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Panjab University, Chandigarh (India) on April 27-29, 2018
Respected Chief Guest, dignitaries on the dais, distinguished delegates, friends, students, ladies and gentlemen!
On behalf of the members of the Somatic Inkblot Society, and on my own behalf, I express deep sense of gratitude to the organizing team of this Conference. It is customary that the President of the Association delivers an address on such an occasion. Accordingly, I have the privilege of addressing this august body. The theme of the conference is Personality Assessment and Psychotherapeutic Intervention through Projective Inkblots Procedure in Clinical and Organizational settings.
This conference is indeed a special occasion as it is being held at the completion of 25 productive and engaging years of the Somatic Inkblots Society and its flagship Journal “SIS Journal of Projective Psychology & Mental Health”. The SIS Society and the SIS Journal had their seminal beginnings at the University Business School, of this university in 1993, and the Silver Jubilee Conference is also celebrated here.
The concept of projection, as used in the administration of projective tests in contemporary settings, is generally credited to Freud who had referred to this clinical term as early as 1896 (Freud, 1950). He defined, projection‟ as a defensive process in which impulses, wishes, and ideas of an aggressive and sexual nature are internalized since their conscious recognition would be too painful to acknowledge to the ego. The subject matter used in this procedure serves as a lens of projection, and the recorded material of elicited behavior is the screen with the picture projected on it (Rapaport, Gill, & Schafer, 1968).
Since projective tests are not, for the most part, based on verbal communication, these clinical evaluation methods tend to more effectively penetrate a person‟s „Outer Shell‟ of defenses and surface (conscious???) behavior. Unlike personality questionnaires, projective tests do not require reading questions or manuals, so these techniques more directly assess mental processes. Indeed, projective methods use the language of dreams, visual imagery, and symbolic thought, the most basic forms of thinking and expression. In addition, Projective tests speak the language of repression and bring whatever is buried in the mind closer to consciousness, so revealed subject matter is accessible for mental processing and dealing with reality (Cassell, 1990).
Projective techniques received their impetus as a revolution against self-report, paper and pencil tests of the first half of the twentieth century, which were notoriously susceptible to, social desirability‟ effects, or the tendency of test-takers to present themselves in the most favorable light (Piotrowski, 2015). Moreover, Projective techniques were envisioned by their creators as “depth” instruments, which could penetrate the individuals‟ defenses, and would thereby provide a royal road to the unconscious (Murstein, 1995).
Two main criticisms stressed by clinical opponents were: first, that these techniques did not correlate highly with overt behavior, and second, that projective methods did not correlate highly with other paper and pencil tests, and were, therefore, produced invalid clinical material. These critics failed to grasp that these methods were exactly those techniques, not tests in the psychometric sense. As evaluation techniques, projective were highly dependent on the skill of the examiner. Just as a Stradivarius violin in the hands of a chimpanzee would not result in rhythmical music, an unskilled, or insufficiently trained examiner should not be expected to utilize projective techniques to their full potential (Murstein, 1995). Professor Murstein was quite correct in his contention to support the power of projective technique over so called objective techniques.
The Somatic Inkblot test was administered during selection interviews to determine various personality traits, the nature of interpersonal relationship, Ego/Self image, healthy body imagery, erotic imagery, hostility/aggression, insecurity and team building concepts across various Indian industries. The SIS….procedure was found to be a successful screening test. In addition, The Somatic Inkblot Series was also used as a therapeutic intervention technique for executives having stress due to work/family pressures. The outcome of the therapy was very encouraging and participants became symptom free.
Over the centuries, intellectually courageous and pioneering people in India contributed much to our early understanding of the universe. For example, in ancient times the mathematical concept of zero (shunya) was first recognized by Indian thinker. Indian psychologists were the first to recognize the centrality of the concept of self in the personality and developed technique of yogic meditation, the basis of many healing programs. Yogic meditation helps in controlling the mind body functions. A logical extension of this is the interest of many Indian mental health professionals in Somatic Inkblot Series, which attempts to establish the psychopathology of problems of living and effective psychotherapeutic intervention. The relaxing effect of floral presentation during SIS administration is helpful while treating clients through hypnotic relaxation therapy.
