Chicago Campus
American School of Professional Psychology
PP 7372
Projective Personality Assessment
Summer II, 2010
Class Mondays 12:30pm – 3:15pm; Fridays 9:15am – 12:00pm
Lab Sessions Mondays 3:30 – 4:30pm; Fridays 12:15-1:15pm
Faculty Information
Faculty Name: Priscilla C. Butler, Psy.D.
Contact Information: Phone: 312-498-2128; Email:
Alternate Contact: Fax: 773-913-6158; Email:
Office Hours: By appointment
Lab Sessions:
Teaching Assistant: TBD
T.A. Session/Labs: Mondays 3:30-4:30p.m. AND Fridays 12:30pm-1:30pm
Phone:
Email:
Lab sessions are provided primarily to offer instruction and assistance in the applied (administration) and technical (scoring) dimensions of the Exner method of Rorschach assessment.
Catalog Description:
This course covers the Exner Comprehensive System for the Rorschach as well as selected projective tests. In addition to understanding theoretical underpinnings, the student will be expected to develop some competence in the administration, scoring and interpretation of these instruments. The class will include a laboratory in which skills in administration and interpretation can be practiced.
Course Prerequisites: None
Course length: 7.5 Weeks
Contact Hours: 45 Hours
Credit Value: 3.0
Course Texts:
Required Texts (Additional required readings will be available online or through library Reserve)
Title / The Rorschach: A Comprehensive System. Volume 1: The Rorschach, basic foundations and principles of interpretation.Author(s) / Exner, John
Copyright / 2003
Publisher / New Jersey: Wiley and Sons
ISBN / 0-471-38672-3
Edition / 4th
Title / A Rorschach workbook for the comprehensive system
Author(s) / Exner, John.
Copyright / 2001
Publisher / Asheville, NC: Rorschach Workshops.
ISBN / None; purchase directly: http://www.rorschachworkshops.com/products.html
Edition / 5th
Recommended Text
Title / Handbook of Psychological AssessmentAuthor(s) / Groth-Marnat, Gary
Copyright / 2003 or 2009
Publisher / New Jersey: Wiley and Sons
ISBN / 0-471-41979-6 (4th edition) or 0-470-08358-1 (5th edition)
Edition / Either 4th or 5th is fine
This Course Requires the Purchase of a Course Packet: YES NO
Reading Available on Reserve:
Bellak, L. and Abrams, D.M. (1997). The TAT, CAT and SAT in clinical use (6th Edition). Boston: Allyn and Bacon
Costantino, G. and Malgady, R (2000). Multicultural and Cross-Cultural Utility of the TEMAS Test. In I. Weiner (Ed). Handbook of Cross-Cultural and Multicultural Personality Assessment. pp.481-513.
Dana, R.H. (1993). Assessment I: An emic perspective. In Multicultural assessment perspectives for professional psychology (pp. 141-166). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
Ephraim, D. (2000). Culturally Relevant Research and Practice with the Rorschach Comprehensive System. In I. Weiner (Ed). Handbook of Cross-Cultural and Multicultural Personality Assessment.
Groth-Marnat, Gary. (2003). Handbook of Psychological Assessment (4th or 5th Edition).
Haworth, M. R. (1986). Children’s Apperception Test. In A. I. Rabin (Ed.), Projective techniques for adolescents and children (pp. 37-72). New York: Springer.
Rapaport D., Gill, M and Schafer, R. (1968). Diagnostic Psychological Testing. New York: International Universities Press.
Schafer, R. (1982) Thematic Analysis. In Psychoanalytic interpretation in Rorschach testing. (pp. 114-139). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
Weiner, I, B. (2001). Advancing the science of psychological assessment: the Rorschach Inkblot Method as exemplar. Psychological Assessment, 13(4), 423-432.
Reading Available Online:
Barbopoulos, A., Fisharah, F., Clark, J., & Khatib, A. (2002). Comparison of Egyptian and Canadian children on a picture apperception test. Cultural Diversity
and Ethnic Minority Psychology, 8(4), 395-403.
Cramer, P. (1999). Future directions for the Thematic Apperception Test. Journal of Personality Assessment, 72(1), 74-92.
Dana, R.H. (1998). Projective assessment of Latinos in the United States: current realities, problems and prospects. Cultural Diversity and Mental Health, 4(3), 165-184.
Garb, H., Lilienfield, S., Wood, J., & Nezworski, M.T. (2001). Toward a resolution of the Rorschach controversy. Psychological Assessment, 13(4), 433-448.
Garb, H., Lilienfield, S., Wood, J., & Nezworski, M.T. (2002). Effective use of projective techniques in clinical practice: let the data help with selection and interpretation. Professional Psychology, Research and Practice, 33(5), 454-463.
Handler, L. and Hebenicht, D. (1994). The Kinetic Family Drawing Technique: A review of the literature. Journal of Personality Assessment, 440-464.
