Journal of Projective Psychology and Mental Health: Volume 32, Number 1, Jan 2025 Editorial |
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| 1. Editorial: Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its Potential in Personality Assessment and Projective Testing, Chris Piotrowski, pages 1-4. Despite copious criticisms and drawbacks leveled against Artificial Intelligence (AI) over recent years, the field of Psychology continues to realize the emergent potential of machine learning and AI across most sub-disciplines within its purview (Botvinick, 2022; Dwyer et al., 2018; Gado et al., 2022; Murphy, 2022, Piotrowski, 2025). An online keyword search of PsycINFO revealed an extensive bibliography (nearly 12,000 articles; 600 dissertations), specific to the topic of AI. In fact, the term ‘Big Data’ has become a popular scientific moniker. But what encompasses the arena of Big Data? Researchers include source data such as biographical information, readouts from personal data garnered from modern digital technologies (i.e., sensors in wearable devices, user smart phone logs, GPS positioning, applications usage, music preferences, financial transactions, fitness data), and the cascade of data generated from social media use and interaction (Hinds & Joinson, 2024; Stachl et al., 2020). Proponents claim that visual images and personal videos provide interesting incremental information (and hypotheses?) unique to an individual (Jordan & Mitchell, 2015).Yet critics espouse caution on the validity of big data approaches that use social media text data for the assessment of personality (Alexander et al., 2020; Liou et al., 2022; Tay et al., 2022). Despite these concerns, others highlight the potential applications of AI for psychological assessment and mental health diagnostics (e.g., Maurya et al., 2024; O’Conno, 2024; Zhou et al., 2022). Based on scientific attributes like the incorporation of ‘Big Data’ and predictive efficacy, AI appears to be a potentially ideal methodological mechanism in the a) application to clinical data obtained via both objective and projective measures, and b) development of an assessment protocol specific to the research and clinical determinants of personality assessment. Thus, advances in machine learning models and Big Data analytics have generated profound clinical attention to the study of personality and, concomitantly, to applications in individual psychological assessment (Bleidorn & Hopwood, 2019; Fokkema et al., 2022; Iliescu et al., 2022; Stachl et al., 2020), including personality scale development. Recent studies suggest that AI has potential for the study of personality and, more directly, personality assessment based on biographical data, natural language processing (NLP), collateral records, and interview protocols. Hence, clinical data garnered from projective assessment could be supplemented by AI source data, such as digital traces of behavior from an individual’s social media interactions and/or ecological/ambulatory record. On a cautionary note, clinicians need to be cognizant of the fact that ‘additional’ data does not necessarily translate into an increase in incremental validity or clinical prediction. Furthermore, with the exponential advances in AI technology, clinicians will need to stay abreast of the emergent ‘big data’ literature and with novel nomenclature (e.g., visibility, veracity, random forests, value, messy matrix). Noteworthy, a recent special issue of the European Journal of Psychological Assessment was devoted to a discussion of the potential of AI for psychological assessment and test construction (Bibantz et al., 2024; Iliescu et al., 2022). This prompted an examination of the recent extant literature that fostered a bibliographic template on key studies on the AI-Personality Assessment nexus. An online search of articles, indexed in the database PsycINFO over recent years, on the topic of personality assessment and ‘Artificial Intelligence’ (AI) identified an emerging view of scholarship on this issue. The Table below presents a brief synopsis of studies that shed some light regarding the potential applications of AI to advances in personality assessment. Based on emergent research outlined above, it is quite apparent that AI technologies can have a monumental impact in the applied and social sciences pertinent to the field of personality assessment. Copious data on the individual can be amassed from various sources, including specific behavioral, social, and physical attributes evaluated via ecological and ambulatory assessment methods (Seizer et al., 2024). Yet, the inherent potential of ‘big’ data’ analyzed via machine learning/AI methods does pose serious challenges and concerns for personality researchers and practitioners. Major issues such as a) degree of incremental validity, b) efficacious outcome prediction, c) contribution of unique personality variance, d) influence of ‘noisiness’ of trace data, e) privacy, and f) systematic confounds, referred to as algorithmic bias (see Alexander et al., 2020 for a discussion). Since personality assessment is a clinical decision-based enterprise, concerns about the validity of Machine Learning/AI systems due to lack of transparency and interpretability continue to remain a challenge for the psychological assessment field for the near-term future (see BiBantz et al., 2024; Kuper & Kramer, 2024). Despite these limitations, the current discussion should provide an aspirational framework for the potential application of emergent AI technologies to advances in the field of personality assessment (Boyd et al., 2020; Gondalez, 2021; Iliescu & Greiff, 2019). In a recent AI study, Kim et al. (2024) applied drawings in an analysis of psychological state. Thus, going forward, AI will be both an opportunity and challenge for the field of mental health assessment and for clinicians engaged in personality and projective assessment. 