Projective Tests: What do you see?
17Oct2008 Filed under: Areas in Psychology, Individual Differences Author: Jamie Davies
Probably one of the most iconic tests that jump to mind when a person starts talking about going to a psychologist (or ’shrink’) is the inkblot tests. These tests, correctly referred to as the Rorschach Inkblot tests were surrounded in ’secrecy’ as practicing psychologists who used them thought that the tests would be invalid if they had been seen previously.
The Rorschach Inkblot tests are one of a type of test called a ‘projective’ test which are supposedly meant to give insight into a persons psyche and allow us to rate how ‘healthy a personality’ a person has. The validity of these types of tests was debated with many who were not avid fans of Freudian thinking and psychoanalysis dismissing them and questioning the objectivity of these tests.
These might come in useful when talking about Eve White / Black / Jane in Thigpen and Cleckley’s case study of multiple personality where they administered these tests to the three personalities which emerged throughout the duration of her consultation with the pair.
What do you see?
Tags: AS, core studies, Individual, resources, thigpen-and-cleckley
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- Tags: AS, core studies, Individual, resources, thigpen-and-cleckley
10 Responses to “Projective Tests: What do you see?”
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November 17th, 2008 at 6:03 am
[...] the full selection of the original 10 Rorschach inkblots can now be seen. Jamie Davies explains in Projective Tests: What do you see? that these 10 inkblots were once jealously guarded so that test subjects wouldn’t have time [...]
Andreas Beer
November 28th, 2008 at 6:09 pm
Projective Tests are not exactly scientific psychology…
Jamie Davies
November 28th, 2008 at 7:32 pm
I agree completely – I don’t think that any ‘projective’ test can really be classified in the same league as psychometric testing. I have massive issues about the validity of such tests and the reliability across practitioners using these.
Thanks for your comments.
Jamie
SUNITA R JAIN
December 28th, 2008 at 9:27 am
agree with u but it still depends on indiviual 2 individual
Vlad Dolezal
February 21st, 2009 at 11:43 pm
Anybody else see two dancing elephants in the second picture? :p
psych student
February 23rd, 2009 at 2:18 pm
Vlad:
No, I see two sumo wrestlers squaring up to fight… but tomorrow, if you asked me, I might see something else. I don’t think these tests have any real value, other than as a starting point for conversations.
Vlad Dolezal
February 24th, 2009 at 2:47 pm
@psych student:
Well, I haven’t seen any research into this, so I can’t say if the tests are any good.
But if I wanted to get some insight into a person’s personality, I’m pretty sure I could do a lot of better things than letting them tell me what they see in some ink blots.
It might work as a conversation starter though… (”Hey, see this red-wine stain on the tablecloth I just made? What do you see in it? … Oh, you see that I’m a dick who doesn’t know how to behave in a restaurant?”). Gotta try it sometime :p
Liam - Titanic Divx
May 11th, 2009 at 10:49 am
You know what? in this picture there is nothing this secial, but still when colorized it looks relly great! It so cool to make something worthy just out of nothing! it’s a real art! great, i like it!
Basuki Hardjo
May 11th, 2009 at 11:16 am
pProjective Tests are very speculative.
Kelley Sitz
July 30th, 2009 at 4:54 am
Second picture to me looks like you hairy trolls with hats clapping hands, …….just for entertainment purposes :)