Holaday, M., Smith, D.A., & Sherry, A. (2000). Sentence completion tests: A review of the literature and results of a survey of members of the society for personality assessment. Journal of Personality Assessment, 74(3), 371-383.
Hibbard, S., Tang, C.Y.P., Bolz, S., & Somerville, A. (2000). Differential validity of the Defense mechanism manual for the TAT between Asian Americans and Whites.Journal of Personality Assessment, 75(3), 351-372.
Smith, D. & Dumont, F. (1995). A cautionary study: Unwarranted interpretations of the Draw A Person test. Professional Psychology, Research and Practice, 26, 298- 303.
Vass, Z. (1998). The inner formal structure of the H-T-P drawings: An exploratory study. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 54(5), 611-619.
Program Outcomes
The Doctoral program in Clinical Psychology at Argosy University Chicago Campus is an APA accredited program (APA, 750 First St. NE, Washington, DC 20002, 202-336-5500). This program is designed to educate and train students so that they may eventually be able to function effectively as clinical psychologists. To ensure that students are prepared adequately, the curriculum provides for the meaningful integration of theory, training and practice. The Clinical Psychology program at Argosy University Chicago Campus emphasizes the development of attitudes, knowledge, and skills essential in the formation of professional psychologists who are committed to the ethical provision of quality services. Specific objectives of the program include the following:
• Goal 1: Prepare professional psychologists to accurately, effectively, and ethically select, administer, score, interpret, and communicate findings of appropriate assessment methods informed by accepted psychometric standards and sensitive to the diverse characteristics and needs of clients.
o Objective 1a: Accurately and ethically administer and score various psychodiagnostic instruments.
o Objective 1b: Accurately interpret and synthesize assessment data in the context of diversity factors, referral questions, and specific objectives of the assessment, and organize and communicate results in writing and orally.
o Objective 1c: Examine psychometric properties of psychological assessment instruments, and use that knowledge to evaluate, select, administer, and interpret psychological tests and measures appropriate for the client, the referral question, and the objectives of the assessment.
• Goal 2: Prepare professional psychologists to select, implement, and evaluate psychological interventions consistent with current ethical, evidence-based, and professional standards, within a theoretical framework, and with sensitivity to the interpersonal processes of the therapeutic relationship and the diverse characteristics and needs of clients.
o Objective 2a: Synthesize the foundations of clinical psychology, including psychopathology, human development, diagnosis, diversity, ethics, and various therapeutic models in clinical applications.
o Objective 2b: Select, plan, and implement ethical and evidence-based interventions with sensitivity to the diverse characteristics and needs of clients.
o Objective 2c: Demonstrate knowledge, skills, and attitudes to effectively implement and participate in psychological consultation and supervision. Objective 2d: Demonstrate personal development and self-reflective capacity, including growth of interpersonal skills, and therapeutic relationships.
• Goal 3: Prepare professional psychologists to analyze the complexity and multidimensionality of human diversity, and demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to understand diverse worldviews and the potential meaning of social, cultural, and individual differences for professional psychological services.
• Goal 4: Prepare professional psychologists to examine the historical context and the current body of knowledge of biological, cognitive, affective, developmental, and social bases of human functioning.
• Goal 5: Prepare professional psychologists to critically evaluate the current and evolving body of scholarly literature in psychology to inform professional practice.
Course Objectives:
This course offers a comprehensive introduction to projective personality testing in the field of professional psychology. While students will be exposed to actual testing materials, administration guidelines, and interpretive strategies, this course does not provide the ability or qualifications to independently obtain or use the instruments covered. The in-vivo utilization of certain projective tests with non-clinical volunteers for projects in this course is designed to increase awareness of projective testing as a clinically useful assessment approach. Consequently, students will gain a deeper understanding of the nature and utility of projective testing in professional practice. To this end, the lecture subject matter, reading material, discussion topics, project assignments, and lab sessions offer students the opportunity to:
· Understand the concept of the “projective hypothesis” as the fundamental construct underlying projective personality testing.
· Gain a working knowledge of he Thematic Apperception Test (TAT), Children’s Apperception Test (CAT), Tell Me a Story (TEMAS), Draw-A-Person (DAP), Draw-A-Person-of-the-Opposite-Sex (DAPOS), Draw-A-Person-in-the-Rain (DAPIR), Draw-A-Tree (DAT), Draw-A-House (DAH), Kinetic-Family-Drawing (KFD), Incomplete Sentence forms, and the Rorschach Inkblot Test.
· To gain proficiency at scoring the Rorschach using the Exner Comprehensive system.
· Appreciate the strategies psychologists use to interpret the results of projective personality tests and thereby gain a deeper understanding of personality functioning as well as symptom development and maintenance for a wide variety of clinical populations.
· Critically evaluate the strengths and weaknesses including the cultural-specific limitations of projective testing instruments and thereby increase clinical sophistication in referring individuals for testing and in reading psychological reports.
