Projective methods of personality research have been of particular interest to both professionals in the field of psychology and ordinary people for more than a decade. The term “projection”, literally translated from Latin as “throwing forward”, is used to denote the conscious or unconscious transfer of the subject’s own experiences, characteristics, and qualities to external objects. The projective method, in turn, is a method of personality research based on the phenomenon of projection.
Projective methods create an experimental situation modeling a particular life situation that presupposes a variety of possible interpretations. Each of these interpretations allows researchers to reveal the individuality of a person and analyze the system of personal qualities and meanings. The most well-known examples of projective tests are Rorschach Inkblot Technique, the Thematic Apperception Test (TAT), and Word Association Test (Eby, 2021). Projective methods are based on the assumption that there are some spheres of human experience and behavior that are more or less independent of social approval. The validity of this assumption lies in the fact that people have a propensity for different models of behavior in similar contexts where social approval favors only one particular behavior type. For example, at school, some children would be noisy and disruptive during the lessons though they know that this behavior will displease the teacher and their parents as well.
It is difficult to measure the reliability and validity of projective tests because they are processed, interpreted, and used in a variety of ways, depending on the accepted theoretical assumptions. Moreover, social and cultural variability has a significant influence on the tests’ administration and results since people from different cultures may have different associations. Thus, for example, in the majority of Christian cultures, if a person chooses to draw in black, it would be taken as a sign of depression. In Japanese culture, black is the color of experience and wisdom, so drawing in black would have quite different connotations. The further development of projective techniques is associated with the creation of tools with high psychometric indicators: the struggle for reliability is still underway. For example, attempts are being made to standardize and validate the drawing technique widely used in projective tests.
A 33-year-old Afro-American woman claims she is suffering from depression. She is married and has three kids with whom she spends most of her time. A combination of objective and subjective tests will be used for the client. The advantage of the subjective tests lies in the fact that the selective material excludes the possibility of evaluating a woman’s actions and feelings in terms of “right” or “wrong” (Eby, 2021). Thus, the client becomes more open since, in subjective tests, there is no need to comply with generally accepted norms or to meet requirements imposed by someone. The disadvantage is associated with difficulties in measuring the reliability of projective tests. The advantage of objective measures lies with the quantitative differentiated nature of the assessment. However, often objective measures do not allow assessing the psychological phenomena themselves but interpret behavioral, physiological, or other characteristics of a person. As an objective test, Guttman Scale will be used, where the client will be given statements with which she has to agree to disagree. The test will allow to single out conducive factors to her depression. As a projective test, a thematic apperception test will be used, where the client will be asked to compose a story about people in the pictures. The test will allow to see how the client perceives the world and social interaction.
Reference
Eby, M. (2021). Projective Psychodiagnostics: Inkblots, Stories, and Drawings as Clinical Measures. In Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Psychology.