Conceptualization of projective tests according to Jung's theory

 

“When [a patient] draws himself, he gives himself form, because he is drawing active fantasies… It is himself in a new sense that had until now been foreign to him, because his ego now appears as an object of the process taking place within him.”

This quotation from Jung shows his fondness for integrating creative expression into psychological treatment. Because of its connection to art, and also to dreams, myths, archetypes, and cultural symbols, Jung’s theory is highly suitable for conceptualizing projective tests.

In this post, I will present a table of the main concepts in Jungian theory, together with suggestions as to how each concept may be expressed in projective tests. I built the table with the help of the book:

Jung: A Very Short Introduction, by Anthony Stevens

—and two additional books that I hope to write about later.

I highly recommend Anthony Stevens's book. First of all, it is short: 179 pages. The author devotes the first chapters to an interesting overview of Jung’s personal life within the historical context in which he worked. We learn about his complex relationship with Freud, his infidelities toward his wife, and the very significant mental crises with which he struggled, which also contributed to the development of his theory. Stevens also discusses the extent to which Jung was antisemitic — apparently, he was. The book reviews the main concepts in Jung’s theory, discusses work with dreams while presenting a detailed example, and also addresses the way Jungian therapy is conducted.

Here is the table: 

 

Concept	Definition	Possible expression in projective tests
Archetypes / the collective unconscious	Archetypes are innate psychological structures shared by all human beings throughout the generations. Archetypes initiate and control the typical behaviors and experiences of all humanity. Similar experiences evoke similar thoughts, images, and emotions in all people, regardless of their culture. For example: in all cultures there is an archetype of the hero, associated with setting out on a journey — physical or spiritual — that includes many challenges, at the end of which the hero fulfills his goal, such as winning the maiden, undergoing spiritual development, and so on. The totality of the archetypes forms the collective unconscious.	Use of archetypal symbols or figures, such as a forest, wolf, fox, snake, queen/king, evil queen, stepmother, doctor, wizard, and so on. Use of motifs from fairy tales or myths, such as Little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Hercules, Sisyphus, Adam and Eve, the Flood, the Binding of Isaac, the Exodus from Egypt, the Judgment of Solomon, and so on.
Complex	The way in which archetypes are expressed in the psyche of a specific person.	A recurring motif or theme in several stories or drawings. For example: the mother figure is an archetype, because the child is born with a readiness for connection with such a figure. The quality of the specific child’s relationship with the mother figure, as it is expressed in projective tests, is an expression of that specific child’s mother complex.
Self	The integrative core of the personality. The goal of the Self is wholeness: the realization of human existence through individuation. Individuation is the process by which unconscious material becomes conscious in the course of development throughout life.	References in projective stories to the spiritual world, God, religion, an ideal, the universe, or wholeness. When the Self is very split and very non-integrative — that is, when the person does not recognize his “shadow” at all — the stories will express feelings of emotional flattening, boredom, helplessness, and a lack of purpose and meaning in life. Stories full of life and creativity will indicate an integrated Self.
Ego	An archetypal structure that develops from the Self during early childhood. It is the center of consciousness, the structure we refer to when we use the word “I.” The ego creates the continuous sense of identity. The ego helps create separateness from the parents, the ability to work, the ability to find a partner, and the ability to create a family.	The ability of the characters in the stories to express wishes and intentions and to carry them out. The characters in the stories have inner worlds that are different and separate from one another.
Persona	An archetypal structure denoting appearance, a display window, or a “mask”: the way a person presents himself in the world in a manner consistent with social and cultural conventions.	The way the child expresses himself at school, which we hear about in the intake with the staff. The way the child presents himself during the process of getting acquainted with the psychologist. In projective stories: characters who are pleasing, conforming to social rules, to their parents, and/or to other authority figures. The story told in response to the first TAT card — the boy with the violin — is considered the child’s calling card, although often it is not only the persona that is expressed in this story.
Shadow	An archetypal structure denoting the person’s qualities that are unacceptable in the culture, which the person hides or represses into the unconscious.	A child who behaves at school in a very pleasing, obedient, submissive manner, while the projective tests include expressions of considerable aggression or rebelliousness. The appearance in projective stories of enemies, predators, strangers, wicked figures, threatening figures, immoral figures, sometimes figures with an ethnic identity very different from that of the child. Themes of persecution. Expression of emotions such as anger, fear, disgust, or rejection. Symbols of the devil, hell, and so on.
