PP 7372

Projective Assessment

Spring, 2008

INSTRUCTOR:

Andrew Suth, Ph.D.

PHONE:

312-777-7697

EMAIL:


FAX:

ALT PHONE:

REQUIRED TEXTS:

Title / The Rorschach: A Comprehensive System. Volume 1: The Rorschach, basic foundations and principles of interpretation.
Author(s) / Exner, John
Copyright / 2003
Publisher / Wiley and Sons
ISBN / 0-471-38672-3
Edition
Title / A Rorschach workbook for the comprehensive system (5th Edition)
Author(s) / Exner, John.
Copyright
Publisher / Rorschach Workshops.
ISBN
Edition
Title / Handbook
Author(s) / Levy, Ascher
Copyright
Publisher / Self-published- there will be instructions on how to purchases this text on the first day of class
ISBN
Edition

RECOMMENDED READINGS

Title / The Rorschach: A Comprehensive System. Volume 2: Advanced Interpretation
Author(s) / Exner, John
Copyright / 2003
Publisher / Wiley and Sons
ISBN
Edition
Title / Handbook of Psychological Assessment (4th Edition).
Author(s) / Groth-Marnat, Gary..
Copyright / 2003
Publisher / Wiley and Sons: New Jersey.
ISBN / 0-471-41979-6
Edition / 4th
Title / What’s Wrong with the Rorschach? Science Confronts the Controversial Inkblot Test.
Author(s) / Wood, J.M., Nezworski, M.T., Lilienfeld, S.O, Garb, H.N
Copyright / 2003
Publisher / Wiley and Sons: New York.
ISBN / 0-7879-6056-X
Edition

Additional readings TBA

This Course Requires the Purchase of a Course Packet: NO

Argosy University

COURSE SYLLABUS

PP 7372

Projective Personality Assessment

Spring 2010; Tuesday Section

Faculty Information

Faculty Name: Andy Suth, Ph.D.

Campus: Chicago

Contact Information: 312-777-7697;

Office Hours: Tuesdays 9-10, 3:15-5

Wednesday 9-10, 11-12

Thursday 3-4

Teaching Assistant: Michael McClendon

T.A. Session: Tuesday:3:30-4:30 pm

Phone: 773-203-1300

Email:

Course Description:

This course will cover 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 Objectives:

Course Objective / Program Goal / Method of Assessment
Demonstrate 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
Psychometric Quiz
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 / Psychometric Quiz
Demonstrate use of direct vs. indirect data in psychological testing / Goal 1-Assessment / Psychometric Quiz
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

•To understand the concepts underlying the use of projectives in an assessment

•To Gain a working knowledge of the Thematic Apperception Test (TAT), The Children’s Apperception Test (CAT), Projective Drawings, Sentence Completion and other projective techniques.

•To gain knowledge of administration and scoring of the Rorschach Inkblot test

•To gain proficiency at scoring the Rorschach using the Exner Comprehensive system

•To appreciate issues of diversity in regards to response and interpretation of projective tests

•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, intrapsychic and interpersonal needs, and preoccupations and defensive styles.

TEXT:

Required:

(E1) Exner, John. A Rorschach workbook for the comprehensive system (5th Edition)

(E2) Exner, John (2003). The Rorschach: A Comprehensive System. Volume 1: The Rorschach, basic foundations and principles of interpretation. Wiley and Sons: New York.

ISBN 0-471-38672-3

(GM) Groth-Marnat, Gary. (2003) Handbook of Psychological Assessment (4th Edition).Wiley and Sons: New Jersey. 0-471-41979-6

Highly Recommended

Wood, J.M., Nezworski, M.T., Lilienfeld, S.O, Garb, H.N (2003). What’s Wrong with the Rorschach? Science Confronts the Controversial Inkblot Test. Wiley and Sons: New York. 0-7879-6056-X

Suggested: (and Reserve)

Allison, Blatt and Zimet (1988). The Interpretation of Psychological Tests.

