Like Seeing Things in the Clouds

Projective Tests

Like Seeing Things in the Clouds

Projective tests developed out of psychoanalytic approaches to personality. In the

most commonly used projective tests, a person is presented with a vague image, such

as an inkblot or an ambiguous scene, then asked to describe what she "sees" in the

image. The person's response is thought to be a projection of her unconscious confl

icts, motives, psychological defenses, and personality traits. Notice that this idea is

related to the defense mechanism of projection, which was described in Table 10.1

earlier in the chapter. The fi rst projective test was the famous Rorschach Inkblot

Test, published by Swiss psychiatrist Hermann Rorschach

in 1921 (Hertz, 1992).

The Rorschach test consists of 10 cards, 5 that

show black-and-white inkblots and 5 that depict

colored inkblots. One card at a time, the person describes

whatever he sees in the inkblot. The examiner

records the person's responses verbatim and also observes

his behavior, gestures, and reactions.

Numerous scoring systems exist for the Rorschach.

Interpretation is based on such criteria as

whether the person reports seeing animate or inanimate

objects, human or animal fi gures, and movement,

and whether the person deals with the whole

blot or just fragments of it (Exner, 2007; Exner &

Erdberg, 2005).Projective Tests

Like Seeing Things in the Clouds

Projective tests developed out of psychoanalytic approaches to personality. In the

most commonly used projective tests, a person is presented with a vague image, such

as an inkblot or an ambiguous scene, then asked to describe what she "sees" in the

image. The person's response is thought to be a projection of her unconscious confl

icts, motives, psychological defenses, and personality traits. Notice that this idea is

related to the defense mechanism of projection, which was described in Table 10.1

earlier in the chapter. The fi rst projective test was the famous Rorschach Inkblot

Test, published by Swiss psychiatrist Hermann Rorschach

in 1921 (Hertz, 1992).

The Rorschach test consists of 10 cards, 5 that

show black-and-white inkblots and 5 that depict

colored inkblots. One card at a time, the person describes

whatever he sees in the inkblot. The examiner

records the person's responses verbatim and also observes

his behavior, gestures, and reactions.

Numerous scoring systems exist for the Rorschach.

Interpretation is based on such criteria as

whether the person reports seeing animate or inanimate

objects, human or animal fi gures, and movement,

and whether the person deals with the whole

blot or just fragments of it (Exner, 2007; Exner &

Erdberg,