Sacks Sentence Completion Test SSCT Interpretation 1 PDF

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SACK’S SENTENCE COMPLETION TESTBy: Joseph M. SacksI. INTRODUCTIONA sentence completion test consists of a number of incomplete sentences presented to the subject for completion; for example, “ I get angry when ... ” Usually there are no instructions except complete these sentences as rapidly as you ...

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SACK’S SENTENCE COMPLETION TEST By: Joseph M. Sacks

I.

INTRODUCTION A sentence completion test consists of a number of incomplete sentences presented to the subject for completion; for example, “I get angry when …” Usually there are no instructions except complete these sentences as rapidly as you can. Don’t stop to think about it, but say the very first thing that occurs to you. The test is usually not a standardized test and is rarely treated quantitatively. It may be administered to a group or as an individual test. It requires a minimum of supervision and this fact may be an important consideration in many clinical situations. Usually, sentences are selected which explore significant areas of an individual’s adjustment or in special situations test may be used for the purpose of investigating some special cluster of attitudes.

II.

BACKGROUND Establishment Since the Sentence Completion test (SCT) is a variation of the word association method, the two techniques have been compared frequently, generally to the advantage of the SCT. It is claimed that the SCT cuts down the multiplicity of associated evoked by single word; that it is better able to suggest context, feeling tones, qualities of attitudes, and specific objects or areas of attention; that it allows greater individual freedom and variability of response; and that it taps a larger area of the subject’s behavioral world. The sentence completion method has its origins in the work of Ebbinghaus (1897), Kelly (1917) and Traube (1916), there have been more recent attempts to be used primarily in recent years as a device for personality assessment. Payne (1928), and Tendler (1930) are generally credited with being the first to use sentence completion measures developed slowly during the thirties, but because of the pressures of war and the demands of group personality assessment, many investigators developed an interest in the technique, thus resulting to a considerable literature dealing test and its application. Since that time, sentence completion methods have become increasingly more popular and the sentence completion has become a regular part of standard clinical test batteries. These two features of flexibility and economy seem to have been of paramount importance in gaining the sentence completion the wide popularity in enjoys. Tundberg (1961) found that, of all the psychological tests and instruments, the sentence completion marked 13th in frequency of use, and among the group personality instruments the sentence was second only to HNPI. The flexibility and popularity of the method have led to a prolification of sentence completion forms, the original of which are often obscure. The sentence 1

completion method toward Negroes (1950) old people (Golde and Kogan, 1959), school life (Castin and Eigner, 1949), peers and parents (Harrin and Tseng, 1957), mental hospitals (Souleaz, 1955) and attitudinal change (Lindgreu, 1954). The sentence completion method has often been used to predict achievement for specialized group. Murray and Mckinnon 1946, used a sentence completion form to evaluate candidates in the classic 058 studies. The sentences completion has been used to predict the success of graduate students in clinical psychology (Kelly and Fiske, 1950) and to predict the success of the flight cadets (Hotman and Sells) 1954. In the bulk of thin studies, the sentence completion methods used are “custom” tests, devised specifically for the particular research project. The case of the constructing nets of stems, the content at which bears a prima facie relationship to the variable under investigation, has encouraged a wide variety of research. There have been, however, been several attempts to construct and present “standard” forms. Special standard sentence completion forms for used in the armed services were developed by Bijeu (1947), Blanagant (1947, Trites, Holtman and sells (1953) and Willingham (1958). The attempt of standardizing a sentence completion form, which has been most probably been rigeneous had most impact, and provided most stimulation for further research has been that of Ratter and his associates.

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Theoretical Framework Usually, sentences are selected to explore significant areas of an individual adjustment, or some specific cluster of attitudes which the clinician may want to uncover, as in special situations test. Such sentences consist of questions designed to clinicians elicit feelings and attitudes in various areas of interpersonal relationships. Special situations test on the other hand, may be in the form of an attitude scale administered to a group of physically handicapped individuals for determining the attitude of the group toward the specific handicap.

