CHAPTER VI

METHOD FOLLOWED

Four tests were administered to each of the 161 college students of the Inter Arts and Inter .Science courses at St. Xavier's College, Ahmedahad, viz.,the group Rorschach test as popularized by Harrower and Steiner, the Sacks Sentence Completions Test, the Raven Test (adult form), and a Sociometric Test designed after the pattern of Mary L. Worthway and Lindsay Weld's sociometric methods.

The investigator followed the testing procedure prescribed by the manuals. The few deviations from the approved procedure were intended to adapt the test to the situation.

Group Rorschach. The Rorschach slides were shown to groups of twenty five or thirty at a time. Arts and Science had to be tested separately. The groups had to be split up, with the result that a good number of the students failed to do all the four tests and had to be called later, some of them individually, to complete the remaining tests.

Previous to the scoring of the tests, a serial number was assigned to every individual throughout the four tests in order to facilitate the comparative work. A number of records had to be discarded due to the failure of some subjects in the group Rorschach which was taken as the

63

"basic test. This "brought the number of subjects tested down to 161, and the total number of tests to 644*

The Pears Institute (Ahmedabad) Rorschach blank was used for the group Rorschach. The instructions are printed in Gujarati on the booklet cover. More detailed instructions were given orally in English. A copy of the booklet will be attached.

In the procedure, we departed somewhat from the standard procedure set up by Harrower-Steiner, to suit our special circumstances. The authors of the group Rorschach forsee that special circumstances may call for a change in the procedure:

If an examiner finds himself forced, for instance, to alter, add, or omit some part of the following procedure or instructions, he is probably doing what is right for his own set-up and group of subjects and need not be disturbed. 79

Detailed instructions were given, demonstrating how to use the booklet,.how to mark thelocation, how to bring out the determinants, etc. A r§su&e of the instructions given is as follows;:

We are going to show you ten slides, some of them are coloured and some black and white. They were made by dropping ink blots on a paper and folding it. They do not represent any special thing, but people see in them various objects, animals, human beings, etc. Write

^ M.- R. Harrower and M. 1. Steiner,- Large ScaleRorschach Techniques (Springfield, 111.: Charles C Thomas, Publisher, 1951)* P» 27•

‘ 64

down what you see in them on what they make you think of. Mark in the diagrams of your booklet the various areas corresponding to what you see in the slides, and number them*

Once the test is over I would like to see the same interesting things you have seen in the slides and in exactly the same way you have seen them. You are going to help me to see with your own eyes by describing for me the things you have seen. For instance, it is not enough to write that you have seen a horse, and where you have seen it, but I must know how you saw it.Did you see it moging or was it only the shape that made you think of a horse? You may have seen a butter­fly, but I want to know why you saw a butterfly.Was it because of the shape, or because of the colour?Try to give me the why and the how of the things you see. Try to add a because to all your answers. That because will help me see what you have seen and the way you have seen it. It may be the shape, it may be the colour or the shading, it may be a combination of colour and shape or various other combinations that have caused you to see the beautiful things you see. Try and describe for me the things you see with as much detail as you can.

After the instructions were given a little time was allowed to clarify difficulties and to explain in practice how they should go about their task. Then the slides were projected, each slide being shown for four minutes. The reduced number of subjects permitted individual attention to be given to those who needed some further clarification, even while the show was in progress.

Our procedure coincides in essentials with Harrower's procedure, but it departs from it in several ways. Harrower projects the slides twice, keeping them on the screen for three minutes each during the first, show, and two minutes during the second. She gives part of the instructions before

6$

•the first show and part of them before the second.We gave all the instructions once, projected the slides

80only once and kept each slide on for four minutes. <The whole session lasted about an hour.

Ih scoring the Rorschach protocols, the investigator.has followed the standard procedure. W. Mons, and Klopferand Kelley have been used as principal guides in the matter.

