Measuring Personality: Learn It 2—Projective Tests

Projective Tests

projective testing

Projective testing relies on one of the defense mechanisms proposed by Freud—projection—as a way to assess unconscious processes.

Some examples of projective tests are the Rorschach Inkblot Test, the Thematic Apperception Test (TAT), the Rotter Incomplete Sentence Blank (RISB), the Contemporized-Themes Concerning Blacks test, and the TEMAS (Tell-Me-A-Story).

During projective testing, a clinician presents ambiguous material and asks the person to:

  • interpret what they see,
  • tell a story about what is happening,
  • or complete a sentence quickly.

Clinicians then look for patterns (themes, emotional tone, relationships, problem-solving, impulse control, anxiety, unusual thinking).

Projective tests are less subject to intentional distortion; it is hard to fake “good” because it is not obvious what a “good” answer is. Projective tests are more time-consuming for the evaluator than self-report inventories. If an evaluator scores the Rorschach using the Exner scoring system, the test is considered a valid and reliable measure. However, the validity of the other projective tests is questionable, and the results are often not usable for court cases (Goldstein).

Rorschach Inkblot Test

The Rorschach was developed by Hermann Rorschach in 1921. People view symmetrical inkblots and answer a question like: “What might this be?” Clinicians consider both the content of the response and the way the person organizes what they see.

Today, the quality of the Rorschach depends heavily on using a standardized scoring system. Historically, the best-known system was Exner’s Comprehensive System. More recently, the Rorschach Performance Assessment System (R-PAS) was developed as an evidence-based revision intended to improve standardization and norms. 

When the Rorschach is used carefully with standardized procedures, it is treated as a “performance-based” measure of perception and thinking style—not a magical window into the unconscious.

The Thematic Apperception Test 

The TAT was developed in the 1930s by Henry Murray and Christiana Morgan. People look at ambiguous pictures and tell a story (usually 8–12 stories), including:

  • what led up to the scene,
  • what the characters are thinking and feeling,
  • what happens next.

The goal is to identify themes related to relationships, motivation, conflict, and identity.

The TAT has been widely used, but research debates its reliability and validity—especially when it’s interpreted in unstructured ways. Some scholars argue that certain TAT-based approaches (especially focused, well-defined scoring for specific constructs) can show meaningful validity, while others emphasize the risks of overinterpretation.

Illustration of two people sitting on a bench. One winds thread around her hands; the other holds the loose end and the ball of thread.
Figure 1. This image from the Thematic Apperception Tests (TAT) can be used in counseling settings.

The Rotter Incomplete Sentence Blank

A third projective test is the Rotter Incomplete Sentence Blank (RISB) developed by Julian Rotter in 1950 (recall his theory of locus of control, covered earlier in this chapter). There are three forms of this test for use with different age groups: the school form, the college form, and the adult form. The tests include 40 incomplete sentences that people are asked to complete as quickly as possible. The average time for completing the test is approximately 20 minutes, as responses are only 1–2 words in length. This test is similar to a word association test, and like other types of projective tests, it is presumed that responses will reveal desires, fears, and struggles. The RISB is used in screening college students for adjustment problems and in career counseling (Holaday, Smith, & Sherry, 2010; Rotter & Rafferty 1950).

Five incomplete sentences are stacked vertically with empty space to the right of each sentence in which to complete it. The sentence starters are : “1. I feel,” “2. I regret,” “3. At home,” “4. My mother,” and “5. My greatest worry.”
Figure 2. These incomplete sentences resemble the types of questions on the RISB. How would you complete these sentences?

Culture and projective testing

Traditional projective tests were largely developed and normed within limited cultural contexts. When tests do not reflect a person’s lived experiences, language use, or cultural norms, results can be misleading. That concern helped motivate the development of culturally responsive projective measures.

Contemporized-Themes Concerning Blacks Test

To address this need, Robert Williams developed the first culturally specific projective test designed to reflect the everyday life experiences of African Americans (Hoy-Watkins & Jenkins-Moore, 2008). The updated version of the instrument is the Contemporized-Themes Concerning Blacks Test (C-TCB) (Williams, 1972). The C-TCB contains 20 color images that show scenes of African-American lifestyles. When the C-TCB was compared with the TAT for African Americans, it was found that use of the C-TCB led to increased story length, higher degrees of positive feelings, and stronger identification with the C-TCB (Hoy, 1997; Hoy-Watkins & Jenkins-Moore, 2008).

TEMAS Multicultural Thematic Apperception Test

The TEMAS Multicultural Thematic Apperception Test is another tool designed to be culturally relevant to historically marginalized groups, especially Hispanic youths. TEMAS—standing for “Tell Me a Story” but also a play on the Spanish word temas (themes)—uses images and storytelling cues that relate to their unique cultural experiences (Constantino, 1982).