Holtzman Inkblot Test
Encyclopedia
The Holtzman Inkblot Test (here after referred to as HIT) was conceived by Wayne Holtzman and colleagues. It was first introduced in 1961 as a projective
personality test
similar to the Rorschach test, yet unlike the Rorschach
, the HIT is a standardized measurement with clearly defined objective scoring criteria. The Holtzman Inkblot Test was invented as an attempt to address many, if not all, of the controversial issues surrounding the Rorschach Inkblot Test.
The HIT is a psychometric test requiring a clinically trained examiner, and should be interpreted by a credible psychologist
, psychiatrist
, or a trained mental health professional. Because some find projective tests to be less reliable than objective tests the examiner must be well trained in psychometric examinations; interpretations that are subjective may affect the test.
, the Holtzman is a standardized measurement with clearly defined objective scoring criteria. The test consists of two alternative forms of forty-five inkblots, originally drawn from a pool of several thousand. Scoring is based on twenty-two items: reaction time, rejection, location, space, form definiteness, form appropriateness, color, shading, movement, pathognomonic
verbalization, integration, content (human, animal, anatomy, sexual, or abstract), anxiety, hostility, barrier, penetration, balance, and popularity. Then has a stack of 47 cards with inkblots (45 test cards and 2 practice cards) are presented face down in front of the subject. The examiner then hands each card to the subject and asks the test subject what they see in the inkblot. Requesting that only one response per inkblot is needed, yet, at times, the examiner may ask for the subject to elaborate on a response. The HIT usually takes about 50–80 minutes. The test can also be administered to a group of patients by projecting 35-45 inkblots onto a screen and having the patients write the responses to each inkblot. The typical cost of the examination is $58.35 an hour. This includes the test, scoring and interpretation, and reporting though many insurance plans cover a portion if not all of the cost of diagnostic psychological testing.
the time in seconds from the presentation of the inkblot to the beginning of the first response
score 1 when subject returns inkblot to examiner without giving a scorable response; otherwise score 0
tendency to break down blot into smaller fragments. score 0= use of whole blot, 1=large area, 2=smaller area
score 1=true figure-ground reversals; score 0 otherwise
the definiteness of the form of the concept reported, regardless of the goodness of fit to the inkblot. a 5 point scale with 0=very vague and 4=very specific
the goodness of fit of the form of the precept to the form of the inkblot. Score 0=poor 1=fair, 2=good
the apparent primacy of color, including black, gray and white, as a response-determinate. score 0=no use of color, 1=secondary to form, 2=primary determinant with some form present, 3=primary determinant
the apparent primacy of shading as response determinant. 0=no use of shading, 1=secondary to form, 2=used as primary determinant but some form is present, 3= primary determinant
The energy level of movement or potential movement ascribed to the percept, regardless of content.0=none, 1=static potential, 2=casual, 3=dynamic, 4=violent movement
degree of autistic, bizarre thinking evident in the response as rated on a five scale.
score 1=organization of 2 or more adequately perceived blot elements into a larger whole
degree of human quality in the content of response
degree of animal quality in the content
degree of "gut-like" quality in the content
degree of sexual quality in the content
degree of abstract quality in the content
degree of anxiety or fantasy content as indicated by emotions and attitudes, expressive behavior, symbolism, or cultural stereotypes of fear.
signs of hostility or fantasy content
reference to any proective covering, shell, membrane or skin that may be symbolically related to the perception of body image boundaries.
concept that may be symbolic of an individual's feeling that his body exterior is of little protective value and can be easily penetrated
overt concern for the symmetry-asymmetry feature of the inkblot.
percept occurred at least 14% of the time among normal subjects
The technique is featured as part of a traveling exhibition entitled "Psychology: Understanding Ourselves, Understanding Each Other" and sponsored by the American Psychological Association
in partnership with the Ontario Science Centre
. It is housed permanently at the Smithsonian Institution
.
Projective test
In psychology, a projective test is a personality test designed to let a person respond to ambiguous stimuli, presumably revealing hidden emotions and internal conflicts. This is different from an "objective test" in which responses are analyzed according to a universal standard...
personality test
Personality test
-Overview:There are many different types of personality tests. The most common type, the self-report inventory, involves the administration of many questions, or "items", to test-takers who respond by rating the degree to which each item reflects their behavior...
similar to the Rorschach test, yet unlike the Rorschach
Rorschach
Rorschach is a municipality, in the District of Rorschach in the canton of St. Gallen in Switzerland. It is on the south side of Lake Constance .-History:...