The mother stage	A developmental stage occurring from birth until adolescence, in which the mother carries parts of the child’s Self, the child shelters under her wings, and the separateness between them is not great.	The quality of the relationship with the internalized mother figure, as expressed in the projective stories. Does the internalized mother figure accept the child as he is, or does she forbid him to express parts of his personality? Is she present, or absent? What kind of mirror does she provide for him? An admiring mirror, or a broken mirror? Symbols related to nature, birth, and nourishment.
The father stage	A developmental stage occurring between adolescence and approximately age 35 (!). The father helps the child separate from the mother and leads the child through a process of initiation into the world of men/the world of work. The father demands that the child adapt himself to the cultural expectations placed upon him. The father is an idealized figure who must also allow the child later to become disillusioned with that idealization.	Characters in the stories who accept behavioral norms and social, academic, and occupational integration, and so on. Identification with the father figure. Themes of meeting or failing to meet expectations. To what extent does the child disappoint? To what extent are others proud of him? Does the internalized father figure know how to guide the child? Is he an object of imitation? Is he an absent figure? A weak figure? Is he a figure who competes with the child over the mother and threatens him? Is he a figure who reinforces dependence or reinforces independence? Symbols such as a ruler, a beard, a king, or a judge. References to initiation rituals, such as a bar/bat mitzvah.
Anima / Animus; the hero figure	An archetypal structure and also a developmental stage, referring to the feminine aspect in the man and the masculine aspect in the woman, and related to our ability to create a relationship with members of the other sex. The internalized image of the other sex. The anima enables the boy to separate from both of his parents and join with a female partner.	Themes of creativity and passion — sexuality, or passion for knowledge or for a particular occupation — and themes of couplehood and intimacy. Expression of uniqueness. Content involving a journey and coping with difficulty. Adventures. Symbols such as fighting a dragon, passing tests, and finding treasure. Themes and symbols stereotypically associated with femininity in the stories of a boy/adolescent boy, and themes and symbols stereotypically associated with masculinity in the stories of a girl/adolescent girl.
Introversion	A personality characteristic expressed in the movement of areas of interest away from the external world and toward the inner world.	In projective stories, preoccupation with activities a person does alone, very little interaction between the characters in the stories, and little reference to the characters’ behaviors. The characters are occupied with their thoughts and feelings and act very little in the world. Characters who hesitate and sometimes avoid meeting the other or encountering the world. Characters who watch events from the side.
Extraversion	A personality characteristic expressed in the movement of areas of interest away from the inner world and toward the external world.	The characters in the stories are almost never alone; rather, the child adds additional characters with whom they interact. Reference to the behaviors of the characters in the stories, with little reference to their thoughts and feelings. Characters with rich and good social lives. Characters who intervene when they see other characters in distress.
The thinking function	A conceptual connection between pieces of information or between perceived contents. People differ from one another in the extent to which the thinking function is dominant in them.	Emphasis in the stories on thinking, as opposed to emotions or actions. Stories with many abstract contents. Intellectual preoccupation. Rationalizations.
The feeling function	A rational evaluation or judgment of internal or external events: Are they pleasant or unpleasant? Beautiful or ugly? Desirable or undesirable? Good or bad? People differ from one another in the extent to which the feeling function is dominant in them.	Emphasis on emotions in the stories. Strong emotional reactions of the characters to events that happen to them. The characters judge and evaluate the events that happen to them. Sensitivity of the characters to the feelings of other characters in the story. The child narrator’s use of rich emotional language.
The intuition function	The way we infer the possibilities inherent in the situations before us. What caused the situation? What do we estimate will happen next? People differ from one another in the extent to which the intuition function is dominant in them.	The characters in the stories make decisions or evaluate other characters on the basis of a feeling or intuition. Characters with a holistic perspective that sees the whole picture. Statements such as: “That is what happens when you ride a motorcycle without a helmet.” “That is what will happen to him again and again.”
The sensing function	The way we process sensory input and create a perception of the world around us. People differ from one another in the extent to which the sensation function is dominant in them.	Stories with references to aesthetics, nature, colors, textures, smells, and tastes. Reference to the appearance of objects — for example, a rich description of the appearance of the house or tree the child drew — or to the physical context of the events in the stories.
Synchronicity	A meaningful coincidence. The simultaneous occurrence of two or more unrelated events that have a similar meaning.	This may occur mainly in the interaction between the child and the psychologist. For example, the child may tell a story about a sick dog, and at exactly the same time the psychologist’s dog is also sick. The child may tell about a mother figure who misses her son or daughter, and at exactly that moment the psychologist receives a text message from her soldier son.

I hope to expand the discussion of some of the concepts appearing in the table in future posts.