Projective techniques are a wonderful diagnostic tool for identifying a person’s personal characteristics. The high effectiveness of projective tests is based on the fact that it is a person’s free expression of himself through a drawing or text.
Projective techniques in psychology
Why are projective methods of personality research so popular, effective and loved by psychologists all over the world? An important criterion for all psychological tests is validity and effectiveness, what the specialist ultimately wants to see, what goals he pursues. Projective tests are qualitative diagnostics that involve the study of those characteristics and qualities that cannot be measured by quantitative tests, or there is a high probability that performing a quantitative study will lead to unreliable results.
Projective techniques - the goal
Projective methods in psychodiagnostics help bring out internal unconscious impulses and experiences, often unconscious to the individual, this is their uniqueness, unlike other research methods. The purpose of projective testing is to reveal a person’s personality as deeply and holistically as possible, to identify hidden motives, intrapersonal conflicts and experiences.
Types of projective techniques
The founder of the projective direction of research in psychology is C. G. Jung, a Swiss psychoanalyst of the mid-19th century. Jung developed an associative experiment, which consisted of a series of words being spoken to a person, and for each one he had to quickly name the first word that came to mind; if the subject hesitated, did not understand the word, or repeated it mechanically, then the word was a certain irritant and sign for the person hidden affect. Projective associative techniques are experiencing a real boom in the 20th century, and new directions are beginning to develop.
Classification of projective techniques:
- Interpretive
. The TAT (thematic apperception test) technique was developed by G. Murray and K. Morgan in 1935 in the form of 20 paintings, each of them actualizes some kind of experience, the subject is asked to write a short story about each painting. The psychologist writes down everything that the subject says, with which character he identifies himself. S. Rosenzweig's method of pictorial frustration consists of 24 images of people in problematic situations and uttering certain phrases; the subject must answer the first thing that comes to mind in response to the phrase. - Design techniques
. “World Test”, created by M. Lovefeld in 1939. The set of methods includes 232 models (animals, people, objects). The subject is given instructions to create a certain world. The psychologist observes and writes down which objects and in what quantity were chosen first, and how the person arranges them in space. Another Lowenfeld test, Mosaic, consists of 465 pieces of different geometric shapes and colors. The inability of the subject to create a certain figure recognizable in shape indicates deviations. - Sentence completion (association tests)
. The subject is offered a series of phrases or a story is told, which ends and the person must continue further and complete the phrases. - Impression techniques
. Selecting preferred stimuli. M. Luscher color test, presented in two versions. The full test consists of 77 cards with 25 different color shades, the modified test contains 8 color cards. The study is carried out in 2 stages. In order of preference, the subject lays out the cards in a row, and the person’s state is interpreted based on the color combination-conflict. - Projective visual techniques
. Category of graphic techniques. It is successfully used to study the personality of both children and adults. “Man”, “Non-existent animal”, “Tree”, “House-tree-man” and many others.
Advantages and disadvantages of projective techniques
The advantages and disadvantages of projective techniques are usually considered in the context of the research situation. Paying attention to the disadvantages of projective techniques, the following points can be highlighted:
- The personality of a specialist as a factor of unreliability. At the same time, a specialist may be highly qualified, but he has his own ideas that differ from the ideas of another also competent specialist.
- Validity. Inability to draw clear conclusions, poor controllability of test conditions.
- Lack of a standardized procedure for calculating indicators.
Projective techniques - advantages and disadvantages over other methods of personality research:
- indispensable when working with young children;
- help to reveal a person;
- used in working with children with serious speech disorders;
- reduce control;
- allow deep unconscious motives and characteristics to come to the surface;
- are also used as a separate direction of art therapy.
Questionnaires.
Questionnaires are a type of methodology in which tasks are given in the form of questions or statements. To obtain information from the words of the subject himself.
Features of using questionnaires.
- Questionnaires are similar to projective techniques, since answers are not assessed based on the criterion of correctness. Points are awarded for matching the key, not for correctness.
- Questionnaires are similar to tests: clear instructions that determine how to complete the task, preferably clear content of questions or statements.