, the HIT is a standardized measurement with clearly defined objective scoring criteria. The Holtzman Inkblot Test was invented as an attempt to address many, if not all, of the controversial issues surrounding the Rorschach Inkblot Test.
Precautions
The Holtzman Inkblot Test has been used in both experimental and clinical applications.The HIT is a psychometric test requiring a clinically trained examiner, and should be interpreted by a credible psychologist
Psychologist
Psychologist is a professional or academic title used by individuals who are either:* Clinical professionals who work with patients in a variety of therapeutic contexts .* Scientists conducting psychological research or teaching psychology in a college...
, psychiatrist
Psychiatrist
A psychiatrist is a physician who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders. All psychiatrists are trained in diagnostic evaluation and in psychotherapy...
, or a trained mental health professional. Because some find projective tests to be less reliable than objective tests the examiner must be well trained in psychometric examinations; interpretations that are subjective may affect the test.
Purpose
The Holtzman Inkblot Test (HIT) was invented as an attempt to address many, if not all, of the controversial issues surrounding the Rorschach Inkblot Test. The HIT was used to assess the personal structure of the subject. The Holtzman Inkblot Test is used primarily with College students, average adults, 7th graders, elementary school children, 5-year olds, chronic schizophrenics, mental retardates, and depressed patients.Description
Unlike the RorschachRorschach
Rorschach is a municipality, in the District of Rorschach in the canton of St. Gallen in Switzerland. It is on the south side of Lake Constance .-History:...
, the Holtzman is a standardized measurement with clearly defined objective scoring criteria. The test consists of two alternative forms of forty-five inkblots, originally drawn from a pool of several thousand. Scoring is based on twenty-two items: reaction time, rejection, location, space, form definiteness, form appropriateness, color, shading, movement, pathognomonic
Pathognomonic
Pathognomonic is a term, often used in medicine, that means characteristic for a particular disease. A pathognomonic sign is a particular sign whose presence means that a particular disease is present beyond any doubt...
verbalization, integration, content (human, animal, anatomy, sexual, or abstract), anxiety, hostility, barrier, penetration, balance, and popularity. Then has a stack of 47 cards with inkblots (45 test cards and 2 practice cards) are presented face down in front of the subject. The examiner then hands each card to the subject and asks the test subject what they see in the inkblot. Requesting that only one response per inkblot is needed, yet, at times, the examiner may ask for the subject to elaborate on a response. The HIT usually takes about 50–80 minutes. The test can also be administered to a group of patients by projecting 35-45 inkblots onto a screen and having the patients write the responses to each inkblot. The typical cost of the examination is $58.35 an hour. This includes the test, scoring and interpretation, and reporting though many insurance plans cover a portion if not all of the cost of diagnostic psychological testing.
Scoring
The scoring includes 22 variables covering the aspects of the patient's response to the inkblot. Many different variables apply when scoring.- First, the variable has to be able to be scored for a legitimate response, thus becoming less theoretically possible to score ranging from 0-45 when given unitary weight.
- Second, the variable must be sufficiently objective for high scoring agreement with trained individuals.
- Third, the variable must show some promise of being important to the study of personality through perception.
- Fourth, each variable must be logically independent of the others in order to code the maximum amount of information in an effective manner.
