Psychological diagnostic tests in which the test material is amorphous or unstructured so that any response will reflect a projection of some aspect of the subject’s underlying personality and psychopathology.
A test designed so that the responses given will stem from the person’s underlying mental condition, personality, and mood, rather than from the test material itself. The best-known example is the Rorschach Psychodiagnostic Test, in which the person is asked to interpret a series of inkblots. Other projective tests commonly used with children include the House-Tree-Person Projective Technique, Draw-a- Person Test, Blacky Pictures, Thematic Apperception Test, and Children’s Apperception Test.
A way of measuring aspects of personality, in which the subject is asked to talk freely about ambiguous objects. His responses are then analyzed. Examples are the Rorschach test and the Thematic Apperception Test (in which the subject invents stories about a set of pictures).
A psychological assessment tool designed to evaluate an individual’s cognitive patterns, observational skills, emotions, and attitudes based on their responses to ambiguous test materials. It is not intended for the diagnosis of psychiatric disorders.