- Questionnaires are a type of self-observation, indirect self-assessment.
Questionnaires are designed to obtain information about personal characteristics from the words of the subject.
To answer is to demonstrate the ability of reflection, introspection, and introspection, which not all people possess.
Questionnaires are not used to diagnose young children of preschool age, only from 8 years old.
Stand out:
- questionnaires - to obtain information about the subject that is not of a personal nature (biographical data, to assess the characteristics of the cognitive sphere).
- personality questionnaires - provide information about the individual:
- typological, which make it possible to find out the degree to which the subject’s personality coincides with one or another personality type.
- questionnaires of individual personality traits - for diagnosing individual character traits: multifactorial (about many traits), for example Cattell (14-, 12-, 16-factor)
- single-factor
- two-factor
In the 50s, the possibility of using personality questionnaires was denied.
In the 60s they began to use it.
By the 60-70s, well-known foreign questionnaires began to be translated (used without checking reliability).
80s - testing for reliability and validity on our subjects.
80-90s - the appearance of domestic questionnaires in large numbers.
Application of projective techniques
The successful use of projective techniques in various fields proves their effectiveness. Where are projective tests used:
- in educational institutions, for the purpose of diagnosing the child’s personality;
- in the personnel field during personnel selection or rotation;
- forensic psychiatric examination;
- as part of the work of individual or group consultation in the work of a psychologist;
- in employment centers during career guidance.
Projective techniques for adults
In the study of the personal characteristics of an adult, Projective psychological techniques can provide invaluable assistance. An adult has a very pronounced control over what is happening, unlike a child, so projective tests help bypass the barrier of the subconscious, and this is the great value of this type of test. The following projective tests are used most often when working with adults:
- Szondi test
- this legendary technique was originally used in psychiatric hospitals, then psychologists adopted it. The technique identifies frustrations, phobias, deviations and affective disorders, and diagnoses depression. - “ Four characters
” - the test taker is asked to depict himself as: a person, an animal, a plant and an object. The good thing about the test is that while drawing, a person does not identify himself with what he is depicting, except for the human figure, so in the drawings you can see a lot of how a person positions himself.
Projective techniques for working with families
There is a very wide choice for the field of activity of a psychologist. Projective techniques in fairy tale therapy are considered very effective when working with all family members. Collective writing of a fairy tale or by each family member individually, playing puppet theater, where everyone becomes a character. The psychologist observes, records, corrects and guides if necessary.
Projective techniques for children
Graphic projective techniques are better suited for children, for example, the projective technique “Non-existent animal” is a diagnostic tool for identifying fears, aggressive behavior of a child, and his interaction with society. Other techniques used by psychologists in educational institutions and psychological centers:
- “house-tree-person”;
- "Human";
- "family";
- "tree".
Projective group techniques
The possibilities of projective techniques have a wide range and today this allows them to be used for therapeutic purposes. With the help of collective fairy tale therapy, you can correct behavioral aggression and learn how to effectively interact with people around you. Drawing a collective mandala helps reduce anxiety and release internal resources.
What tests are there?
Test classification criteria:
- testing purpose
- content
- testing form.
1. Based on their purpose, tests are distinguished:
- selection tests
- tests for distribution
- tests for classification
2. By content:
- general ability tests: intelligence tests
- creative tests
Achievement tests are equivalent to tests of learning success (how good the curriculum is).
Criterion-based tests are a new type of tests that appeared in the 60s of the 20th century.
The subject's compliance with some specific criterion is established (whether they correspond to an externally specified criterion).
3. The form of the tests is individual and group:
- verbal and non-verbal (according to the form in which the tasks are presented)
- blank (pencil-paper tests). According to the form of presentation to the subject.
- hardware tests (using special devices)
- computer
Recommendations for the use of projective techniques
Projective techniques are not fundamental in research, even though they are such a powerful diagnostic tool. But if this kind of tests becomes the subject of choice, you need to take into account the features of using projective techniques:
- it is important to comply with all prescribed conditions for the test;
- interpretation must be carried out by at least 3 competent specialists;
- properly selected incentives;
- the chosen methods must correspond to the stated objectives of the study.