22 variables and abbreviations applied
- 1) Reaction Time (RT)
the time in seconds from the presentation of the inkblot to the beginning of the first response
- 2) Rejection(R)
score 1 when subject returns inkblot to examiner without giving a scorable response; otherwise score 0
- 3) Location(L)
tendency to break down blot into smaller fragments. score 0= use of whole blot, 1=large area, 2=smaller area
- 4) Space (S)
score 1=true figure-ground reversals; score 0 otherwise
- 5) Form Definiteness (FD)
the definiteness of the form of the concept reported, regardless of the goodness of fit to the inkblot. a 5 point scale with 0=very vague and 4=very specific
- 6) Form Appropriateness (FA)
the goodness of fit of the form of the precept to the form of the inkblot. Score 0=poor 1=fair, 2=good
- 7) Color (C)
the apparent primacy of color, including black, gray and white, as a response-determinate. score 0=no use of color, 1=secondary to form, 2=primary determinant with some form present, 3=primary determinant
- 8) Shading (Sh)
the apparent primacy of shading as response determinant. 0=no use of shading, 1=secondary to form, 2=used as primary determinant but some form is present, 3= primary determinant
- 9) Movement (M)
The energy level of movement or potential movement ascribed to the percept, regardless of content.0=none, 1=static potential, 2=casual, 3=dynamic, 4=violent movement
- 10) Pathognomic Verbalization (V)
degree of autistic, bizarre thinking evident in the response as rated on a five scale.
- 11) Integration (I)
score 1=organization of 2 or more adequately perceived blot elements into a larger whole
- 12) Human (H)
degree of human quality in the content of response
- 13) Animal (A)
degree of animal quality in the content
- 14) Anatomy (At)
degree of "gut-like" quality in the content
- 15) Sex (Sx)
degree of sexual quality in the content
- 16) Abstract (Ab)
degree of abstract quality in the content
- 17) Anxiety (Ax)
degree of anxiety or fantasy content as indicated by emotions and attitudes, expressive behavior, symbolism, or cultural stereotypes of fear.
- 18) Hostility (Hs)
signs of hostility or fantasy content
- 19) Barrier (Br)
reference to any proective covering, shell, membrane or skin that may be symbolically related to the perception of body image boundaries.
- 20) Penetration (Pn)
concept that may be symbolic of an individual's feeling that his body exterior is of little protective value and can be easily penetrated
- 21) Balance (B)
overt concern for the symmetry-asymmetry feature of the inkblot.
- 22) Popular (P)
percept occurred at least 14% of the time among normal subjects
US and Mexico
The test correlations ranged from .36 for Popular and .81 for normal adults. The most stable of the inkblot scores was Location in the United States and Mexico. Reaction,Time, Form Definiteness, Movement, and Human also scored relatively high in both cultures. however, these aspects test more of the cognitive-perceptual aspects rather than personality characteristics. Rejection,Form Appropratness, Shading, Pathognomic Verbalization, Barrier,and Penetration had lower stability coefficients while Space, Sex, Abstract and Balance proved to be extreamly infrequent in the children's samples. Test results generally became more stable with age. The children showed a much weaker stability of data than that of older patients and adults possessed the greatest stability of information.The technique is featured as part of a traveling exhibition entitled "Psychology: Understanding Ourselves, Understanding Each Other" and sponsored by the American Psychological Association
American Psychological Association
The American Psychological Association is the largest scientific and professional organization of psychologists in the United States. It is the world's largest association of psychologists with around 154,000 members including scientists, educators, clinicians, consultants and students. The APA...
in partnership with the Ontario Science Centre
Ontario Science Centre
Ontario Science Centre is a science museum in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, near the Don Valley Parkway about northeast of downtown on Don Mills Road just south of Eglinton Avenue East...
. It is housed permanently at the Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines...
.
See also
- PareidoliaPareidoliaPareidolia is a psychological phenomenon involving a vague and random stimulus being perceived as significant. Common examples include seeing images of animals or faces in clouds, the man in the moon or the Moon rabbit, and hearing hidden messages on records played in reverse...
- Picture Arrangement TestPicture Arrangement TestThe Picture Arrangement Test is a psychological test performed by giving the subject pictures of a person with various facial expressions. The administrator of the test then has the subject tell a story based on the images...
- Projective testProjective testIn psychology, a projective test is a personality test designed to let a person respond to ambiguous stimuli, presumably revealing hidden emotions and internal conflicts. This is different from an "objective test" in which responses are analyzed according to a universal standard...
- Rorschach testRorschach testThe Rorschach test is a psychological test in which subjects' perceptions of inkblots are recorded and then analyzed using psychological interpretation, complex algorithms, or both. Some psychologists use this test to examine a person's personality characteristics and emotional functioning...
- Thematic Apperception TestThematic Apperception TestThe Thematic Apperception Test, or TAT, is a projective psychological test. Historically, it has been among the most widely researched, taught, and used of such tests...