Projective personality tests Flashcards
Core hypothesis of Projective personality tests
Responses to ambiguous stimuli permit access to unconscious needs and conflicts.
Sample methods of projective personality tests (3)
- Perceptions of inkblots
- Telling stories about pictures
- Completing sentence stems
Projective test Assumptions (3)
- Responses to ambiguous stimuli are determined by personality characteristics
- Reveal characteristics beneath the surface (bypass defences, unaffected by social desirability/context)
- Provide broad coverage of personality characteristics
Projective tests - Advantages (3)
- Purpose of the test is disguised
- Possibly cuts down on faking
- Provides information outside of awareness
Rorschach - Content
10 inkblot cards
- 5 inkblots in shades of black and gray
- 2 in black, gray and red
- 3 colorful
=> Inkblots have uneven ink patterns: used to describe texture and depth
Rorschach - Administration
1st phase = Free association phase
- Presents 10 carts one by one; what might this be?
2nd phase =** Inquiry phase**
- Examiner examines responses
What are the 2 categories of scoring for the Rorschach test?
- Informal: Interpretation of content
- Formal scoring: 5 dimensions
What’s the informal phase of scoring in the Rorschach test?
Interpretation of content
- E.g. odd uses of words; thematic patterns
- Examiner searches for anything that stands out
What are the formal scoring dimensions of Rorschach test? (5)
(1) Location: part of the inkblot the individual focuses on when giving their response (e.g., a whole blot, a specific detail)
(2) Determinant: specific feature or characteristic of the inkblot that influenced the person’s response
(3) Form quality: how well the respondent’s perception matches the actual shape or structure of the inkblot (the more closely the response fits the inkblot’s form, the better the form quality).
(4) Content: What the person sees in the inkblot
(5) Frequency of occurrence
(Formal testing of Rorschach): What’s in the “determinant” dimension? (4)
- Form
- Colour
- Texture
- Movement
Rorschach Scales/Variables (7)
-> ways of combining scores
- Control and Situational Stress (coping style, mental ability, types of stresses)
- Affective Features (emotional style)
- Interpersonal Perception (representation of others)
- Self-Perception (self-view)
- Information Processing (mental operation complexity)
- Cognitive Mediation (perception conventionality)
- Ideation (thinking quality, organization, style)
Rorschach Indices (6)
-> scores
- Perceptual Thinking Index (disturbed thinking and perceptions)
- Depression Index
- Coping Deficit Index (interpersonal and/or emotional deficits)
- Suicide constellation (risk)
- Hypervigilance index
- Obsessive style index (obsessive info processing)
Exner’s Comprehensive System
Aimed to replace the ancient representations of Rorshach (overcome divisions regarding Rorschach).
Tried to provide standardized norms.
Exner’s norms characteristics
- n = 700 adults (attempt to match 1970 US census)
- 56% women, 44% men
- Stratified to equally represent 5 geographic regions
- Partial stratification of SES (upper=.34, middle=.56, higher=.10)
Problem with Exner’s norms
Even with that - not representative
Rorschach reliability: Interrater reliability (Exner)
For determinants: 88-97%
Rorschach reliability: Internal consistency
“Not high”
- I.C. = across all blocks, coherent answers
- Bc each inkblot has diff properties, not good -> Inkblot are NOT parallel to each other
Rorschach reliability: Test-retest
Depends on studies:
- Meyer & Archer: 1 month= .50-.77
- Exner: 1y=.74-.91; 3y = .70-.87
Rorschach Validity: Criterion validity (compared to other tests)
Meta analyses:
- Rorchach: .27-.30
- MMPI: .23-.28
- WAIS: .32-.36
Which index of Rorschach has the most validity support?
Perceptual thinking index
Which index of Rorschach has a weak validity support?
Suicide Constellation
-> Little evidence supporting many scoring categories
Some successful forms of Rorschach predicts (2)
- Psychotherapy outcome
- Differentiate psychotic and non-psychotic patients
Rorschach ___ be score reliably
CAN
Biggest “cons” of Rorschach (5)
- Serious problem of norms
- Absence of a standardized method of administration
- Limits on validity evidence
- Time intensive
- Does the test give useful information?
Thematic Apperception Test was created by ___
Murray and Morgan
TAT principle
- Presentation of an ambiguous picture
- Examinee provides a story
- Implicit needs are projected into the story’s content
- Dispositional tendencies emerge over multiple pictures
Assumptions of TAT (2)
(1) Respondents interpret stimuli in accord with their personality and life experiences
(2) Respondents identify with the “hero” of the story
TAT Instructions
Write a story that is complete - a story that has a beginning, a middle and an end
TAT: Motives (Needs) def
Incentives that motivate behavior; Primary motivation for someone’s behavior
TAT is supposed to measure _____ needs
IMPLICIT
-> Operate outside of awareness
Common point between Rorschach & TAT (2)
- Measures something outside of conscious awareness
- Test results thought to be unaffected by social desirability, impression management…
TAT: Big Three motives/needs
(1) Achievement
(2) Power
(3) Affiliation
Achievement need def
Recurrent preference or desire for experiences of doing well and being successful; obtaining goals, overcoming adversity, performing well
Power need def
Recurrent preference or desire for experiences having an impact on others: vigorous action, concern about status, position, or self-image
Affiliation need def
Recurrent preference or desire to spend time with others; concern about acceptance by others, attempts to establish and maintain relationships
TAT Scoring
(1) Informal interpretation (themes, patterns, sequences)
(2) Formal scoring using manual
TAT Norms
No good normative sample
-> Implication: Cannor interpret individual’s score
