Types of Projective Tests
In 1921, Hermann Rorschach published a paper in which he described a
procedure for predicting behavior from responses to inkblots. Although Ror-
schach died the next year at age 38, his work stimulated other psychologists
who continued to develop the test that still bears its creator ’s name. The Ror-
schach inkblot test consists of 10 cards, each containing nothing more than a
blot of ink, sometimes in more than one color. Test takers are instructed todescribe what they see in the inkblot. They are free to use any part of the in-kblot and are usually allowed to give several responses to each card. Al-
though some of the cards may be quite suggestive, they are in fact nothing
more than inkblots.
Inkblot test responses can be analyzed with any of several scoring systems
developed over the years. However, most psychologists probably rely on theirpersonal insights and intuition when interpreting responses. Unusual answersand recurring themes are of particular interest, especially if they are consistent
with information revealed during therapy sessions. For example, most thera-
pists would probably take note if a client sees dead bodies, graves, and tomb-
stones on each card. Similarly, clients who see suicidal acts, bizarre sexual
behavior, or violent images probably provide therapists with topics to explore
in future sessions.
Another widely used projective test is the Thematic Apperception Test
(TAT) . The test was designed by Henry Murray (Chapter 7) and consists
of a series of ambiguous pictures. Tes t takers are asked to tell a story
about each picture— who the people are, what is going on, what has led
up to the scene, and what the outcome is going to be. Although mostof the pictures contain images of people, facial expressions and the nature
of the relationship between the peopl e are intentionally vague. Thus test
takers may see love, guilt, anger, or grief in the faces. The characters may
be fighting, plotting, loving, or unaware of each other. They may be in for
a happy, sad, horrifying, or disappointing end to their situation. What
the test taker sees in the picture provides clues to the person ’s personality.
Although therapists often rely on thei r intuition when interpreting TAT re-
sponses, many use relatively objecti ve scoring procedures. Examples of
how psychologists use the TAT in research are examined at length in
Chapters 4 and 8.
Yet another projective test used by many therapists is the Human Figure
Drawing test . Although initially developed in the 1920s as a measure of intel-
ligence, psychologists soon recognized that the test also seemed to measureimportant personality constructs (Handler, 1996). The ambiguous stimulus
here consists of a blank piece of paper and the instructions to draw a picture
for the psychologist. In many cases, test takers are simply asked to draw aperson, but sometimes psychologists instruct them to draw a family or a tree.
The Human Figure Drawing test has many uses, including a measure of intel-
ligence in children. However, most often it is used as an indicator of psycho-logical problems, particularly in children (Bardos & Powell, 2001; Matto,
2002). Psychoanalysts typically view the person drawn by the test taker as a
symbolic representation of the self.60 CHAPTER 3 The Psychoanalyt ic Approach