81 '"A Rorschach Workbook" has been of invaluable help in the' scoring of the Rorschach protocols. Though the scoring of location becomes.automatic after a while, in doubtful cases I have made use of M; narrower's diagrams showing the areas into which the Rorschach blots have been divided.82

Classification of protocols. After scoring all the Rorschach protocols and working out ratios and percentages, the investigator grouped the records into three classes, rich, medium and poor, corresponding to rich personalities, medium personalities and poor personalities. Instances of the three

80 The present worker profited by the experience of Mr. P. Garg, of the Pearw Institute, Ahmedabad, who has experimented with these techniques for several years and has concluded that this procedure is the one which obtains the best results.

81 .L. H. Blum, H.H.Davidson and N.D.Pieldsteel,A Rorsdhaoh Workbook (Hew York: International Universities Press, Inc, 1^PT»

Op M. R. Harrower and M. E. Steiner, op. cit., pp* 57-69.

groups will be given later. The criteria followed in determining the class to which each record belonged, were: a) the number and quality of the determinants, b) the evaluation of content. According to these two criteria, a rich record, and accordingly a rich personality, will be one that shows a wide range of determinants and a rich content. The richness of content is again measured by the variety of topics and by the detailed elaboration of these topics. ,

Rich and poor are universal concepts (a sort of "conceptus universales" in the philosophical sense) which are obtained by abstraction of the characteristics which Rorschach*, workers find in the Rorschach protocols. The term rich' is a comprehensive one which stands for all those personal characteristics belonging to a certain group. Another term which stands for a different set of characteristics, or may be, for the same characteristics but in a different degree is the word poor. Medium stands for a set of charasteristics which occupies a kind of middle point between rich and poor. Hence the "fundamentum in re" for these three different concepts are the different

f

personality characteristics possessed by the subjects and/or the different degrees in which some of those characteristics are present in them.

6?

In ascertaining the richness of the protocol from the number and variety of the determinants, I have paid special attention to those determinants which indicate a delicate sensitivity, an artistic leeway and

well controlled impulses (Fc, FK, FC). It goes without saying that richness of personality is not to be determined by the absolute number of determinants. For instance, a disproportionately high number of FM and m will be a sign of inmaturity and anxiety; a high number of pure C will manifest uncontrolled impulses, and so forth. It is the area covered by the determinants and their proportion, or relative numbers, rather than the absolute numbers, that reflect the psychological aquipment of the subject. Then

i

again, in evaluating the content, the selection and elaboration of topics is more important than a mere variety of topics.

Since the Rorschach test is a qualitative test, to determine in which category an individual record should be classified, I attended to a quantitative appraisal as far as I

could and to the delicate balance of determinants rather than to ratios and percentages. It is true that a record may be considered rich when it covers all the range of determinants and shows such ratios and proportions as M > FM +m, M being high; FC > OR + C; F around 40% of the total number of answers; if there is a relatively high number of good originals

68(0+) and so.on. But there might he other indicators which -do not fit* in or fulfil all these prerequisites and still

!

a careful assessment of such indicators will go to demonstrate that the personality under consideration is a rich personality. Hence, even at the risk of giving too subjective an appreciation of the records, the present writer has preferred to get a global impression (in which the quantitative aspect is one of the elements taken into account) rather than classify the records according to rigid statistical norms.The present investigator has followed the opinion of many psychologists who affirm that the Rorschach test should not be submitted to rigid statistical treatment:

Interpretation of responses is "global”; that .is, the significance of responses is determined by the total pattern, where as analysis into parts and part-scores for the purpose of statistical treatment does violence to the principle underlying the test and to the meanings of the responses. As yet there are no statistical methods M r dealing with integrated, "global", patterns of responses. 83

Lest my assessment be too subjective, the Rorschach . protocols have been assessed independently by another psychologist using the same criteria for classification.