2. Presidential Address: Use of Projective Tests in Promoting Mental Health, Bankey L. Dubey, pages 5-7. Distinguished Chief Guest, Dr. Manoj Kumar, Director, DRDO Agra, Prof. Dinesh Singh Rathor, Director Institute of Mental Health & Hospital, Agra, Prof. Anil Sisodiya, Dr. Antonio Cervigni, Prof. Naveen Gupta, Director, HIMCS, and Satyadhar Dwivedi Organizing Secretary of the 10th International conference, Foreign and Indian delegates, professional friends and students, Members of the Organizing Committee, Office bearers of Somatic Inkblot Society, ladies and gentlemen! On behalf of the members of the Organizing Committee of the 10th SIS International Conference at the Institute of Mental Health & Hospital, Agra and Somatic Inkblot Society, I welcome you to this conference. The theme of the conference is “Use of Projective Tests in Promoting Mental Health”. Today, we gather to celebrate 35 remarkable years of the Somatic Inkblot Society's dedication to advancing mental health. In 1990, our society was born with a singular focus: harnessing projective psychology, personality assessment, psychotherapy, and mental health research. Our flagship instrument, the SIT, has evolved into a powerful personality assessment, diagnostic tool, and therapeutic procedure. Our relentless efforts have yielded 30 years of invaluable data on the Indian Population - clinical, organizational, and normal groups. The brand-new Somatic Inkblot Test called SIT 30 was made available in 2018 after six years of development and trials led by Anand Dubey (Dubey, Banerjee & Dubey, 2019). The online test was developed specifically to help people in remote areas. The client can take this test from the comfort of their home. The Test is based on spontaneous, individually generated responses to inkblot images/ figures, which elicit intrapsychic associations specific to the person taking the test. The images evoke symbolism and meanings unique to the responding individual. The test responses can be differentiated from peer norms and clinical indices and can be analyzed according to internationally recognized psycho-diagnostic criteria. The procedure is an adjunct to psychotherapy because the responses can be further explored to create a more effective treatment plan, and can be re-addressed in later discussions, providing opportunities to elicit deeply defended unconscious material (Cassell, 1980, Cassell and Dubey, 1998, 2003, Dubey & Cassell, 1993, Dubey, Banerjee & Dubey, 2019, Dubey et al, 2005). The SIT has only 11 scoring indices common to Rorschach inkblot test and Holtzman inkblot Test (such as: Total number of Responses, Human, Animal, Anatomical and Sex Responses, Other Responses, Most Typical and Typical Responses, Movement Responses, Rejection of images and Pathological Responses-Pathological Anatomy Scale, Hostility Aggression Scale, Depression Scale and Paranoia Scale (Dubey & Dubey, 2012, 2018,). We've conducted countless workshops, and seminars in several countries, and published our esteemed publication the “SIS Journal of Projective Psychology and Mental Health” since 1994. I congratulate Prof. Naveen Gupta and the editorial team for the timely publication of the Journal for the last 10 years. I am happy to inform you that the SIS Journal has been listed in the academic research database ProQuest Psychology Journals™. ProQuest is a company in Michigan, United States. It is a leading provider of electronic databases for academic libraries. Databases are used in over 20,000 academic libraries around the world including some of the most prestigious higher education institutions such as Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Oxford etc. ProQuest provides abstracts and indexing for more than 640 titles, with over 540 titles available in full text. Users get access to charts, diagrams, graphs, tables, photos, and other graphical elements essential to psychological research. The Future - AI-Enabled Testing Artificial intelligence heralds the next leap! We're integrating AI for: Content analysis, Automated Scoring and categorization, and informing therapy models with 35 years of Indian data. AI helps psychologists and students with the scoring of the RESPONSES by providing HINTS and FACTS. Unlike various systems of Rorschach, you don’t need to consult a Manual while Scoring and Interpreting the responses. Even “Rejections of Images” are analyzed, and various plausible explanations and interpretations are provided. The SIT-30 is a leader in online AI-enabled projective testing. As I stand before you, I'm reminded of our founding members' tireless efforts. We worked together from 1988 onwards and published several research papers. I am grateful to Anand Dubey for his efforts to develop the SIT – online version with an application of Artificial Intelligence. Tribute