Describe the procedures used to conduct the Rorschach Inkblot Test, the Thematic Apperception Test, the sentence completion test, and projective drawing tests. Include in your response the positive aspects of these tests and the criticisms of these procedures.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

The Rorschach Inkblot Test involves giving the respondent varying sets of randomly made inkblots and asking them to describe what they see. The psychologist records their answers, along with any facial expressions or gestures that are made during the testing. Some criticisms of the test include the difficulty involved in scoring it and the potential for the introduction of experimenter bias in the interpretation of the test. However, there is an ongoing effort to validate this procedure, and there has been a resurgence in interest in using this test. The Thematic Apperception Test uses a series of black-and-white pictures of people in various situations. The respondent is asked to tell a story about what is happening in the picture. Again, this procedure may be hard to score and may introduce experimenter bias. However, the benefits of this procedure include the fact that it can be used with children and that it may be more difficult for respondents to fabricate answers to the test. The sentence completion test involves respondents being given a number of incomplete sentences, and they must fill in the part that is incomplete. This test lacks a reliable scoring system, but it is often used in conjunction with other personality measures. Projective drawings involve asking the respondent to draw an object such as a tree, a house, or a person. Again, the psychologist must interpret the responses. One of the benefits of these tests (Rorschach, Sentence Completion, etc.) is that many have specific scoring systems, and some therapists believe they can be used to screen for cognitive problems, social adjustment, and emotional disturbance. However, the validity of this measure is questioned.