The word personality comes from the Latin word “Persona”, a theoretical mask which is worn by the performers in order to disguise their real identities or to project other different roles. The characteristic patterns of thoughts, feelings and behaviours that make a person unique forms the personality of the person. Personality is believed to be arising within the individual remaining fairly consistent throughout the life of the individual. Personality has behavioural, cognitive and emotional dimensions which, in and of themselves, or in combination with other environmental and situational factors, can result in mal-adaptations.

This course on projective personality assessment will initially conceptualise in-depth understanding of personality through different walks of life. Personality assessment involves the administration, scoring and interpretation of personality traits of an individual. Personality assessment helps in refining the clinical diagnosis and structure of effective psychological interventions. Properly conducted personality assessment helps in increasing the accuracy of the behavioural prediction in a variety of settings like clinical, organizational, forensic and educational. The course will further throw light on ways of assessing personality; objective tests and projective measures. Projective techniques testing relies on one of the defence mechanisms proposed by Freud (i.e. Projection) as a way of expressing the unconscious processes of the individual. During the projective testing, a series of ambiguous cards are presented to the individual undertaking the test, who then is encouraged to project his feelings, desires and impulses, by making a story, completing a sentence or interpreting and image.

This course highlights the use of projective techniques like Rorschach Inkblot Test (Hermann Rorschach, 1921) and Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) (Henry Murray, 1930s) and conceptualizing other projective tests. Personality testing is very crucial and a must learning for the learners who see a successful career as a mental health specialist. The skill of effectively conducting personality assessment enhances the whole treatment and intervention plan of the psychologist. The learners will be equipped on how to conduct projective tests while assessing personality in clinical and other organizational or educational settings. The learners will learn how to effectively interpret the results and how to go about formulating an effective and functional case report of the personality assessment of the individual. This course will enhance the practical learning of aspiring psychology students in developing efficient assessment skills which will help them in the career and future in the field of psychology.