One of the ways for personality assessment is through projective techniques. Identify the statements that are true about projective techniques.
A. Projective technique can be interpreted by anyone.
B. It is an indirect method to assess personality.
C. It is based on psychoanalytic theory.
D. 16 PF is a type of projective technique.
E. Projective techniques help to overcome social desirability.
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → B, C, E only
A. Projective technique can be interpreted by anyone. Incorrect. The projections are interpreted by experts. Projective techniques cannot be scored in any objective manner; they need qualitative analyses for which a rigorous training is needed.
B. It is an indirect method to assess personality. Correct. Direct methods rely on information from a person who knows that her/his personality is being assessed. The problems of such methods can be overcome by using indirect methods of assessment, and projective techniques fall in this category.
C. It is based on psychoanalytic theory. Correct. The psychoanalytic theory tells us that a large part of human behaviour is governed by unconscious motives, which direct methods cannot uncover. Projective techniques were developed to assess these unconscious motives and feelings.
D. 16 PF is a type of projective technique. Incorrect. Cattell’s Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire is a self-report measure, a structured test in which the subject answers given items, not an unstructured stimulus.
E. Projective techniques help to overcome social desirability. Correct. In direct methods people often answer in a socially desirable manner. In projective techniques the person is usually not told the purpose of the assessment and is told there are no correct or incorrect responses, so this tendency is overcome.
NCERT (2025-26): “Projective Techniques … The techniques of personality assessment described so far are known as direct techniques, because they tend to rely on information directly obtained from the person who clearly knows that her/his personality is being assessed. In these situations, people generally become self-conscious and hesitate to share their private feelings, thoughts, and motivations. When they do so, they often do it in a socially desirable manner. The psychoanalytic theory tells us that a large part of human behaviour is governed by unconscious motives. Direct methods of personality assessment cannot uncover the unconscious part of our behaviour. Hence, they fail to provide us with a real picture of an individual’s personality. These problems can be overcome by using indirect methods of assessment. Projective techniques fall in this category.…” “Projective Techniques … Projective techniques were developed to assess unconscious motives and feelings. These techniques are based on the assumption that a less structured or unstructured stimulus or situation will allow the individual to project her/his feelings, desires and needs on to that situation. These projections are interpreted by experts.…” “Projective Techniques … Projective techniques are different from the psychometric tests in many ways. They cannot be scored in any objective manner. They generally require qualitative analyses for which a rigorous training is needed.…” |