(BA) Bellak, L. and Abrams, D.M. (1997) . The TAT, CAT and SAT in clinical use (6th Edition). Boston: Allyn and Bacon

Buck, J. (1987) The House-Tree-Person Technique

Dana, R (2005) Multicultural Assessment: Principles, Applications and Examples. Lawrence Erlbaum

Exner, J (2005) The Rorschach: A comprehensive System, Vol 2. Advanced Interpretation. New York: Wiley and Sons.

Henry, W. (1973) The analysis of fantasy: The Thematic apperception technique in the study of personality. (on reserve under Dr. Kramer)

Paul, A.M. (2004) The Cult of Personality: How Personality Tests Are Leading Us to Miseducate Our Children, Mismanage Our Companies, and Misunderstand Ourselves.

Rapaport D., Gill, M and Schafer, R. (1968) Diagnostic Psychological Testing.

Selected Readings (from journal articles)

COURSE ASSESSMENT AND SCHEDULE OF ASSIGNMENTS

There will be several different types of assignments-pass/remediation/fail and graded. The general assignment types are as follows:

I. From T.A. sessions

1.  practice homework problems assigned during T.A. sessions. These are to be completed but not graded.

2.  practice protocol- assigned in the t.a. session- optional-feedback provided

3.  graded homework assigned at by the t.a.

4.  administration - you will be asked to administer tests in a group session with the T.A. You will receive feedback from your ta

II. In class

1.  2 projective assignments- graded

2.  2 Rorschach interpretations-graded

3.  1 Rorschach Scoring Competency-Pass/Remediate/Fail

4.  2 Integrative Projective Assignments and administrations

Assignment / Due Date / Percent of grade
Projective 1 / 2/17/08 / 15%
Rorschach 1 / 2/24/08 / 15%
Projective 2 (partial integrative) / 3/10/08 / 20%
Rorschach 2 / 3/24/08 / 20%
Rorschach Scoring / 3/3/09, 3/17/09, 3/31/09 / Pass/Fail
Final-integrative / 4/7/09 / 30%

T.A. Session Performance Pass/Fail

Psychometric quiz Pass/Fail

A / 100 – 93
A- / 92 – 90
B+ / 89 – 88
B / 87 – 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

Grading Scale

Note:

1.  Pass/Fail for Rorschach Scoring: You will have to satisfactorily score a protocol to pass the class. You may remediate this by attempting it up to three times ( in total).

2.  Pass/Fail for T.A. session- it is expected that you attend all t.a. sessions or notify the t.a. of your absence- you may attend a different t.a. session if you need to miss that week. It is expected that you actively participate with homework and reading to be prepared for both class and the t.a. session. You will be notified if you are in danger of not passing the t.a. portion of class and given a chance to remediate your performance.

ASSIGNMENTS:

Required T.A. Sessions

Everyone in Projective Assessment is required to attend a weekly T.A. session which will be primarily concerned with Rorschach administration and scoring. There will be several options but we ask that you commit to one regular session. If for some reason you can’t make that week’s hour, you may attend one of the other times. Further, if you are confused, you are free to attend a second hour to clarify your ideas or ask questions.

Projective Assessment

Assignment 1: (15% of grade)

Administer a complete TAT or CAT protocol (10 cards) to a child, adolescent or adult volunteer. ** Include relevant background information and relevant behavioral observation. Following this 1-2 page description, provide an analysis and interpretation of six (6) of the ten stories elicited. In this section you will list the TAT card number and provide a brief description of the card stimulus, followed by the story the subject offered (indent as you would a quotation). At the end of the six interpretations, a summary should be provided that highlights the most prominent themes. Provide also an analysis of any contextual factors (i.e. interactive influences between self and other) and a self-critique of your administration.

Assignment 2 (20% of Grade)

A protocol with test responses will be provided using projective tests we have covered to this point. Select the information you find most pertinent and

1) Write interpretations for each of the provided tests.

2) Write a 2-3 page integrated conceptual assessment of the individual based on the data available from all tests administered. This assessment should include comments on a broad range of factors and characteristics that effectively describe this client’s psychological functioning( e.g. perception of self, relationship with authority figures, interpersonal relations, style of adaptation including a description of issues that elicit defensive responses and a description of the observed defense adaptations, etc.)

