PP 7372
Projective Assessment
Spring 2009
INSTRUCTOR:
Daniel Friedman, Psy.D., MBAPHONE:
773 388 2277EMAIL:
REQUIRED TEXTS:
Title / A Rorschach Workbook for the Comprehensive SystemAuthor(s) / Exner
Copyright
Publisher / Rorschach Workshops Ashville NC.
ISBN / Available online directly from Rorschach Workshops
Edition / 5th
Title / A Primer for Rorschach Interpretation
Author(s) / Exner
Copyright
Publisher / Rorschach Workshops Ashville NC
ISBN / Available online directly from Rorschach Workshops
Edition
This Course Requires the Purchase of a Course Packet: NO
COURSE SYLLABUS
Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology
MISSION STATEMENT
The Doctoral program in Clinical Psychology at Argosy University/American School of Professional Psychology-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/Illinois School of Professional Psychology/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:
* The training of practitioners capable of delivering diagnostic and therapeuticservices effectively to diverse populations of clients in need of such treatment
* The development of mental health practitioners who understand the biological,psychological, and sociological bases of human functioning
* The training of practitioners who are capable of exercising leadership both in thehealth care delivery system and in the training of mental health professionals
* The preparation of mental health practitioners capable of expanding the role of psychologists within society
The education of psychologists capable of working with other disciplines as part of a professional team
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.
- Objective 1a: Accurately and ethically administer and score various psychodiagnostic instruments.
- 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.
- 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.
- Objective 2a: Synthesize the foundations of clinical psychology, including psychopathology, human development, diagnosis, diversity, ethics, and various therapeutic models in clinical applications.
- Objective 2b: Select, plan, and implement ethical and evidence-based interventions with sensitivity to the diverse characteristics and needs of clients.
- 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.
The Master’s Program in Clinical Psychology has been designed to educate and train students to enter a professional career as MA level practitioners. Argosy University/Chicago Campus provides students an educational program with all the necessary theoretical and clinical elements that will allow them to be effective members of a mental health team. The program introduces students to basic clinical skills that integrate individual and group theoretical foundations of applied psychology into appropriate client interactions and intervention skills. In addition, the Program offers excellent preparation for those considering application to the Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology.
COURSE DESCRIPTION
- The Purpose of this class is to develop the skills necessary to successfully analyze and integrate data from several different psychological tests. Students will gain an understanding of particular styles of test measures. Communication of a clinical hypothesis in a clear and concise fashion will be expected in written format. Accompanying these reports will be relevant clinical discoveries.
COURSE OBJECTIVES
- Gain a working knowledge of the 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.
- 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.
COURSE ASSESSMENT
Course assessment will be based on the following course requirements: (1)Weekly: assignments. Included in these assignments will be written discussion points on reading and assessment exercises designed to foster optimal understanding of the course material. (2) Midterm examination: this midterm will require to interpret clinical data as it would appear in a psychological battery (3) Final examination: this final will require to interpret clinical data as it would appear in a psychological battery
GRADING AND ATTENDANCE POLICY
All assigned papers are due on the date specified in the syllabus; late papers will automatically be given one letter grade lower than the grade earned. The final grade will be determined in the following manner: (1) final exam/paper: 30%; (3) class participation: 70 % (based primarily on class attendance, participation and completion of weekly exercises/protocols.) All students are expected to attend every class. If you cannot attend a class, please let me know. PLEASE NOTE: ANY STUDENT WHO IS ABSENT FROM MORE THAN TWO CLASSES MAY RECEIVE AN “F” FOR THE CLASS. There will be numerous optional sessions in which students may attend to have questions addressed and receive additional assistance on course assignments.
Required Text can both be purchased from Rorschach Workshops in Ashville N.C.
Exner, John E.A Rorschach Workbook for the Comprehensive System Publisher: Rorschach Workshops Edition: 5th
Exner, John E.A Primer for Rorschach InterpretationPublisher: Rorschach Workshops
Recommended Texts (not required)
The instructor will periodically hand out materials to enhance the students’ learning experience.
Students can, at their own discretion, purchase Bender-Gestalt Cards, TAT Cards and Rorschach Plates.