Such projective attitude of the individual were regarded frame of reference of this ego functioning. Adler equated his style of life with self or ego, the units of the personality individuality, the method of facing problems of life, and the whole attitude toward life. Adler’s view was elaborated by Sullivan who preferred the term “selfsystem.” One of the most amazing things about the ego is the relation of stability. It changes slowly. Sullivan formulated the theory of stability, anxiety-gating theory; by selective in attention, a person tends to recognize only what is in accord with presently existing self-system; thus, his age is his frame of reference. The reason is that, discordant observations are anxiety producing and a major purpose of the self-system is to avoid or minimize anxiety. Fingarette referred the failure to integrate an observation into one’s current frame of reference as anxiety. Thus, this search for coherent meanings in experience is the essence of the age or of the ego functioning, rather than just one of the many equally important age functions. The ego maintains its stability, its identity and coherence by selectively getting out observations in consistent with its current state. Those theoretical conclusions are the foundations for use of sentence completion as a method of measuring age development. The first methodological decision is that only a projective technique that requires the subject to project his own frame of reference will suffice to measure ego development. There were several works which dealt closely, although independently, with the development of self-system. All of the conceptions project an abstract continuum that is both a normal development sequence and a dimension of individual differences in any given range of ages; all see holistic views of personality and all see behavior in terms of purposes; all are more or less concerned with impulse control and characteristic development, with interpersonal relations, and with cognitive preoccupations.

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III.

TEST DESCRIPTION A sentence completion test designed to obtain significantly clinical material in four representative areas of adjustment was developed by Joseph M. Saks and other psychologists of the New York Veterans Administration Mental Hygiene Service. The four areas covered by that test are family, sex, interpersonal relationships, and self concept. It is felt that the items included in these areas present the subject with sufficient opportunities to express his attitudes so that a clinical psychologist may infer his dominant personality trends. Such information is useful in screening patients for therapy and it offers the therapist significant clues to the content and dynamics of the patients’ attitudes and feelings. The family area includes three set of attitudes, those toward the mother, father, and family unit. Each of these is represented by four sentence completion items that stimulate the subject to express attitudes toward his parents individually and toward his family as a whole. “My mother and I…”, “If my father would only…”, and “My family treats me like…” are examples of these items designed to elicit these attitudes. It is hoped that even the subject tends to be cautious and evasive he will reveal significant material in response to at least one of the items. The sex area includes attitudes toward women and toward heterosexual relationships. The eight items in this area allow the subject to express himself with regard to women as social individual, toward marriage and with respect to sexual relationship themselves. “I think most girls…” and “If I had sex relationships…” are typical items in this area. The area of interpersonal relationship includes attitude toward friends and acquaintances, colleagues at work or school, and people supervised. The sixteen items in this area afford an opportunity for the subject to express his feelings toward him. “When I’m not around my friends…” and “At work I get along best with…” are examples of the items in this area. Self-concept involves fears, guilt feelings, goals, and attitudes toward one’s own abilities, past and future. The attitudes expressed in this area give the psychologist a picture of a subject’s concept of himself as he is, as he was, as he hopes to be, and as he thinks he actually will be. Among the twenty four items in this area are “I wish I could lose the fear of…” and “My greatest mistake was…”, “I believe I have the ability to…”, “When I was a child…” and “Someday I…” and “What I want most out of my life...”

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IV.