The present writer has not seen the classification into rich, medium and poor Rorschach personalities in any Rorschach worker. Yet the division and grouping into the

\

^ P. S. Freeman, op. cit., pp. 517-518

69said categories are an inference from statements made byRorschach, experts. Klopfer asserts that a subject whogives virtually nothing but popular or crude formresponses (P), is "impersonal" because his personality istoo colourless, his inner life too meagre, his emotionalresponsiveness too poor to enable him to do anything but

84that. In fact, it is an impoverished personality."Where the form responses (P) cross the 50 percent mark,there is a diminution of spontaneity, there is "constriction"

85or "coarctation" of the personality. ^On the other hand, where P is below 50 persent there

is a good measure of spontaneity, the person allows lifeto enter into intimate contact with him and in turn reaches

86out for experience intellectually and mentally.According to Rorschach interpreters, an abundance

of M indicates a rich inner life. The colour responses manifest the degree and quality of the emotional contact with the outer world. The shading responses will manifest how the subject meets his affectional needs.

B. Klopfer and D. M. Kelley, 0£. cit., p. 232. W* Mons, oj>. cit., p. 92.Loc. cit.

848586

70

Where the responses cover all these areas of personality symbolized by the various determinants, the concepts' expressed above are assembled together, and from thecombination of abundant inner life, contact with the outer world and the play of affectional needs, a new concept emerges, the concept of richness of personality, that is, a personality equipped with the full armour of personal resources. It will be apersonality in which all the keys of a broad personality

• \

keyboard can be pressed and sounded. But it may so happen that some of the keys may sound too loud, and drown the others, upsetting the harmony and fine balance of the personality; this happens when some .of the determinants grow out of proportion or get out of control, where, for instance, emotional contact with the outer world is of the crude type, or where inner life becomes an anxiety-ridden one. Then we shall still have a rich per­sonality with all its potentialities, but this rich personality ,will be further qualified as a disturbed personality.

On the other hand, there are records in which the form responses monopolize or absorb all the other possibilities, there are few determinants, that is, there are few signs of inner life, contact with the outer world is reduced to a minimum, and signs of affectional needs may be altogether

7 1

absent. These characteristics may be aptly summarized under the term poor personality.■ Between these two extremes there is a wide rangeof records which naturally fall into the medium personality group.

Of course, there are no clear cut boundaries separating one group from another. Personality measurements cannot be rigid.

Disturbed personalities. There is an aspect of personality which is thrown into bold relief by the Rorschach test, viz., the element of disturbance, the hostile inner forces and the uncontrolled impulses which produce anxiety, guilt feelings and other unhealthy complexes. It is only natural that a clinical test, born out of a long experience with disturbed mental patients should be specially fitted to bring to light deep-lying disturbing elements. Anxiety is reflected in the Rorschach test by the determinants m, K, KP; by the crude colour responses C'and C, and by the various shocks, colour shock, movement shock, sexual shock; rejection of cards is generally a sign of shock, and a clear indicator of disturbance. The content shows at times manifest signs of disturbance. We qualified as "disturbed" the protocols which show a relative high number of those determinants and indicators of disturbance mentioned above.

!

72

Disturbance, as may be gathered from what has been said above, may be present in any of the three groups ment­ioned.

The Sentence Completion Test. The sentence completion test has been used in two ways: a) as an independent source of information, and b) as an instrument of comparison.

To begin with the second acceptation, the link which relates it to the Rorschach test is the element of "disturb­ance.” These two projective tests, according to Sacks and Levy, are two different ways of personality description which together give us a more rounded picture of the personality.The Rorschach test mirrors the subject's basic personality structure, the Sacks Sentence Completion Test may reflect conscious, preconscious, or unconscious thinking and feeling.®'7

Though there are variab&es in both tests which are mutually comparable, the objective measurements are few and difficult to apply. But one thing seems to be clear: if asubject suffers from acute anxiety, this anxiety will

\manifest itself in his attitudes towards fife. If the Rorschach

<J. M. Sacks and S. Levy, The Sentence Completion Test. L. E. Abt and L. Beliak, editors, Projective Psychology (New York: Grove Press, Inc., 1959) , P* 575

t

73test reveals anxiety, this anxiety will he reflected in the various attitudes described in the SSCT.