to Dr. Cassell: We honor Dr. Wilfred A. Cassell's legacy, whose baton I humbly carry forward. Dr. Cassell suffered from Dementia in 2015 and handed over the test to me. Dr. Cassell left us on 19 September 2023, but his spirit is always guiding us for future work. We are completing the unfinished business and developing the SIT procedure. Join us in shaping mental health's future! Together, let's embark on this exciting journey, merging AI and expertise to revolutionize mental health care. Future Direction: In the years to come, psychologists throughout the world must follow the model of Artificial Intelligence in assimilating and comparing international data to understand the complexities of unconscious behavior. Certain indices may work as international norms, whereas other indices serve as the norms of a particular population/ group. The responses given by the client should be interpreted to explore its content and symbolic significance. For example, while interpreting “Animal” responses on an inkblot test, the average or the mean and its ratios will not yield relevant findings rather it will lead to wrong conclusions. Alligators, Baby Crocodile, Gorilla, Horse, Calf, Cat, Chicken, Dog, and Lion, all are categorized as “Animals” but they have different natures. They indicate different interpretations. The Alligator/ Lizard may indicate negative attitudes (Philips & Smith), Baby Crocodiles may indicate rejection of adult role (Schafer), Bull /Buffalo / Gorilla/ Horse may indicate ambivalence toward domineering father ((Philips & Smith), Calf may indicate domination by father (Philips & Smith), Cat may indicate immaturity (Klopfer-Davidson), Chicken may indicate deprivation of affection and feeling of rejection, immaturity (Philips & Smith), Dog may indicate passive dependency (Klopfer-Davidson), Lion may indicate demanding, dependent, passive-aggressive. Similarly, other animal responses have different symbolic interpretations which must be kept in mind while doing quantitative interpretation. Pointed out Fingers, Masks, and Eyes are strong indicators of Paranoia and early Schizophrenia. It is equally important to understand why a person is unable to perceive a particular image. Each image is found to depict a theme/ area such as smooth relationship or conflict with father, mother, siblings, peers, opposite sex; deprivation of affection during early childhood, broken love affairs, broken family etc., hence rejection of such images has a lot of clinical significance. The rejection may help in understanding the client’s reactions to different situations presented through the inkblot imagery. The avoidance of such images may further be probed to understand the painful material underlying in the storage of the unconscious mind. Because of such relevance, the rejection of images has been given much importance while interpreting the SIT protocol of a client. When a person is unable to perceive an image even after providing the common responses given by most people, it can be taken as rejection. It has been noticed that people reject images, which depict certain precepts related to their traumatized experience or underlying painful memory. For example, a person having poor interpersonal relationships may reject images 6, 9, 18, 19, 20, 28, and 30 because these images project human content. Poor interpersonal relationships with spouses may also lead to rejection of images 5, 6, 9, 15, 17,18. Images like 15 and 23 project more erotic content. Since the erotic area is disturbed because of poor relationships, people (he/she) may not feel like responding to anything in this image. Similarly, it has been noticed in clinical samples of cardiac cases that persons suffering from heart problems reject images depicting a heart - for example images 3, 11, and 22. A few patients who have recovered and have accepted their clinical problems bravely do perceive 'a heart' in these images. It suggests that they have no fear regarding their heart as they have been properly counselled. Persons suffering from body ailments, for example, Kidney problems generally reject image 12, which depicts Kidneys. It has also been noticed that females traumatized sexually find it difficult to perceive images 15, 17 and 23, which generally project erotic response. Since these people have undergone traumatizing experiences and have unpleasant memories of the precept, they may find it difficult to perceive anything in these images. Even if they perceive something, often they give poor-quality responses and attach a special meaning to it. It should be kept in mind that the material which follows needs to be assimilated by the experienced clinician with the overall medical and psychiatric history data. Even certain contents from dreams and visual hallucinations also help in arriving at diagnostic evaluation and therapeutic planning. The help of “Artificial Intelligence” in the assimilation and interpretation of data has worked in a big way. The mental health professionals using SIT will have the advantage of AI and Symbolic Interpretation while scoring and interpreting the responses given by the client. Inkblot-evoked images can highlight otherwise hidden aspects of the inner emotional world of the clients. These may reveal to the professional past traumatic events and unexpressed distressing emotions, which might otherwise only surface in disguised symbolic dreams. The mental health professionals using the SIT procedure will be able to hear the inner cry of the suffering individuals and travel in the unconscious space of the client to find other underlying painful materials that need processing. India has long been revered for its rich contributions to Yoga, Meditation and Healing. The responses projected on SIT images can help the client address the traumatic experiences and sufferings during Hypnotic relaxation, Yoga Nidra, Meditation and Psychotherapy. Image-focusing exercise techniques can eventually lead to positive body–mind–spirit healing effects. As one of the pioneers of this procedure, I visualize that the SIT will be used by a large number of professionals internationally in the future. 