RATIONALE In the sacks sentence completion method, the subject is asked to finish a sentence of which the first word or words are given by the examiner. On some ways, this method is related to the word association technique, the major difference being in the length of the stimulus; some applications of the method, however, demand only a single word or brief response. As in other projective device, it assumed that the subject reflects his own wishes, desires, fears and attitudes in the sentences he composes, but his method differs in that the subject’s production does not depend so much upon his interpretation of the standard stimulus as upon what he is able and willing to write under the test condition. In contrast to the usual objective tests, the method has the distinct advantage of providing freedom to response instead of forcing the subject to answer Yes, No,”?”; he can respond to the stimulus as he wants. In addition, the nature of the test is somewhat disguised and it is less clear to the subject what constitutes “good” or “bad” answer, even though the intent of the test may be known or easily guessed. It is as easily administered in group form as the subjected tests but does not have the potential advantage of machine scoring or scoring by nonprofessional personnel. The technique, when compared to other projective methods, contains assets and liabilities. In addition to the fact that it is readily administered in group form, there is no necessary special training for the person administering it thinking process in certain abnormal types. It has been applied to the study of social attitudes and used as a measure of improvement in therapy. It seems a feasible method for investigation of a variety of situations in industry, for the study of group attitude, opinions, and for special experimental problems in the field of personality. The fact that it can be administered to an individual or group and still retain many of the individualistic advantage of the projective tests, suggest that it can be profitably employed in many areas as yet untapped.

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V.

ADMINISTRATION OF TEST The SSCT can be administered individually or to groups, and subjects can take from 20-40 minutes. The subject is asked to read the following instructions and to ask any questions he may have about them. Instruction: “Below are 60 partly completed sentences. Read each one and finish it by writing the first thing come to your mind. Work as quickly as you can. If you cannot complete an item, circle the numbers and return to it later.” Subjects frequently ask: “Should I take time to think of a sensible answer:” it is emphasized that response should consist of the first spontaneous reactions to stimulate items and the subjects should not stop to think of a logical completion. Another common question is: “Must I write only one word?” He is told that either a single word or a group of words assured that it is a good response if it represents a spontaneous reaction that stimulates them. Occasionally, an examiner is asked the meaning of the words in the sentence beginning. It is permissible to say for example, that seldom in item 1 means “hardly ever.” But if the subjects asks the examiner to explain the meaning of an entire item, he should be told to respond in terms of the items meaning to him. When the subject is ready to respond to the first item, the beginning time should be noted in the upper right hand corner of the page. When he turns the paper in, the finishing time should be marked. While a standard method of administration requires that the subject should read the stimulus and respond to it in writing, with some anxious patient it is fruitful to administer the items orally and to record the patient’s oral responses. This process provides an opportunity for ventilation. These patients often use the SSCT as stimulus to abstract. And they tell you afterward that “feel better.” The oral method also provides opportunity to note specific items on the subject block by observing his reaction time, flushing, facial expression, changes in tone or volume of voice, and general behavior.

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VI.

INTERPRETATION AND SCORING A rating sheet has been devised for the SSCT which brings together under each attitude, the four stimulus items and the subject’s response to them, for example: Attitude toward father Item 1. 2. 3. 4.

I feel that my father seldom works. If only my father would do better. I wish my father was dead. I feel that my father is no good.

These four responses are considered together and interpretative summary is made that crystallizes the clinician’s impression of the subject’s attitude in this area. In this case, the summary stated: “Extreme hostility and with overt wishes.” A rating is made of the subject’s degree of disturbance in this area, according to the following scale: 2 – Severely disturbed. Appears to require therapeutic aid in handling emotional conflicts in this area 1 – Mildly disturbed. Has emotional conflicts in this area, but appears to handle them without therapeutic aid. 0 – No significant disturbance noted in this area. X – Unknown. Insufficient evidence