The SSCT is designed, and we take it now in its first accept^Lon, to obtain significant clinical material in four representative areas of adjustment, viz., family, sex, interpersonal relationships and self-concept. The test consists of 60 incomplete sentences organized in 15 attitudes. The investigator has introduced a few modifications to make the test fit his special setting. Ten new items have been substituted for the original nine items. "Attitude toward religion" and "Attitude toward siblings" have taken the place of "Attitude towards superiors at work and school" and "Attitude toward people supervised". We hope that the attitudes introduced present richer possibilities for investigation in this special setting. The item "If I had sex relations” was cancelled, as it did not seem proper in the restricted group to which the test was administered, and because it was thought it would elicit very few responses. In its place an item was introduced, which, it was believed, was likely to elicit characteristic.completions: "I think talking with girls" (with members of the opposite sex, as the case may be).

Here are the original and the adapted lists of incomplete sentences:

? 4

1. I feel that my father seldom2. Ihern the odds are against me 3* I always wanted to4. If I were in charge5. To me the future looks6. The men over me7* I know it is silly hut I am afraid of8. I feel that a real friend9. TiJhen I was a child10. My idea of a perfect woman11. When I see a man and a woman together12. Compared with most families, mine13. At work, I get along best with14. My mother1$*. I would do anything to forget the time I16. If my father would only17* I believe that I have the ability to18. I could be perfectly happy if19. If people work for me , 20. I look forward to21. In school, my teachers22. Most of my friends don't know that I am afraid of 23• I don't like people who24. Before the war, I 25• I think most girls26. My feeling about married life is27. My family treats me like28. Those I work with are .29* My mother and I30. My greatest mistake was31. I wish my father32. My greatest weakness is 33* My secret ambition in life 34. The people who work for me 35* Some day I36. fhen I see the boss coming 37* I wish I could lose the fear of 38. The people I like best 39* If I were young-again40. I believe most women41, If I had sex relations

75

42. Most families I know43. I like working with1 people who44. I think that most mothers4$. When I was younger, I felt guilty about46. I feel that my father is47* When luck turns against me48* In giving orders to others I49* lhat I want most out of life50. When I am older51. People whom I consider my superiors52. My fears sometimes force me to 53* When I'm not around, my friends 54. My most vivid childhood memory 55* What I like least about women 56. My sex life57* When I m s a child, my family 58. People who work with me usually 59* I like my mother but 60. The worst thing I ever did 88

88 J. M. Sacks and S. Levy, 0 £. cit., pp. 377-78

SENTENCE COMPLETION JEST ADAPTED FROM THE SACKS SGT.NAME: DATE: ' SEX: CASTE: AGE: ' ■ Time began.

time finished.INSTRUCTIONS; Below are 61 partly completed sentences. Read each one and finish it by writing the first thing that comes to your. mind. Work as quickly as you can. If you cannot complete an item, circle the number .and return to it later.1. I feel that my father seldom

2. When the odds are against me

3. I always wanted to4. I think God ,3. To me the future looks6. When I go home and meet my sister7. I know it is silly but I am afraid of 8 . 1 feel that a real friend9. When I was a child

10. Ifiy idea of a perfect woman11. When I see a man and a woman together12. Compared with most families,, mine13. - At work, I get along best with14. ' My mother15. I would do anything to forget the time I

