Week 4: Personality Testing 2 - Projective

Question 1

What are projective tests?

Answer 1

These are tests informed by theory and require clients to respond to ambiguous stimuli and their responses are said to reflect a projection of the client’s motivations or internal state.

Question 2

Why are projective tests controversial?

Answer 2

They are considered subjective and unscientific. They also lack reliability and validity statistics.

Question 3

What is a Rorschach test?

Answer 3

A test where ambiguous inkblot shapes are shown to the client and they describe what they see.

Question 4

What is the Holtzman test?

Answer 4

Similar to the Rorschach test, clients are shown an ambiguous inkblot shape but they can only give one answer per image.

Question 5

What is the Thematic Apperception test (TAT)?

Answer 5

It is a picture interpretation technique where clients are shown images of scenes involving ambiguous characters and they are asked to describe the story they see.

Question 6

What is the Animal Metaphor test?

Answer 6

A test where the client is require to draw two animals, describe the characters of each and develop a dialogue between them.

Question 7

What is Graphology?

Answer 7

It is the study of a person’s personality traits as revealed by their handwriting.

Question 8

What is the Draw-a-person (DAP) test?

Answer 8

A test usually administered for children and adolescents, where they are required to a human figure (not a stick figure), which is then assessed based on set criteria.

Question 9

What is Kinetic family drawing?

Answer 9

Usually used to children and adolescents, where they are required to draw their family (including themselves) doing something.

Question 10

What are Picture Arrangement tests?

Answer 10

A test where the client is given a series of images and they must rearrange them to create a meaningful storyline.

Question 11

What is a Word Association test?

Answer 11

A test that requires the client to state the first word that comes to mind in relation to the given word.

Question 12

What is a Sentence Completion task?

Answer 12

A task that requires the client to complete a phrase that has been left unfinished.

Question 13

What are the five categories of emotional indicators?

Answer 13

1. Impulsivity
2. Insecurity/feelings of inadequacy
3. Anxiety
4. Shyness/timidity
5. Anger/aggressiveness

Question 14

In a Draw-a-person test, what indicates impulsivity?

Answer 14

1. Poor integration of parts
2. Gross asymmetry of limbs
3. Transparencies
4. Big figure
5. Omission of neck

Question 15

In a DAP test, what indicates insecurity or feelings of inadequacy?

Answer 15

1. Slanting figure
2. Tiny head
3. Hands cut off
4. Omission of arms
5. Omission of legs
6. Omission of feet
7. Monster/grotesque figure

Question 16

In a DAP test, what indicates anxiety?

Answer 16

1. Shading of face
2. Shading of body and/or limbs
3. Legs pressed together
4. Omission of eyes
5. Cloud, rain, flying birds

Question 17

In a DAP test, what indicates shyness or timidity?

Answer 17

1. Tiny figure
2. Short arms
3. Arms clinging to the body
4. Omission of nose
5. Omission of mouth

Question 18

In a DAP test, what indicates anger/aggressiveness?

Answer 18

1. Crossed eyes
2. Teeth
3. Long arms
4. Big Hands
5. Nude figures/genitals

Question 19

What five categories are used to assess a Rorschach test?

Answer 19

1. Location
2. Determinant
3. Form quality
4. Content
5. Popular

Question 20

What is the Barnum Effect?

Answer 20

It occurs when the statements or observations that are made are general enough to always be accurate while sounding precise.

Question 21

What are arguments for the Rorschach test?

Answer 21

• lack of standardisation can be corrected
• test interpretation is an art, not a science
• meta-analyses indicate that the test is more stable than previously believed
• large empirical base
• evidence against the approach is biased and poorly controlled

Question 22

What are arguments against the Rorschach test?

Answer 22

• lacks universally accepted standard of administration, scoring and interpretation
• evaluations of data are subjective
• results are unstable overtime
• unscientific
• inadequate by modern standards