COURSE SCHEDULE & OUTLINE
Week 1Course Introduction & Overview with TA
Week 2History and Systems of Projective Measures
Rorschach Primer
Readings
Projective Methods: A historical introduction. Handout
Week 3The Dynamics of the Testing Situation
Review of Defense Mechanisms
Strengths, Limitation and Culture in Projective Assessment
Readings
Multicultural assessment perspectives for professional psychology
Week 4Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)
Readings
Thematic Apperception Test.
Assessment with projective
Project 1 Due
Week 5Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) (Continued)
Readings
Black and white children on TAT and TEMAS:
Thematic Apperception Test with adolescents.
Week 6Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) (Continued)
Children’s Apperception Test (CAT)
Readings
Children’s Apperception Test.
CAT studies with normal children.
Assessment of children from different cultures..
Assignment
Project 2 Due
Week 7Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) (Continued)
Tell Me A Story (TEMAS)
Readings
Handler, L. & Habenicht, D. (1994). The kinetic family drawing technique: A review of the literature.Jounal of Personality Assessment, 62, 440-464.
Week 8Projective Drawings
Sentence Completion Test
Readings
Kahill, S. (1984). Human figure drawings in adults: An update of the empirical evidence, 1967-1982. Canadian Psychology, 25, 269-292.
Smith, D. & Dumont, F. (1995). A cautionary study: Unwarranted interpretations of the Draw-A-Person test.Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 26, 298-303.
Week 9Test Integration
Personality Functioning
Exner Clusters
Readings
Lah, M. I. (1989). Sentence completion tests. In C. S. Newmark (Ed.), Major psychological assessment instruments (pp. 133-163). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
Week 10Rorschach Review, Administration, and Scoring
Readings
Exner, J. E. (2001). Procedures. In A Rorschach workbook for the comprehensive system (5th ed., pp. 2-23). Asheville, NC: Rorschach Workshops.
Assignment
Project 2 Due
Week 11 Rorschach Scoring
Readings
Exner, J. E. (2001). Location and developmental quality. In A Rorschach workbook for the comprehensive system (5th ed., pp. 24-29). Asheville, NC: Rorschach Workshops.
Exner, J. E. (2001). Determinants. In A Rorschach workbook for the comprehensive system (5th ed., pp. 30-46). Asheville, NC: Rorschach Workshops.
Exner, J. E. (2001). Form quality. In A Rorschach workbook for the comprehensive system (5th ed., pp. 47-53). Asheville, NC: Rorschach Workshops.
Exner, J. E. (2001). Contents and populars. In A Rorschach workbook for the comprehensive system (5th ed., pp. 54-58). Asheville, NC: Rorschach Workshops.
Exner, J. E. (2001). Organizational activity. In A Rorschach workbook for the comprehensive system (5th ed., pp. 59-61). Asheville, NC: Rorschach Workshops.
Exner, J. E. (2001). Special Scores. In A Rorschach workbook for the comprehensive system (5th ed., pp. 62-80). Asheville, NC: Rorschach Workshops.
Week 12 The Exner Structural Summary
Readings
Exner, J. E. (2001). A strategy for scoring. In A Rorschach workbook for the comprehensive system (5th ed., pp. 81-88). Asheville, NC: Rorschach Workshops.
Exner, J. E. (2001). The structural summary. In A Rorschach workbook for the comprehensive system (5th ed., pp. 88-101). Asheville, NC: Rorschach Workshops.
Exner, J. E. (2003). In The Rorschach: A comprehensive system: Volume 1: Basic foundations and Principles of Interpretation (4th ed., pp. 147-155). New York: Wiley.
Exner, J. E. (2003). In The Rorschach: A comprehensive system: Volume 1: Basic foundations and Principles of Interpretation (4th ed., pp. 161-185). New York: Wiley.
Exner, J. E. (2003). In The Rorschach: A comprehensive system: Volume 1: Basic foundations and Principles of Interpretation (4th ed., pp. 217- 229). New York: Wiley.
Exner, J. E. (2003). In The Rorschach: A comprehensive system: Volume 1: Basic foundations and Principles of Interpretation (4th ed., pp. 231-256). New York: Wiley.
