINICAL USAGE.
• Is a projective test consisting of a series of pictures in which
the examinee is requested to create a story about the
picture.
method of revealing to the trained interpreter some of the
dominant drives, emotions, sentiments, complexes and
conflicts of personality.
Apperception – refer to the process of
projecting fantasy imaginary onto an objective stimuli.
General conditions
to be administered in an interpersonal setting.
Indian version of TAT materials consists of 13 cards
on which ambiguous pictures are presented.
 During administration, the subject should be seated
beside the examiner with his or her chair turned
away.
Instructions
The examiner will show some pictures one at a
time, and the subject will be making up as
dramatic a story as he/she can for each picture card.
50 minutes for 10 pictures. The following story
structure must be obtained:
a) current situation ; what is happening at the
moment?
b) thoughts and feelings of the character (s); what
the characters are feeling and thinking?
c) preceding events; what has led up to the event
shown in the picture?
d) outcome ; what was the outcome?
 Procedures:

• TIME
time measured should begin when the picture is
first presented and end when the subject begins
his or her story.
• RECORDING
a subject’s complete responses should be recorded, along
with any noteworthy behavioral observations:
exclamation, stuttering, pauses, blushing, degree of
involvement , and change in voice inflection.
Procedures cont..
• QUESTIONING and INQUIRY
to produce an unhampered and free-flow of the subject’s
fantasy material.
• ORDER OF PRESENTATION
usually, the cards should be administered according to
their sequential numbering system.
Scoring
The Psychological Corporation
For each of the scoring categories, practitioners
should abbreviate their observations about the
person.
 In some sections, practitioners are asked to
indicate the levels of importance or strength for
the per by putting one check (mere presence of
characteristics), two checks (moderate) or three
checks (strong).
The entire scoring and interpretation procedure
typically takes a half-hour.
• H.A Murray, 1943 scoring the TAT involves
evaluating the following five different aspects of the
stories:
 The Hero. Scoring for the hero involves identifying who
is central character(s) in the story
 Need of the Hero. For Murray, it was also critical to
identify the needs, motives and desire of the hero.
 Identifying the presses. A press refer to any important
environmental factor that may influence or interfere with
the need of the hero.
Example: (parents or boss), (the lock on the door is
broken)
 Scoring for themes. Scoring for themes in TAT
stories involves noting the nature of the interplay
and conflict between the needs and presses, the
types of emotion elicited by this conflict, and the
way the conflict is resolved.

 Scoring for outcome. Scoring for the outcome

of the story involves analyzing how the stories end
by noting a happy versus unhappy ending and
assessing the extent to which the ending is
controlled by the strengths of the hero and forces in
the environment.
 Interpretation:
• Nomethetic and Idiogrphic.

1. Nomothethic Interpretation refers to the

practice of establishing norms for answer from
subjects in specific age, gender, racial, or
educational level groups and then measuring a
given subject’s responses against those norms.
2. Idiographic Interpretation refers to evaluating
the unique features of the subject’s view of the
world and relationships.
Most psychologists would classify the TAT is better
suited to idiographic than nomothethic interpretations
• In interpreting the responses of the TAT, the
examiners typically focus their attention on one of
the three (3) areas:
•The content of the stories that the subject tells;
•The feeling or the tone of the stories;
•The subject’s behavior apart from responses.
These behavior may include: Verbal Remarks (e.g.
comments about feeling stressed by situation or
not being good story teller) as well as Nonverbal
Actions or Signs (e.g. blushing stammering,
fidgeting in the chair, difficulties making an eye
contact with the examiner, etc.)
• The story content usually reveals the
subject’s attitudes, fantasies, wishes, inner
conflicts, and view of the outside world.

• The story structure typically reflects

subject’s feelings, assumptions about the
the
world, and an underlying of
attitude or pessimism.
optimism
The 3 Levels of Interpretations suggest by
Bellak & Abram, 1997 are:
• Descriptive Level- it is the mere repeat of
the story
• Interpretative Level- It extends the
descriptive level by an alteration of it [if one
does the X, then the outcome will be Y.].
• Diagnostic Level- It is the further extension
I that an interference is made about the
client.
• In Example Given:
PICTURE 1