1

16. If my father would only17. I believe that I have the ability to18. I could be perfectly happy if

19. I feel.that religion20. I look forward to21. If my elder brothers were

22. Most of my friends don't know that I am afraid of 2J. I don't like people who.24. Before I came to college, I25. I think most girls26. lily feeling about married life is27. My family treat® me like28. Chose I work with are 29* My mother and I30. ly greatest mistake was31. I wish my father32..My greatest weakness is 33 •' My secret ambition in life 34. I believe that prayer 35• Some day I36. I don't know whether my sisters37. I wish I could lose the fear of38. Che people I like best39. If I were- a child again40. I believe most women41. I think talking with girls is42. Most families I know43. I like working with people who44. I think that most mothers ,

45. When I was younger, I felt guilty about46. I feel that my father is47. When luck turns against me48. My ideas about religion49. What I want most out of life50. When I am older51. I think that my brothers and sisters52. My fears sometimes force me to53. When I'm not around, my friends

\

54. My most vivid childhood memory55. What I like least about women56. My sex life '57. When I was a child, my family58. People who work with me usually 59* I like my mother but60. The worst thing I ever did61. I would take part in religious ceremonies and functions

\

79■ Though the subjects have answered the full test

(consisting of 15 attitudes) the investigator selected the seven attitudes which, in his opinion, reflected "best the real life of a college student in Ahmedabad, viz., a) attitude toward mother, b) attitude toward father,c) attitude toward women (or toward men in the case of women),d) attitude toward heterosexual relationships, e) attitude

\ % ftoward religion, f) fears, g) attitude toward own abilities. 1

Scoring the Attitudes. The attitudes were scored aspositive, negative and ambivalent according to the feelingtone expressed. Here follow three cases, as an illustrationof the same attitude scored in three different ways:

(Case No. 8)ATTITUDE TOWARD MOTHER14. My mother — AND I DO NOT AGREE 294 My mother and I — DO NOT AGREE 44. I think that most mothers — DO NOT UNDERSTAND

THEIR DAUGHTERS59. I like my mother but — SHE HAS NOT GOT THE SLIGHTEST

UNDERSTANDINGThe interpretative summary is: Negative feelings.(Case No. 9)14. My mother— M S A VERY GENEROUS AND CHILDLIKE.' SOUL 29. My mother and I — S M R 1 MANY THINGS IN COMMON 44. I think that most mothers — LOVE THEIR CHILDREN

TREMENDOUSLY59. I like my mother but — I WISH I COULD BE AS THOUGHT+

FUL AS HERThe interpretative summary is : Positive feelings.

80(Case No. 13),14. My mother — JUST LIKES ME26. My mother and I — OFTEN HAVE DIFFERENCES OF OPINION44. I think that most mothers — LOVE THEIR CHILEREN59. I like my mother but — BUT I DON'T LOVE HER AS U AUNTThe interpretative summary is: Ambivalent feelings.If the SSCT is taken as a comparative technique to

shed light on the aspect of adjustment, the final score of the record is used. If the number of positive attitudes is higher than the number of negative attitudes, the indiv­idual is considered well-adjusted. If vice versa, the record is labelled “poorly adjusted”. Ambivalent attitudes are scored as neutral. If the" number of positive and negative scores is equal, the case is decided from the emotional tone of the unselected attitudes, as guilt feelings, attitude towards colleagues, etc.

Though the Rorschach test gives a deeper insight into the individual's inner life, the SSCT is the one which tells best the story of the individual as a member of a definite group and of the group as such. It tells us in clear terms what the young College boy of Ahmedabad things of. Religion, what his attitudes are towards the opposite

s'

sex, what he expects of marriage, and so forth.Then again, this test opens for us a vast field for

comparative studies. To mention only a few of the many possibilities, we may examine the correlation between disturbance and religion, Religion and high or low sociometric status, the attitudes towards own abilities in subjects with a high and low sociometric status, attitude towards parents among boys and girls, attitude towards the opposite sex in boys and girls.

The Sociometric Test. The investigator designed the sociometric test after the pattern of Mary Northway and Lindsay Weld.

