Ch 14 projective personality tests PDF

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Richard Mansfield...

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The Projective Hypothesis We “project” onto an ambiguous stimulus what is happening inside of us— needs, motives, feelings, and so on Many examples of such processes are found in various disciplines (art, literature, etc.) Does a person report seeing what is actually there or some interpretation of what is there The problem of interpreting an individual response to an ambiguous stimulus pervades the use of such tests. How can one’s answer be definitively interpreted? The Rorschach Inkblot Test - Historical Antecedents Opinions on the Rorschach test vary, from rating it as highly valuable to little more than a party game Herman Rorschach’s test was not of his own original derivation. Many before him had suggested this as a means of assessing personality. The inkblot test was initially received with great skepticism, but several people took interest, researching and writing about the test  This led to a variety of administration and scoring processes Stimuli, Administration, and Interpretation 10 symmetrical inkblots are presented—some black and white and some with color—and very little guidance regarding interpretation is offered Ambiguity is an important goal Two phases of presentation (each card is offered twice):  Free association  Inquiry Certain answers from client have specific replies from the test administrator Figure 14.1: A Rorschach-type image is created by dropping ink onto a piece of paper and folding it. This is a reproduction of an actual card from the Rorschach.

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The location on the card of any answer is an important part of the scoring. Whole card, common detail, or unusual detail Research examining the validity of attending to the location of a response has been very mixed Next, the determinant of a given answer is assessed  Form or shape, color, shading, perceived movement  Cooperative movement  Research has been unclear—many agree that movement is important, but the exact meaning of a given movement is not agreed upon Standardized scoring has been a large problem, and it is understood that different people administering the test can vary on their scoring Scoring determinants may be quite difficult, while scoring content is rather simple Other areas of scoring:  Populars  Form quality  Confabulatory responses Scoring systems have been developed with varying levels of success  Exner’s Comprehensive System 30 pictures and one blank card, some designed for women or men specifically, and others for older or younger subjects Specific cards are related to specific kinds of information (e.g., relationship to parents) Standardization of administration and scoring is as poor as (or worse!) than for the Rorschach  

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There is great variation in how different people administer or score the TAT Many different scoring methods, none of which have emerged as significantly superior FIGURE 14.2: Card 12F from the Thematic Apperception Test. This card often gives the subject a chance to express attitudes toward a mother or daughter figure. Sometimes attitudes toward marriage and aging also emerge. 

Some common themes in scoring methods include hero, needs, press, themes, and outcomes Some assumptions that persist in the scoring of the TAT are listed in Table 14.4. Examples include the following:  Storyteller identifies with one person in the scene  All stories are not equally important  Stories reflect group membership or sociocultural factors TAT should not be used in isolation, but rather alongside other clinically gathered information Psychometric Properties - Clinical Validation Early examination of the validity of the Rorschach was based mostly on nonscientific methods Sound research starting in the 1960s challenged the status of the Rorschach  What techniques had been used to elevate the Rorschach? Some argued that early Rorschach users had been genius analysts, while others strongly questioned this The Rorschach was criticized on several levels Exner’s scoring system was designed to remedy these issues, but was not successful in resolving all of them Norms