The electronic version of Somatic Inkblots is a newer addition on internet available for assessment and therapy. Testing Responses are analyzed at the SIS Center, Anchorage, Alaska which will then reach back to individual clients with possible solutions. The SIS Centers, located at different parts of the globe, are engaged in promoting mental health through this SIS procedure.
SIS professionals in future will be able to employ many fascinating and highly promising new electronic methods of presentation of the 62 or 30 SIS images. By employing advances in Mobile technology, it is possible to project an somatic image onto a television screen in a remote areas hundreds of miles from the clinic, and access the viewer‟s response pattern for the purpose of assessment and treatment. The somatic images can also be presented on a computer screen and having the individual interact with the presentation. This process would be conducted both locally and via Internet transmission of images, which can be completed by typing the responses into the computer or actually touching the screen to create a new type of data response profile.
The Somatic Inkblot Center Anchorage is connected electronically with other centers globally, and thus can share clinical assessment data with interested clinicians and researchers. Dubey Business Services - an associate of Somatic Imagery Series Center, managed under the supervision of Anand Dubey, Former Director ETS, State of Alaska. Considerable excitement has been generated by this procedure/technology in the scientific community around the world. We are also very privileged to have a long time friend and colleague Dr. Rakesh Kumar Jain, Head, Clinical Psychology Division, Institute of Mental Health and Hospital, Agra for placing all Journals from Vol 1 to 25 (1994 to 2018) on Internet along with other documents and relevant papers on internet (www.somaticinkblots.com). At this occasion, I also appreciate the contribution of present Editor-in-Chief Prof. Naveen Gupta, Director Hindustan Institute of Management & Computer Studies, Farah Mathura and Senior Editor and Research Consultant Prof. Chris Piotrowski, University of West Florida (USA) and my friends Past Editors Prof. Amool Ranjan Singh, RINPAS, Ranchi and Prof. Rakesh Pandey, Banaras Hindu University for their contribution in realizing the attainment of the SIS Journal of Projective Psychology & Mental Health among the top recognized Journals on projective psychology.
Lastly, it is my hope that this conference will provide us food for thought and cognitive stimulation regarding the assessment process. Clinicians employing the Somatic Imagery procedure will help other clinical psychologists to learn this latest technique and deviate from the stereotyped numerically based interpretation of inkblots tests which label assessors more a Lab Technician than a Clinical Psychologist. Challenging the cult like use of existing psychological instruments and reductionist scoring systems may promote the erroneous view of SIS clinicians as a heretic and suffer some degree of professional stigma. The psychological tests- particularly the projective procedures are administered to obtain data-based information not available from the client, case history and the significant family members. The projected responses provide windows to venture into the inner- deep recesses of the person and hear (and appreciate) the inner cry of the client.
I sincerely hope that the beneficial effects of SIS would be available to the patients residing anywhere on the planet earth. A therapist while sitting in his clinic in another part of the
world can still provide therapeutic aid to clients through the venue of modern technology. The ultimate vision is to provide competent mental health care through the creative use and ease-of-availability of the Somatic imagery procedure.
Cassell, W.A. (1990). Somatic Inkblot Series Manual, SIS Centre, Anchorage, Alaska (USA).Fiske, D.W. and Baughman, E.E. (1953). Relationship between Rorschach Scoring Categories and the total number of responses, The journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 48,25-32.
Cassell, W.A. & Dubey, B.L. (2003). Interpreting Inner World through Somatic Imagery. SIS Centre, Anchorage, Alaska USA).
Freud,S. (1950); Further Remarks on the Defense Neuro- Psychoses (1896). Collected Papers, Vol. I, Hograth Press London, pp. 155-182.
Holtzman, W.H. (1956), Inkblot Perception and Personality, University of Texas Press, Texas.
Lerner, P. (1991) Psychoanalytic Theory and the Rorschach‟, The Analytic Press, Hillsdale N.J.USA.
Murstein, B. I. (1995). The Relationship of Stimulus, Projection and Pathology in Projective Techniques and the “Levels Effect”. SIS J. Projective Psychology and Mental Health, 2,41- 52.
Rapaport, D., Gill, M.M. and Schafer, R. (1968). Diagnostic Psychological Testing, International Universities Press Inc., New York.
Piotrowski, C. (2015). Projective techniques usage worldwide: A review of applied settings 1995- 2015. Journal of the Indian Academy of Applied Psychology, 41(3), 9-19.
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