· Develop listening skills that attend to and accurately decipher manifest content, latent content, and interactive influences between self and other.
· Integrate data from multiple sources (e.g., background information, clinical observations, projective test results) into accurate, concise, well-written, and meaningful reports in a manner deeply respectful to issues of diversity and difference.
· To appreciate the strategies used to interpret the results of projective personality tests and thereby gain a deeper understanding of personality functioning as well as symptom development and maintenance. These strategies include analysis of theme, intra-psychic and interpersonal needs, and preoccupations and defensive styles.
Course Objective / Program Goal / Method of AssessmentDemonstrate working knowledge of the interpretation of apperception tests / Goal 1-Assessment / Assignments 1,3 and Final
Demonstrate working knowledge of the interpretation of the Rorschach Inkblot Test and the Exner System / Goal 1-Assessment / Assignments 2, 4 and
Final
Demonstrate working knowledge of the interpretation of other Projective Techniques / Goal 1-Assessment / Final Assignment
Compare empirical support for and against the use of projective techniques / Goal 1-Assessment
Goal 4- Historical Context / Classroom discussion
Readings assigned
Examine issues of diversity in regards to response and interpretation of projective tests / Goal 3- Diversity / All assignments
Demonstrate knowledge of scoring and interpretation of test materials / Goal 1-Assessment / All written assignments
Evaluate the use of quantitative versus qualitative test data / Goal 1-Assessment
Goal 5- Scholarship / Assignments 2, 4 and
Final
Demonstrate use of direct vs. indirect data in psychological testing / Goal 1-Assessment / Assignments 2, 4 and
Final
Develop more advanced proficiency in conceptualization of case material / Goal 1-Assessment / Assignments 3, 4 and Final
Synthesize projective material into conceptual whole / Goal 1-Assessment / Final Assignment
Course Requirements
There will be several different types of assignments – pass/remediation/fail and graded. The general assignment types are as follows:
I. Lab sessions led by the teaching assistant (TA):
1. Practice homework problems assigned during the lab sessions. These are to be completed but are not graded.
2. A practice protocol assigned by the TA in the lab session – optional feedback provided
3. Practice administration – you will be asked to administer tests in a group session with the TA. You will receive feedback.
II. Class
1. TWO projective assessment assignments – graded
2. TWO Rorschach interpretations– graded
3. ONE Rorschach Scoring Competency – Pass/Remediate/Fail
4. TWO Integrative Projective Assignments and administrations
Schedule of Assignments and Grading Requirements
Assignment / Due Date / Percent of GradeProjective I / Class 5 / 20%
Rorschach I / Class 8 (remediate by Class 12) / Pass/Fail
Projective II (partial integrative) / Class 9 / 30%
Rorschach II / Class 11 / 20%
Projective III (full integrative) / Class 13 / 30%
Class/Lab Participation / Classes 2-13 / Pass/Fail
Grading Scale:
A / 100 – 94A- / 93 – 90
B+ / 89 – 87
B / 86 – 83
B- / 82 – 80
C+ / 79 – 78
C / 77 – 73
C- / 72 – 70
D+ / 69 – 68
D / 67 – 63
D- / 62 – 60
F / 59 and below
Assignment Guidelines:
Projective I - (20% of Grade; due July 19)
Conduct a mock clinical interview and administer the following to an adult or child volunteer: ten (10) TAT or CAT cards, Projective Drawings (DAP, DAPOS, DAPIR, DAT, DAH, and KFD), and a sentence completion test. See “Additional Course Expectations” below regarding ethical practice with volunteers! Results will also become your data for the Projective II assignment. The submitted project must use APA style unless otherwise indicated and include the sections itemized below:
· Cover Page
· Signed Release to Test form (signed name redacted)
· Demographic Information (adequately disguised)
· Background Information (adequately disguised)
· Behavioral Observations
· TAT/CAT Transcript & Analyses: Verbatim transcript (single-spaced) of entire protocol. Include analyses of five (5) responses (double-spaced) inserted directly beneath the transcription for that card. Note: Although analyzing only five responses now, please administer and transcribe all 10 cards for later interpretation.
· Drawings (single spaced inquiries and responses following each drawing; no interpretations necessary)
· Sentence Completion form (no interpretations necessary)
· Analysis of Contextual Factors (i.e., interactive influences between self and other) – Approximately one page, double-spaced.
· Self-Critique of Administration – Approximately one page, double-spaced.
· Please firmly attach all components so nothing is lost!
(Use the underlined words as section headings that appear in the order given.)
Projective II - (30% of Grade; due July 30 – your “midterm exam”)
1. Complete the analysis of each test from the Projective I assignment by interpreting each of the ten (10) TAT/CAT responses, providing one integrated interpretation for all of the projective drawings, and one integrated interpretation for the sentence completion test. You may add to, remove, or change interpretations proposed in the initial project based upon additional insights and information, including instructor and TA feedback.