3. Creativity Research in a Business Context: Implications for Assessment, John D. Watt & Chris Piotrowski, pages 8-13 The construct Creativity has been the subject matter of voluminous, interdisciplinary research and has attracted extensive scholarly attention for many decades. While the topic of creativity attracts the attention of a diverse range of scholars in the field of psychology, recent bibliographic studies have confirmed that creativity is an active area of study in the area of I/O psychology. Hence, it would be informative to examine contemporary scholarship on the subject matter of creativity and its diverse applications in the business world. To that end, the current study presents a brief summary of recent scholarly articles on the nexus of creativity applied to organizational settings. In an intensive overview of contemporary (2016-2024) studies in this area, the authors identify 20 key articles that represent this body of research and present a brief synopsis of each study. The main areas of research focus were the wide span of international and cross-national investigations, myriad theoretical perspectives applied to organizational dynamics, and employee/team creativity as a function of different leadership styles. These findings have implications for assessment in that the potential for creative response patterns of business personnel may be a prominent feature evident in projective testing. 4. The Rorschach in the Assessment of Neurocognitive Functions: Applications in Clinical Neurosciences Carmela Mento, Maria Catena Silvestri, Michele La Versa, Clara Lombardo & Chris Piotrowski, pages 14-22. Based on copious research findings, the Rorschach test can be considered an instrument that has the potential to assess critical cognitive functions. A systematic review of the scientific literature has indicated that when individuals observe an action, in absence of any visible motor activity, the cortical motor system is activated. In fact, previous studies have shown that viewing sentences that suggest movement activates the motor cortex. Recent studies have applied brain stimulation such as Repetitive Transacranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) to investigate cortical activation for human movement on the Rorschach test and have suggested that attributing human movement to Rorschach stimuli (M responses) is associated with corticospinal excitability. In order to identify published research in this area, a systematic review of the literature indexed in the databases Pubmed and Google Scholar was conducted. Search terms were “Neuroscience” AND “Rorschach Test”. Initial search output identified 51 publications, and a total of 11 studies were reported with inclusion criteria. Based on aggregated data, the results supported the utility of the Rorschach Test in studying neuropsychological and cognitive functions. In the light of this contention, the current study presents research evidence supporting the use of the Rorschach in the neuroscience field, 5. Contemporary Approaches to Psychopathology Research and Assessment, Mark A. Blais, pages 23-26. Contemporary models are beginning to change how we conceptualize, research, and assess psychopathology. These empirically derived models organize psychopathology into several interrelated dimensions that are continuous with dimensions of normal mental health and hierarchically arranged. While this model has yet to fully challenge the official DSM psychiatric nomenclature, this emerging system is having a significant impact on research across many important mental health disciplines. This paper offers a) a brief overview of the development, status, and potential advantages these emerging models may offer and b) some preliminary thoughts on how insights from the hierarchical dimensional models might be applied in clinical assessment. The paper's primary goal is to stimulate curiosity with the hope of motivating assessment psychologists to become more familiar with these contemporary models of psychopathology. 