The Use of Projective Assessment Techniques in Pediatric Settings

Projective techniques and their application to pediatric settings are reviewed from a psychometric perspective. Four groups of techniques are examined: sentence completions, picture stories, drawings, and the Rorschach. Recent efforts toward increased standardization in scoring and interpretation are noted. Of particular promise is the examination of the structural features of responses. Continued use of projective assessment techniques in pediatric settings is anticipated. KEY WORDS: projective techniques; assessment; psychosocial functioning. Approaches to the assessment of psychosocial functioning of children con-tinue to be diverse. Despite the advent of behavioral rating scales and inven-tories, projective techniques are still used widely. Assessment of pediatric populations is no exception. Questions related to a child's emotional well-being and adjustment to a physical disorder are addressed frequently through the use of projective measures. A recent survey by Tuma and Pratt (1982) of members of the clinical child section of clinical psycholoy (Section 1, Division 12 of APA) revealed that the majority of respondents use projective measures. These include the Rorschach (54%), the Thematic Apperception Test (53<7o), and various drawing tasks (60%). Clinical child psychologists evaluating pediatric pa