Blog Post on Projective Testing

    One of the topics we went over in class that I enjoyed learning about was projective testing. I find it very interesting that you are able to determine psychological traits based on somebody's drawing, or their interpretation of inkblots. Even if the results aren't accurate, or are only somewhat accurate, it is crazy to think about the possibilities of what projective testing could be, or how it could be used, if enough time and money are put into it. I think projective testing has potential if done in the correct environment and as a supplement. What I mean by this is that instead of relying on projective testing to identify things like mental illness, it could be used in addition to treatment for already diagnosed mental illness to monitor a patient's progress. Obviously, if projective testing were to really be used in this way, it would need to go through the scientific process to determine how it can properly be applied, as well as have a set of standards much like everything else in therapy. It seems like in our society, if something is proven to not work as well as intended, such as the ink-blot test and the draw-a-person test, it must be thrown away. I think there is more potential for something like the ink-blot test as a way to monitor mental health progress, like maybe how a bipolar person reacts to the same inkblot when in a depressive phase compared to a manic phase, or how someone reacts to an inkblot when seriously depressed compared to recovering, as opposed to a way to diagnose mental health issues in the first place. I am curious to know what insights it could provide if used in a longer-term environment, as well as if projective testing has any future in the mental health field.