Rorschach

Assignment 1 (15% of Grade)

Administer a Rorschach protocol to an adolescent or adult volunteer. Transcribe the protocol and provide self-critique of your administration. Also, you will be given a structural summary to interpret. This first interpretation will be qualitative.

Assignment 2 (20% of Grade)

Provide a structural summary and interpret a Rorschach protocol. The protocol will be provided to you. Please put the criteria used for interpretation in parentheses after each interpretation.

Final Integrative (30% of grade)

Interpret a battery of projective tests and integrate it into a cohesive conceptualization. Also provide a transcribed protocol of a battery of projective tests on a volunteer (drawings, sentence completion, TAT/CAT/RAT, Rorschach)

**Selection of Volunteers:

In order to ensure ethical practice, anyone you select as a volunteer to be tested must be someone with whom you do not have a prior relationship. It is Important to take precautions against testing someone whom you may have casual contact through a mutual acquaintance. Feedback may include clinical observations of the person tested. It is not appropriate for me to comment on the psychological adjustment of someone with whom you have an indirect relationship. Also, under no circumstances should you provide any feedback to your volunteer. This should be clearly stated before testing and the subject or the subject’s parent should provide informed consent for participation. If you do have questions about the suitability of any given volunteer, please feel free to speak with me. Also, please take necessary precautions to disguised the identity and protect the confidentiality of your volunteer.

Other Expectations:

1) We are covering a great deal of material in one semester and therefore attendance at all classes is expected. Any student who misses more than two classes will not receive a passing grade for the course or will be given permission to withdraw from the course. All absences or partial absences must be discussed with the instructor at the earliest possible time.

2) Students are expected to participate actively and consistently in their learning through thoughtful questions and commentary.

3) All assignments must be submitted to the instructor by the beginning of class time on the date the projects are due. Unless previously arranged or due to emergent circumstances, failure to submit a project by the beginning of class will receive a half a grade deduction. Any project not submitted by the end of the day on Thursday (4:30 p.m.) will receive no credit.

4) All assignments are to be done independently and without consultation with other class members. If you have questions about an assignment, research the matter carefully and then consul with either the instructor or the T.A.

5) Weekly T.A. sessions are a required part of the course. As part of the course, you must pass a competency in Rorschach scoring and administration. This competency will largely be determined by the T.A. with oversight from the instructor.

6) There will be two syllabi: this one and one created by the T.A.s for the T.A. sections. You are responsible for assignments on both syllabi. The assignments will not be cross listed.

7) There is a considerable amount of work in this course. It is my experience and the experience of the other projective instructors that students are capable of tremendous growth during the 15 weeks in this course. We respect your intellect and wish to rise to your level of competence by challenging you to become highly proficient by the end of the term.

COURSE SCHEDULE AND OUTLINE

Week / Topic / Reading / Assignment
1 - 1/13/09 / Intro to Projective Testing and Rorschach.
What you gain with projectives.
Dynamics and Administration of Testing/ Intro to the Tests
Projective Testing and Psychodynamic Theory
Sources of information-what do different psychological tests provide / None / You will need to read the Exner book: The Rorschach: A comprehensive system during the term. Do not read it to memorize content but to get the idea of how one goes about interpreting. You may want to skim interpretation sections prior to the last part of the course and then read them more in depth at that time.
2 - 1/20/09 / Rorschach Scoring / E1- Part 1 Administration and scoring sections 1-8 (PAGES 1-87)
3 - 1/27/09 / Conceptualization and psychological assessment- why do we need personality assessment (treatment, recommendations
Overview of TAT, CAT
Case Conceptualization-overview / Schafer, R. (1982) Thematic Analysis. In Psychoanalytic interpretation in Rorschach testing. (pp. 114-139). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
GM- chapter 1 Introduction (1-36)
4 - 2/3/09 / Overview of Rorschach
TAT/CAT Interpretation
Overview of Defenses in Projective Testing.
Continue with case conceptualization / BA- chapter 1. Theoretical Foundations for Projective Testing
BA chapter 2. The Clinical Use of the TAT
GM- chapter 10 (Rorschach) (407-476)
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.
Recommended: Article- psychodynamic case formulation
McWilliams, N- Psychoanalytic Case Conceptualization