– Descriptive level (the boy is

practicing to increase his
competence.)
– Interpretative level (If one
practice, then he or she
will improve.)
– Diagnostic level (The client
has a high need for
achievement with a high level
of self- efficacy.
Results
The results of the TAT must be interpreted in the
context of the subject’s personal history, age, sex, level
of education, occupation, racial or ethnic
identification first language, and other characteristics
that may be important.
Results cont..
The results of the Thematic Apperception
test are difficult to generalize.
The results are often subjective and do not
use any formal type of scoring system.
However, a close analysis of the stories told
by the subject normally gives the tester a
decent idea of the traits mentioned above
(personality, emotional control, an attitudes
towards aspects of everyday life).
Results
Thematic Apperception Tests are less beneficial to
individuals.
However, individuals can use the results to
determine if an industry or company is right for
them.
Te results can also help the person understand
their unconscious self, which can help them find
ways to successfully increase their productivity
and efficacy on the job.
A true understanding of one self can provide over
your co-workers and competitors.
Thematic Apperception Test
Picture 1:
A boy is sitting and looking at a Tanpura placed in front
of him.
Personality characteristics
• As per description of the subject
following traits may be traced
 Creativity
 Imagination ability
Picture 2 : Country scene with a woman
working in the foreground. In the background, a man
is working in a field while a woman watches.
General Discussion
This is the card in the series
that presents the group scene
and gives information relating
to how the individual deals with
the challenge of people living
together.
Personality characteristics
As per description of the subject
following traits may be traced
– Imagination power
– Nature loving
– Aesthetic sense
– Attitude towards life of different
workers
Picture 3: An older man is looking at a
younger man
General Discussion
This card is extremely useful in obtaining
information about the authority figures and more
specifically the subjects own father.
The picture deals with hierarchical personal
relationships and usually takes the form of an older,
more experienced man interacting with the
younger, less experienced one.
Thus, the card can clearly show how the subject
deals wit external demands and attitudes toward
authority.
Picutre 4: A young girl is seated on a couch
and is holding a doll in her hands. Behind her
is an older woman.
General Discussion
The intension here is to bring out the style an d
manner of mother-child interaction.
When the older women are the subjects, the picture
often elicits feelings and attitudes toward children.
Because both figures are looking away, either figure is
sometimes perceived as rejecting the other.
This, the card draws out negative feeling and
interactions, and it is important to note how these
feelings are resolved, expressed, or avoided.
Sometimes the older woman is described as reading a
fairy story to the younger girl.
Picture 5: A woman i standing in front of a man.
General Discussion
This picture typically elicits a good
deal of information relating to the
feelings and attitudes surrounding
male- female relationship.
Personality characteristics
Attitude towards male-female
relationship.
Attitude of male towards female and
vice-versa.
Capacity for mutual respect.
Picture 6: An woman is standing in front of a man in opposite face.
Attitude towards male-female
relationship.
Information about emotional
aspects.
Information about social
relationship.
Picture 7: A woman as her hands around the
throat of another woman. In the background
is a fight of stairs.
General Discussion
The manner in which the subject handles
aggressive, hostile relationship with the
other women is primary type of information
thus picture elicits.
Particular note should be made of which
types of events trigger this aggressiveness,
and of the manner in which the conflict is or
is not resolved.
Picture 8: A beautiful scenario of the village.
No human figures are present.
The picture is describing the
nature and so it is good test of
the subjects’ imaginative
abilities.
Picture 9: One person is holding his or her head against
another person’s shoulder. One woman is looking from
window.
Picture 10: One young man is in a close relation
with one women. Another woman is watching
this.
General Discussion
These cards often gives useful information
regarding how the subject perceives male-female
relationship, particularly those involving some
degree of closeness and intimacy.
It might be helpful to notice the relative degree of
comfort or discomfort evoked by emotional
closeness.
A story of departure or of termination of the
relationship may be reflective of either overt or
denied hostility on the part of the subject.
General Discussion
These card also deals with female
peer relations and is important in
elaborating on the issues such as
conflict resolution, jealousy, sibling
rivalry and competitiveness.
Picture 11: A woman in front of a broken house.
General Discussion
The picture often elicits information
regarding a subject’s attitudes towards
loneliness, darkness, and uncertainty.
Fears may be stated explicitly through
gangster stories.
As with picture, the method of handling
these fears and the examinee’s response to
physical danger should be noted.
General Discussion
With suicidal or depressed subjects,
there may be an elaboration of feelings
of abandonment and isolation, for
example: Someone has been lost or has
been from a boat.
More stable and adjusted begin alone
in the woods and perhaps of fishing or
having gone fishing further down the
stream.
Picture 12: A young man is standing in the for
General Discussion
This picture is often helpful in revealing sexual
conflicts.
In a general way, it provides information on the
subject’s attitudes and feelings toward his or her
partner, in particularly attitudes just before and
immediately following the sexual relation.
Stories in which there are overt expressions of
aggression or revulsion are significant variations and
should be noted as relatively unusual.
In particular, the relation between a subject’s
aggressive and sexual feelings is frequently portrayed.
Picture 13: A person is standing against a window.
General Discussion
If a subject’s presenting problem is depression, especially if
there is evidence of suicidal ideation, this card along with
picture.
This type of subject often describes the figure in the picture
and more importantly discuss the events, feelings, and
attitudes that led up to the current self-destructive
behaviour.
It becomes imp0rtant to investigate, during the inquiry
phase of examination, the particular methods and styles of
problem solving that the story character has attempted or
is attempting.
This picture may also reveal the subject’s aesthetics interest
and personal philosophical beliefs or wish fulfilments.