Exner, J. E. (2003). In The Rorschach: A comprehensive system: Volume 1: Basic foundations and Principles of Interpretation (4th ed., pp. 280-330). New York: Wiley
Assignment
Project 3 Due No Later than
Week 13Exner Interpretation
Readings
Beck, S. J. (1981). Reality, Rorschach, and perceptual theory. In A. I. Rabin (Ed.), Assessment with projective techniques (pp. 23-46). New York: Springer.
Lerner, P. M. (1991). Major scores: The dimensions of the Rorschach. In Psychoanalytic theory and the Rorschach (pp. 67-93). Hillsdale, NJ: Analytic Press.
Assignment
Project 4 Due
Week 14 Exner Interpretation Guidelines (Continued)
Major Scores on the Rorschach
Schafer, R. (1982). Thematic analysis. In Psychoanalytic interpretation in Rorschach testing (pp. 114-139). Boston: Allyn & Bacon
Week 15 /Finals Week – No Class
Assignment
Project 5 Due
Library
All resources in Argosy University’s online collection are available through the Internet. The campus librarian will provide students with links, user IDs, and passwords.
Library Resources: Argosy University’s core online collection features nearly 21,000 full-text journals and 23,000 electronic books and other content covering all academic subject areas including Business & Economics, Career & General Education, Computers, Engineering & Applied Science, Humanities, Science, Medicine & Allied Health, and Social & Behavior Sciences. Many titles are directly accessible through the Online Public Access Catalog at Detailed descriptions of online resources are located at
In addition to online resources, Argosy University’s onsite collections contain a wealth of subject-specific research materials searchable in the Online Public Access Catalog. Catalog searching is easily limited to individual campus collections. Alternatively, students can search combined collections of all Argosy University Libraries. Students are encouraged to seek research and reference assistance from campus librarians.
Information Literacy: Argosy University’s Information Literacy Tutorial was developed to teach students fundamental and transferable research skills. The tutorial consists of five modules where students learn to select sources appropriate for academic-level research, search periodical indexes and search engines, and evaluate and cite information. In the tutorial, students study concepts and practice them through interactions. At the conclusion of each module, they can test their comprehension and receive immediate feedback. Each module takes less than 20 minutes to complete. Please view the tutorial at
Academic Policies
Academic Dishonesty/Plagiarism: In an effort to foster a spirit of honesty and integrity during the learning process, Argosy University requires that the submission of all course assignments represent the original work produced by that student. All sources must be documented through normal scholarly references/citations and all work must be submitted using the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 5th Edition (2001). Washington DC: American Psychological Association (APA) format. Please refer to Appendix A in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 5th Edition for thesis and paper format. Students are encouraged to purchase this manual (required in some courses) and become familiar with its content as well as consult the Argosy University catalog for further information regarding academic dishonesty and plagiarism.
Scholarly writing: The faculty at Argosy University is dedicated to providing a learning environment that supports scholarly and ethical writing, free from academic dishonesty and plagiarism. This includes the proper and appropriate referencing of all sources. You may be asked to submit your course assignments through “Turnitin,” ( an online resource established to help educators develop writing/research skills and detect potential cases of academic dishonesty. Turnitin compares submitted papers to billions of pages of content and provides a comparison report to your instructor. This comparison detects papers that share common information and duplicative language.
Americans with Disabilities Act Policy
It is the policy of Argosy University to make reasonable accommodations for qualified students with disabilities, in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). If a student with disabilities needs accommodations, the student must notify the Director of Student Services. Procedures for documenting student disability and the development of reasonable accommodations will be provided to the student upon request.
Students will be notified by the Director of Student Services when each request for accommodation is approved or denied in writing via a designated form. To receive accommodation in class, it is the student’s responsibility to present the form (at his or her discretion) to the instructor. In an effort to protect student privacy, the Department of Student Services will not discuss the accommodation needs of any student with instructors. Faculty may not make accommodations for individuals who have not been approved in this manner.
TheArgosy University Statement Regarding Diversity
Argosy University prepares students to serve populations with diverse social, ethnic, economic, and educational experiences. Both
the academic and training curricula are designed to provide an environment in which students can develop the skills and attitudes essential to working with people from a wide range of backgrounds.
Attendance/participation / 25%Weekly Assignments / 20%
Final paper / 35%
Midterm / 20%
100%
Grading Scale Grading requirements
A / 100 – 93A- / 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