Sacks and Levy feel that it is more desirable to point out areas of disturbance and to determine this through a constellation of response. The validity of the rating is dependent of course, upon the clinical background of the examiner as well as upon the material produced by neither the subject nor its particularized training requisite for its clinical interpretation which rests instead on the examiner’s sexual experience. Though many of the published articles on the method do not report attempts at objective scoring, it has been based that the technique lends itself readily to such efforts with results that are most useful in experimental or screening situations. The quickness with which it can be administered, scored and analyzed has also proven to be of special use. On the other hand, the purpose of the test is also less disguised than in other projective technique, and the sophisticated may tell the examiner only what he wants him to know. Also, illiterate, disturbed, or uncooperative subjects may produce insufficient material. And the group test requires writing skills, nor has it been evaluated for potential clinical usefulness below the adolescent ages. When use for clinical purposes, the sentence completion method is very similar to the Thematic Apperception Test. That is, it tends to give information of personality content rather than personality structure. It deals with feelings, attitudes, specific 7

reactions to people and things, rather than providing a so-called underlying personality structure, however, analysis in terms of structure is possible from any kind of content material. The method is quite flexible, since sentence beginning can be altered to suit a variety of purposes. In addition to clinical uses, it has been used as an experimented method in studies of personality specifically for the study of the following. The summaries and ratings of the of the individual’s attitudes, an outline is presented for a general summary of the SSCT findings. This includes the following: 1. A statement of those areas in which the subject shows the most disturbed attitudes. This may provide the significant clues for the therapist. 2. A description of the interrelationships between attitudes with respect to content. This often illuminates dynamic factors in a case. Certain inferences on the subject’s personality structure can be made on the basis of the SSCT such as: 1. The subject’s manner of response to impulses from within or stimuli from the environment. 2.

The subject’s nature of responding to stress-impulsive or well controlled.

3. The subject’s nature of thinking: predominantly mature, showing adequate consideration for his responsibilities and the interest and needs of others, or immature and egocentric. 4.

The subject’s thinking content – realistic, artistic or fantastic.

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Short Guide to Interpretation (15 Variables) I.

Attitude towards father (1, 16, 31, 46) 2 points – feels extreme hostility and contempt with overt death wishes 1 point – admires father but wishes their relationship were closer 0 point – confident of his ability to overcome obstacle

II.

Attitude towards own abilities (2, 17, 32, 47) 2 points – feels completely incompetent and hopeless 1 point – feels he has specific ability and persistence. 0 point – confident of his ability to overcome obstacle

III.

Goals (3, 18, 33, 48) 2 points – direct expression of hostility, aggression of society, extravagant and realistic 1 point – desires material things for family as well as for self 0 point – sees importance in happiness and health

IV.

Attitude towards people supervised (4, 19, 34, 49) 2 points – feel he would not be able to control his hostility in supervising others 1 point – feels capable of doing good supervisory but has misgiving about assuming an authorization person 0 point – feels comfortable and well accepted by subordinate

V.

Attitude towards future (5, 20, 35, 50) 2 points – pessimistic, no hope in his own resources for happiness and success 1 point – unsure of himself but generally optimistic 0 point – seems confident in achieving his materialistic goals.

VI.

Attitude toward supervisors at work/school (6, 21, 36, 51) 2 points – resents and fears authority 1 point – mild difficulty in accepting authority 0 point – accepts authority

VII.

Fears (7, 22, 37, 52) 2 points – disturbed by apparent fears of losing identity or consciousness and possibility to control his impulse 1 point – fear of self-assertion which is commonly fair and not pervasive 0 point – expresses lack of overt fear of insufficient evidence Attitude towards friends and acquaintances (8, 23, 38, 53) 2 points – suspicious and apparently seclusive 1 point – seems to wait for approval of others before committing himself emotionally 0 point –expresses good mutual feelings between friends and self

VIII.

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IX.

Attitude towards past (9, 24, 39, 54) 2 points – keenly felt lack of mother, rejected and emotionally isolated. 1 point – in the average 0 point – feels well adjusted: positive feeling tone and memory of accomplishment.

X.

Attitude towards men/women (10, 25, 40, 55) 2 points – extremely suspicious, possible homosexual tendency 1 point – high ideals but with ambivalent feelings 0 point –only minor criticisms and superficial

XI.

Attitude towards heterosexual (11,26,41,56) 2 points – appears to have given up achieving good sexual adjustmen...