6. Measuring Perspective-Taking and Interpersonal Affect in TAT Stories to Assess Parentification, Sharon Rae Jenkins, pages 27-30. Parentification is a construct that describes a child or adolescent who has prematurely taken on family tasks and roles that are usually reserved for parents. Family therapists are often concerned about the effects of parentification on children’s development, especially when it limits the child’s maturation into autonomous functioning. This paper illustrates the use of two scoring systems for thematic apperceptive techniques (TATs) to estimate the degree of concern that assessment psychologists should consider expressing when evaluating cases of possible parentification. Feffer’s Interpersonal Decentering measures the maturity of perspective-taking between story characters. If a child character is using more mature perspective-taking with a parent than a parent character is using toward a child, this finding suggests parentification. Thomas’ Affective Scale measures the valence of interpersonal affect in story relationships, applied here to parent-child relationships. Stories showing parentification in the context of positive affect might be developmentally appropriate; parentification stories with the strongest negative affect should raise clinical concerns. 7. Understanding Personality and Intellectual abilities of Children in Conflict with Law Ashish Silswal & Masroor Jahan, Pages 31-39. A comparatively consistent pattern of behavior, thoughts, and actions that sets one individual apart from another is called personality, whereas the ability to think rationally, act purposefully, and deal effectively with the environment is called intelligence. The aim of the present study was to study the personality and intellectual abilities of children in conflict with the law accused of heinous crimes using an intellectual ability test and a projective technique in order to gain insight into the connections between the variety of crimes committed by them and their personal traits. The study used Alaxander Pass-Along Test and Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) to collect data. Five male children in conflict with law from Jharkhand who were accused of heinous crimes and were between the ages of 16 and 18 were selected for the study. The findings suggest that these children had borderline intellectual functioning, had a dominance of negative emotions, and struggled in adjustment and interpersonal relations. 8. A Case of Spiritual Inclination: Exploring the Underlying Psychodynamics Vijay Pathak, Deepali Batra & Bankey L. Dubey, Pages 40-49. Spirituality has become an increasingly important aspect of young people's lives. While it can offer profound meaning and a sense of belonging, it can also be met with resistance from family and society, particularly in cultures that prioritize traditional paths of success. This case study explores the complex interplay between a young man's (Mr. JL) inclination towards spirituality and his underlying psychological state. He is a 25-year-old Hindu male, presented with a desire to join an ashram. His family, however, expressed concerns about his career prospects and social life. Psychological assessments revealed unresolved emotional needs stemming from a perceived lack of parental affection, leading to social anxiety, dependency issues, and internal conflict. This case study highlights the complex factors that can influence a young person's spiritual journey. Family values, educational programs, peer groups, and exposure to spiritual content can all play a role. Additionally, traumatic experiences, life changes, and a desire for inner peace can lead individuals to seek spiritual answers. JL's case exemplifies this. His spiritual pursuit might be a coping mechanism for the underlying psychological issues. Understanding the motivation behind spiritual inclinations is crucial. Therapists can use various techniques to address unresolved emotional needs, manage interpersonal conflicts, and integrate spirituality in a healthy and balanced way. This case study contributes to a deeper understanding of the complex factors that shape a young person's spiritual path. It highlights the need for a nuanced approach that considers both the individual's psychological state and the cultural context. 9. Somatic Inkblot Test and its Application B. L. Dubey & Anand Dubey, Pages 50-52. The Somatic Inkblot test (SIT) is a semi-structured, projective, diagnostic instrument and an adjunct to psychotherapy. The SIT is available at www.dubayhealingcenter.com, with 30 images, was released for quick assessment, after 30 years of intense data collection on clinical, organizational, and normal groups. Researchers have reported high reliability and validity of the test (Dubey et al, 2019) The papers published in the international journal, “SIS Journal of Projective Psychology and Mental Health''(www.somaticinkblots.com) clearly show the advantages of the SIT both in the “individual” as well as “group administration” settings. 10. The Role of Imagery in Psychotherapy: Integrating Somatic Inkblot Test (SIT) and Imaginative Experience Technique (IEt) Nicole Compagnoni & Anand Dubey, Pages 53-59. The integration of the Somatic Inkblot Test (SIT) and Imaginative Experience Technique (IEt) in clinical practice offers an innovative approach to exploring the unconscious and somatic dynamics of patients. The SIT, a projective test based on inkblots, allows access to latent emotional and cognitive content through the interpretation of ambiguous images. Combined with IEt, which involves guided visualization and the active exploration of internal scenarios, it fosters greater somatic and symbolic awareness. This synergy can enhance psychological diagnosis and facilitate a deeper therapeutic process, promoting the integration of body, mind, and emotional experiences. |
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