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Rorschach is administered millions of times each year, but has never been properly normed Exner’s norming was the closest thing, but also had problems:  Some data were used more than once, which challenges the actual normative sample  Exner’s renorming in 2007 was a strong step, but as your book points out, could not undo decades of misuse of the Rorschach Overpathologizing The Rorschach, even using Exner’s scoring method, has led to the invalid diagnosis of pathologies This has been seen in adults and children What is the potential consequence of such mislabeling?  Schools  Custody disputes  Forensic or clinical settings  Others? Unreliable Scoring The reliability estimates of the Rorschach have been all of the place, with studies ranging from internal consistencies ranging from .01 to the .90’s Meta-analysis has shown more adequate reliability, but has been criticized for its method Various forms of examination—split-half reliability and the Kuder-Richardson technique—have found higher reliabilities than has been attributed to the Rorschach Lack of Relationship to Psychological Diagnosis There is an absence of problem relationships between the Rorschach and psychological disorders and symptoms A variety of studies have failed to demonstrate validity in predicting a variety of disorders based on comprehensive scoring methods A large study conducted in 2000 found it to be unsupported as a diagnostic tool Many continue to use it for this purpose even with a lack of support for doing so The Problem of "R" “R” = Number of responses, and those taking the Rorschach can give as many as they choose  Space responses Certain types of clients are more likely than others to give a higher number of responses Problem was ignored by early users of the Rorschach Evaluating the Rorschach psychometrically has been a major challenge It continues to be very popular despite its many problems No standardized administration technique Scoring procedures are similarly not standardized in an adequate manner Research into reliability has produced varied results The scientific standing of the Rorschach has yet to be determined Table 14.2: Summary of Arguments Against and in Favor of the Rorschach Against In favor Lacks a

Lack of

universally accepted standard of administration, scoring, and interpretation.

standardized procedures is a historical accident that can be corrected.

Evaluations of data are subjective

Test interpretation is an art, not a science; all test interpretation involves a subjective component.

Results are unstable over time

A new look at the data reveals that the Rorschach is much more stable than is widely believed.

Is unscientific

Has a large empirical base

Available evidence is biased and poorly controlled and has therefore failed to provide a fair evaluation. An Alternative Inkblot Test: The Holtzman Similar to the Rorschach, but responses are limited to one per card; eliminates the “R” problem Standardized administration and scoring procedures Reliabilities are more favorable, and compare to objective personality tests 45 cards per version, scored on 22 dimensions Factors related to its lack of popularity The Thematic Apperception Test Similar to the Rorschach in many ways; presents a picture of an ambiguous situation rather than an amorphous inkblot Is inadequate by all traditional standards

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Based on Murray’s theory of needs 28 human needs are assessed, and there is a wealth of research on the TAT’s assessment of many of them (Achievement alone has been the focus of many studies) TABLE 14.3: A Comparison of the Rorschach and the TAT Rorschach

TAT

Rejected by Well scientific received by community scientific community Atheoretical Based on Murray's (1938) theory of needs Oversold by Conservative extravagant claims claims Purported diagnostic treatment Primarily clinical use

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Not purported as diagnostic

Clinical and nonclinical uses Psychometric Properties Is generally thought to be psychometrically unsound. What factors contribute to this assessment? Reliability estimates are varied, and seem to change upon re-administration Some argue that reliability estimates are not what is needed to truly evaluate the TAT Content-related validity has been found, though criterion-related evidence for validity has not Correlations with other similar measures have been very low, unimpressive at best As with Rorschach, the TAT continues to be used despite lack of psychometric support to do so Alternative Apperception Procedures Children’s Apperception Test (CAT) Tell Me A Story Test (TEMAS) Gerontological Apperception Test and Senior Apperception Technique Nonpictorial Projective Procedures - Word Association Test A prompt word is said by the person administering the test, and the client responds with the very first word that comes to mind Goal is to infer areas of disturbance or problem from the responses given Dates back to Galton, and an objective scoring process was developed in early 1900s

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Research did not support their uses in clinical settings, and they are not often used anymore Sentence Completion Tasks Sentence stem is provided and client must complete it Several exist but the Rotter Incomplete Sentences Blank is the most popular Rated on a 3-point scale, and are used in clinical and research settings Psychometrics are positive and encouraging Most psychometrically impressive version is the Washington University Sentences Completion Test (WUSCT)  Is not often used in clinical settings, for some reason Figure Drawing Tests Draw-a-Person test House-Tree-Person Test Kinetic Family Drawing Test Scored on several dimensions, but interpretations can go way too far and overanalyze the drawing One particularly useful test of this type is the Goodenough Draw-a-Man Test...