Projective techniques in psychology: the main differences from standardized. Classification

Projective methods are aimed at studying the properties of the personality, as well as the characteristics of the intellect. The features that distinguish them from the standardized methods of psychological research are the following.

First, we are talking about the features of the stimulus material offered to the respondent. It is characterized by a lack of structuredness, uncertainty and ambiguity. Only in this case can the "earn" and realize the principle of projection. When the respondent begins to interact with the stimulus material, then it is structured. But in this process, the person begins to project the characteristics of his mental world: anxieties, conflicts, needs, value orientations and so on. Therefore, projective techniques are very convenient to use.

Secondly, the respondent is given a special task, which is relatively unstructured. She admits a huge number of diverse answers. It turns out that the research, which is carried out using projective techniques, is disguised. The respondent will not be able to guess that in his answers he will become the subject for interpreting the experimenters. That is why projective techniques in psychology are to a minimum subjected to falsification, rather than those questionnaires, which are built on information about the individual.

Third, projective techniques differ in the processing and interpretation of the results obtained. They are not standardized, since most of them lack a mathematical apparatus in order to obtain an objective treatment of the results obtained. Projective methods of research of personality do not contain any norms. They are based on a qualitative rather than a quantitative approach. Therefore, until now, optimal methods for their verification have not been developed, to what extent they are reliable and valid. Therefore, in order to obtain the most accurate data, it is recommended to correlate the obtained results with the data that are available from the use of other, more reliable methods.

Projective methods are classified for different reasons. The most complete is the following:

• Supplementary techniques, when a set of incentive words acts as a stimulus material. The respondent should call those words that will "come to mind" in connection with the word that was heard. For example, the associative test created by K.G. Jung, the technique of "Unfinished sentences." In addition, those methods are very popular, for which it is necessary to give a clear number of answers. For example, the test "Who am I?".
• Methods of interpretation, when a stimulus is a set of pictures and photographs. In this case, the respondent will need to compose a whole story (SAT, TAT), relying on the proposed pictures, or to answer those questions that are suggested in situations on them, or you need to select pleasant and unpleasant photo-pictures. For example, a test revealing the frustration of Rosenzweig, the Gilles technique or the Sondi test.
• Structuring techniques, when associative relationships are analyzed that arise after viewing stimulus material that is not structured. For example, the interpretation of Rorschach's forms.
• Methods of studying expression, which is carried out on the basis of analysis of handwriting or features in speech behavior.
• Analysis of products of human creativity, when the object of interpretation is the picture created by the respondent on the basis of the task. For example, "Two houses", "Pictograph", "Self-portrait" and so on.

Projective techniques are usually an additional method in psychological research.