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Projective Techniques Unit - 9 ProjectiveTechniques UNIT - 9 : PROJECTIVE TECHNIQUES UNIT STRUCTURE 9.1 Learning Objectives 9.2 Introduction 9.3 Meaning of Projective Techniques 9.3.1 Procedure of Projective Techniques 9.3.2 Characteristics of Projective Method 9.4 Rationale for Projective Techniques 9.5 Major Projective Techniques 9.5.1 Word Association Techniques 9.5.2 The Rorschach Ink Blot Test 9.5.3 Thematic Apperception Test 9.6 Assessment of the Projective Techniques 9.7 Let us sum up 9.8 Further Reading 9.9 Answers to Check your progress 9.10 Model Questions 9.1 LEARNING OBJECTIVES After going through this unit, learner will be able to- explain the concept of projective test describe the characteristics of the projective test describe some important projective test -like word association, Ror- schach Ink Blot, TAT etc. assess the merits and demerits of projective test 9.2 INTRODUCTION With the development of the experimental branch of psychological, measurement of personality has become an attractive subject of study. Now, 176 Measurement and Statistics in Education (Block-1) ProjectiveTechniques Unit - 9 more scientific techniques have been evolved by psychologists for person- ality assessment. The projective technique is also a specific method of personality testing. Projective techniques have a lengthy and vital history in personality assessment. Projective techniques are more useful to assess some inner aspects of personality. Here, in this unit you will be introduced with these projective techniques of personality measurement. 9.3 MEANING OF PROJECTIVE TECHNIQUES Projective Techniques are indirect and unstructured methods to as- sess the personality of an individual. In this technique, the psychologists use the projection of respondents for inferring about underline motives, urges or intentions. In psychology, the term "projection" means the tendency of an individual to see his / her own unwanted traits, ideas, and motives in other persons or objects. The term was first used by Freud to indicate one of the defiance mechanisms, which stands for the process whereby ego trans- fers on to some external objects. But in personality testing projection means a somewhat different process. The term "projection" when applied to pro- jective methods, is used in a general sense to denote the process by which the characteristics of the individual influence the ways in which he perceives, organizes and interprets his environment and experiences. These influences are best seen when an individual encounters new and ambiguous situation. A fundamental assumption of projective techniques is that the person expresses or "projects" his or her personality characteristics through the completion of relatively unstructured and ambiguous tasks (Rabin, 1981). Thus, distinguishing features of projective techniques include ambiguous directions, relatively unstructured tasks, and virtually unlimited responses (Anastasi, 1988). In short, the projective test creates an ambiguous situa- tion in which people being tested are encouraged to express them-selves in such a way that the basic structure and dynamics of their personality will be revealed. Measurement and Statistics in Education (Block-1) 177 Unit - 9 ProjectiveTechniques This technique helps the respondents to project his/her own attitudes and feelings unconsciously on the subject under study. As it is defined in Encyclopedia of Psychology, edited by Eysenck (1972:833), "Projective tech- niques are a group of psychological techniques and procedures that claim to disclose the basic (underlying, hidden) personality structure and motiva- tions of a subject by having him to organize, respond to, or deal with mate- rials or stimuli in a free, unlimited way without reference to a preconceived system of correct or incorrect answers". This technique does not measure personality in terms of certain traits rather evaluate the total picture of personality. Typically, projective technique represents disguised testing procedure. Other techniques of personality measurement evaluate the overt or conscious behaviour of an individual. But projective techniques can reveal a person's inner or private world and go deeper into the unconscious of an individual. Hence, projective tech- niques are a method of knowing the unconscious mind. A projective tech- nique provides the subject with a stimulus situation, giving him an opportu- nity to impose upon it his own private needs and his particular perceptions and interpretations. After surveying the various aspects of projective techniques Lindzey (1961) concluded that projective test "is an instrument that is considered especially sensitive to covert or unconscious aspects of behaviour, it per- mits or encourages a wide variety of subject's responses, it is highly multi- dimensional, and it evokes unusually rich or profuse response data with a minimum of subject's awareness concerning the purpose of the test." 9.3.1 Procedure of Projective Techniques Till now you have come to know that projective techniques present some ambiguous stimuli to a person to interpret or impose some structure upon them. Thus, by knowing how a person inter- prets and structures ambiguous stimuli, it is possible to infer some- thing about his personality. The materials used in these tests serve as a sort of screen on which the subjects "project" their characteris- 178 Measurement and Statistics in Education (Block-1) ProjectiveTechniques Unit - 9 tics though processes, needs, anxieties and conflicts (Anastasi, 1976). So, the characteristics which are imputed to the stimulus come from the needs of the interpreter rather than from the stimulus itself. The important aspects of projective testing is that -- The stimulus situation lacks definite structure. Since the stimulus is ambiguous, so varieties of interpretations are given to it. In the testing situation, in order to free play of the individual's fantasy, only brief instruction should be provided to the subject. Given a minimum of instruction he is free to go in his own directions and to give his own unique responses. The subject is asked to be subjective as possible and to behave in an imaginative way. Basic procedure common to all projective techniques is - To present the subject with a series of fluid, weakly structured stimuli; To give instructions that emphasizes freedom of response To analyze his productions for insight into his basic personality dynamics. 9.3.2 Characteristics of Projective Method The projective techniques have some characteristics in com- mon. Some of the distinguishing characteristics of the projective tech- niques may be outlined as below- In this type of test, the test materials are unstructured, vague, ambiguous and neutral. The subject is asked to supply mean- ing, significance, and organizations and doing so he uncon- sciously leaves the impression of his own personality upon the undefined stimulus materials. The test materials serve as a sort of screen upon which the subject 'projects' his characteristics, ideas, attitudes, striving, fears, conflicts, aggressiveness etc. The subject is given only brief instructions which provide few Measurement and Statistics in Education (Block-1) 179 Unit - 9 ProjectiveTechniques guidelines for responding. The multiplicity of responses is another characteristic of pro- jective tests. It provides full freedom to the subject to response to the test materials as he likes. Thus, it permits a free play of subject's imagination. Subject behaves in an imaginative way. In the projective test, the responses of the subject are not evalu- ated as right or wrong. Projective methods represent a disguised testing procedure. The purposes of the tests are hidden from the subject. He is not aware of the type of psychological interpretation that will be made of his responses. Projective testing is characterized by a global approach to the personality appraisal. This type of test does not measure per- sonality in terms of specific traits or qualities but attempt to measure it as a whole. Generally, these tests are concerned with emotional, motiva- tional and interpersonal characteristics of an individual. But these also throw light on certain intellectual aspects of behaviour. In their theoretical framework, most projective tests reflect the influences of psycho-analytical school. But the emphasis on a global approach to personality may be well recognized as a contribution of Gestalt Psychology. Projective methods originated within a clinical setting. These tests are very effective as an instrument in the diagnosis of mental patients. Implicit or unconscious aspects of the personality are revealed in these techniques and psycho-dynamic principles, therefore, play an important part in the interpretations of test results. Interpretations of these tests are done on the basis of the holis- tic or organismic theory, according to which the whole and its parts are mutually interrelated. The whole is essential to an un- derstanding of the parts as the parts are to an understanding of the whole. 180 Measurement and Statistics in Education (Block-1) ProjectiveTechniques Unit - 9 The responses in these tests have to be analyzed in accor- dance with some set and standard theories and principles. Thus, we can conclude that these tests enable a subject to project his internal feeling and attitudes, needs, values or wishes to external objects. Sensitivity to unconscious or latent aspects of personality, the multiplicity of responses given by the subject, subject's unaware- ness of the purpose
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