Projective tests are intended to uncover feelings, desires, and conflicts that are hidden from conscious awareness.
Training in projective testing in psychology graduate configs has rapidly declined over the past decade or so.
The key to projective tests is the ambiguity of the stimuli.
Val Loh / Getty Images
This can introduce biases and even untruths, whether or not you’re trying to deceive the test provider.
Types of Projective Tests
There are a number of different types of projective tests.
People are shown one card at a time and asked to describe what they see in the image.
The responses are recorded verbatim by the tester.
Gestures, tone of voice, and other reactions are also noted.
The results of the test can vary depending on which of the many existing scoring systems the examiner uses.
This includes describing what is happening, how the characters are feeling, and how the story will end.
The Draw-A-Person Test
This throw in of projective test involves exactly what you might imagine.
People draw a person and the image that they created is then assessed by the examiner.
To score the test, the test interpreter might look at a number of factors.
Like other projective tests, the Draw-A-Person test has been criticized for its lack of validity.
A test interpreter might suggest that certain aspects of the drawing are indicative of particular psychological tendencies.
However, it might simply mean that the individual has poor drawing skills.
Once the drawing is complete, they are asked a series of questions about the images they have drawn.
In many cases, therapists use these tests to learnqualitative informationabout individuals.
Piotrowski, C.On the decline of projective techniques in professional psychology training.North American Journal of Psychology.
Sarason, I. G.Personality assessment.
2013;8(3):e58991.