The following sociometric situations have been selected: 1) Going together on a class-picnic. 2) Sitting together in class. 3) Going together to a party. 4) Spend­ing an afternoon together at a small card party.

lach subject, "socius," was allowed four choices on each criterion. Hence each subject can give a maximum of sixteen choices.

The subjects, "socii," are classified into four groups according to their sociometric status: two groups above the mean and two groups below the mean. The subjects who belong to the "significantly-above-chance group," i.e., the highest quarter, are individuals who have got a dispro­portionately high number of choices. Those who belong to

the "significantly-below-chance" group, i.e., the lowest quarter, are subjects who have obtained few or no choices at all. The subjects who belong to the higher or lower middle quarters are placed under the "above chance" and "below chance" denomination. This is the middle belt, which embraces by far the greater number of students, viz., all those who have received the average number of choices.

The writer regrets to have been forced togive up the use of the classical names of star and isolates,which stand for two well differentiated sociometric groups.If these two names had been employed in the sense definedby Moreno, a comparison between the groups representedby them would have been impossible. Moreno defines astar as the individual who receives the expected numberor more than the expected number of choices on the same -criterion. Isolate means not choosing and being unchosen

89on any crxtenon. If this were the case our sociogram would show a high number of stars and no isolates.

The nomenclature used by other sociometrists is better fitted to describe the top and bottom sociometric groups. Some sociometrists use the name overchosen to

J. L. Moreno, op. cit., p. 719 et seq.89

83

denote the individual who reeieves a disproportionatelylarge number of choices. Underchosen'and unchosen woulddescribe best those who have received a disporportionatelylow number of choices or no choices at all.^®

Some sociometrists provide choices with a double Valencia,that is, the subjects are asked with whom they would liketo associate and with whom they would not like to associatein certain situations. For instance G. Lindzey and F.Borgatta define a sociometric measure as "A means ofassessing the attractions, or attractions and repulsions,

91within a given group.”In &our test the choices have been given only one

valence. The choices indicate the attractions existingamong individuals of the group under investigation,and this sufficiently serves the purpose of sociometrictechniques which ”Are designed specifically to providea sensitive and objective picture of the interpersonal

92relations existing within a group."

Pandharinath H. Prabhu, "Sociometry", The Indian Journal of Social Work. Vol. XIX, Ho. 1, p. 9 June, l95$* ~

^ Gardner Lindzey and Edgar P. Borgatta, "Socio­metric measurement," Gardner Lindzey, editor, Handbook of Social Psychology (Cambridge, Massi Addison-Wesiey Publishing Company, Inc, 1956), I, 407*

Ibid., p. 405*

84-

The Progressive Matrices Test. The investigator has used the Progressive Matrices Test because of the advantages already pointed out earlier in this study.

This test has been standardized by R. Hath in Utkal University, Cuttack, Orissa. Hath administered the Haven test to 325 undergraduate college students and 2?5 graduate students, making a total of 600 subjects.

!

Hath concludes that there is no significant differencein the scores of the two samples. The percentile points ofthe samples come very close to those of Raven. From theevidence of his study he concludes that the ProgressiveMatrices as non-verbal tests of intelligence are not

9-5affected by cultural or linguistic differences. ^Rath's norms for undergraduate students practically

coincide with those of Raven, age group 20.It is believed that the purpose of this study is

well served by Raven's own norms. Since the intelligence test is important only as a control instrument, the writer

R. Rath, "Standardization of Progressive Matrices Among College Students," Journal of Vocational and Educational Guidance, Vol. 5, Ho. 4-, M a y 1959, pp. 167-71.

was interested not so much, in obtaining the exact percentile of every individual as in finding out the relative position of the subject in the sample.

The testees were classified into four groups accordingto t'heir intellectual level as measured by the Progressive

?

Matrices. The top group is made up of students who were placed at the.75th percentile and above. The other three groups consisted of students who were .placed respectively between the 50th and the 75th percentiles, the 25th and the 50th percentiles, and below the 25th percentile.