Journal of Projective Psychology & Mental Health

1. Editorial: Is Research on Assessment Measures Neglected in General Psychology Journals? A Content Analysis of PSYCHOLOGICAL BULLETIN, Chris Piotrowski, pages 61-64. Assessment measures in mental health, including projective techniques, have an integral presence in the extant psychological literature (B.L. Dubey & A. Dubey, 2025; Mihura, 2025; Piotrowski, 2015). Historically, research in this area appeared in both general and clinical periodicals in the emergent field of psychology. Over the past several decades, however, scholarly investigations on assessment measures/techniques frequently are published in specialty or clinical journals (e.g., Journal of Personality Assessment, Journal of Clinical Psychology; the APA journal Psychological Assessment; and the journal Assessment). Thus, it would be of interest to examine the exposure and coverage that assessment techniques presently receive in ‘general’ psychology journals. The journal Psychological Bulletin (hereon, PB) has been rated as a rather prestigious and top-rated scholarly periodical in the discipline of Psychology (see Dennis & Girden, 1953; Koulack & Keselman, 1975; Mace & Warner, 1973; Sternberg, 1992). Based on the editorial scope of PB, this journal aims to publish syntheses of findings or prior research, including strengths/weaknesses of past studies, and emergent unresolved issues. Due to the controversial nature regarding the status of self-report methods and projective techniques, one would surmise that assessment measures would receive much research attention in PB. Hence, the aim of the current investigation was to a) conduct a bibliometric content analysis of recent studies in PB, and b) determine coverage of systematic reviews on topics related to historically critical issues on assessment, or individual measures/tests, emphasized in this scholarly outlet over the past 20 years.

Bibliometric research designs are a well-recognized approach in investigating and identifying the structure of scholarly output, and offers a methodology in determining a systematic description of research trends in the literature (Krippendorff, 2004). Indeed, over the past two decades this methodology has been applied across various sub-disciplines and investigatory subject domains in the behavioral and social sciences (e.g., Chen et al., 2022), as well as analyses of prominent psychology journals (Cascio & Aguinis, 2008; Hooper et al., 2017; Piotrowski, 2021, 2023; Piotrowski & Watt, 2025). In the current study, an online search identified 957 references for the journal Psychological Bulletin over the past 20 years (2006-2025). Of these, 179 were erratum/corrections, comment/replies, or editorials. Since the focus was on primary research studies, these 179 references were deleted from the analysis. Thus, the total dataset for the current analysis was 778 articles. Based on a review of each individual article, the author (C.P.) tagged the reference with a sole topical descriptor that best represented the main focus of each study. A frequency tally, across individual subject categories, was maintained and then summed for each topical descriptor.

A caveat is in order: Designation of topic was based on determination of the main aim and focus of each study; hence, some highly visible subject areas could serve as secondary or tertiary research topics of investigatory interest. Overall, the analysis indicated an extensive list of topical categories. As theoretical perspectives and conceptual models continue to be a central, ubiquitous investigatory focus and scope of PB, the issue of ‘Theory’ was not included as a separate topical area on the categorization template constructed for the current methodology.

Table 1 presents, in rank order, the most prominent investigatory areas, representing greater than 1% of the total dataset of articles. Based on the results of the analysis, the most dominant subject area of study encompassed various aspects of memory. These 44 articles represent 6% of primary research published in PB over the past 20 years. Next, neurophysiological factors (ranked 2nd; 3.5 % of the current dataset) reflect the integral role of the central nervous system in psychological aspects on human behavior and mental state dynamics. A similar volume of research has a focus on personality issues, as well as both human and non-human emotional states (see Table 1). Indeed, investigatory efforts on emotion regulation and dynamics have been and continue to be a central focus of psychological research (see Dalgleish et al., 2009; Reitsema et al., 2022). Perhaps complimenting this subject area is the role of memory and encoding mechanisms related to the processing of emotion. Despite unsettled and controversial concerns, the study of both personality and emotions has been and continues to be prominent investigatory domains across the field of psychology (see Mihura, 2025; Piotrowski, 2021, 2023).

Visual and attentional processes (ranked 5th) confirm the central role that the subject matter of perception has historically attracted the attention of researchers. The topics of language acquisition and reading (2% of the dataset) attest to the important status that early childhood education has in maturation and child development. Interestingly, the current analysis indicated that the study of sex/gender differences, across a myriad of investigatory topics, has been a prominent area of study in the general field of psychology.

Surprisingly, the current analysis noted limited investigatory attention on assessment issues, particularly a lack of focus on individual psychological tests/measures. Perhaps this can be attributed to a) the availability of top-tier ‘assessment-oriented’ publication outlets, b) a lack of consensus in the field with regard to measurement (see Gasper, 2018; Gendron, 2010), or c) to editorial preference decisions. Table 1 lists copious research areas that represent from 1% - 2% of the current analysis.

The current findings confirm that the rather prestigious journal Psychological Bulletin publishes research across copious topical domains. However, there appears to be extensive investigatory concentration on issues involving memory and neurophysiological factors. The study of personality and emotions continue as prominent areas of research attention, as well subject matter dealing with visual and perceptual attention. Interestingly, studies on gender/sex differences constitute about 2% of extant scholarship in PB, whereas measurement issues are less emphasized. There was a dearth of research on projective methods/techniques or on individual assessment measures. Whether this is a function of editorial preference or investigatory interest is a matter of speculation (see Beyer, 1978; Laband & Piette, 1994). Admittedly, the proliferation of ‘specialty’ journals (in both general and clinical psychology areas), over the past 50 years, has had a profound impact on target-journal selection by research scholars. To what extent this trend has had, and is having, on editorial preference and selection of research topics in ‘general psychology’ journals is a worthy issue for future study.

2. Journal of Behavioral Addictions: A Bibliometric Analysis of Contemporary Research (2020-2025), Chris Piotrowski, pages 65-69. Examination of research trends in select disciplinary areas sheds light on the nature and scope of extant scholarship in academic fields. The current study utilized a bibliometric approach to examine topical research coverage in the Journal of Behavioral Addictions in recent years (2020-2025). The content analysis, comprising 385 articles, showed that the most prominent areas of research focus were, in rank order: neurophysiology, gambling, gaming, treatment/intervention approaches, compulsive sexual behaviors, Internet addiction, problematic smartphone use, theory/models, pornography, assessment methods/techniques, sports addiction, and personality traits. A host of salient topics in the field, individually, represented 1-2% of the current dataset of 385 studies. In addition, the analysis found a wide range of sparsely researched investigatory areas, such as motivation, taxonomy, social isolation, suicidal ideation, life stress, sleep, recovery/relapses, and governmental policy/regulations. Interestingly, psychometric credibility on 20 measures/scales was the sole focus of individual studies. These findings support the view that scholarship on behavioral addictions is an emergent area of study. The current investigation a) should be considered descriptive in nature; b) highlight popular and understudied areas in behavioral addictions research and c) provide a scaffold and catalyst in future research trends in this select scientific field. .

3. Affective Intrapsychic Markers and Differential Diagnosis within the Psychotic Spectrum: A Rorschach Study, Cecile Prudent & Claude de Tychey, pages 70-74. To use a psychodynamic frame of reference to test intrapsychic affective markers for the differential diagnosis of psychotic disorders. 81 subjects divided into 3 subgroups (25 subjects with delusional disorders of the persecution type, 26 with schizophrenia and 30 with schizophrenia with paranoid features) were assessed using several indicators from the Rorschach test codified and interpreted according to the School of Paris method. Statistical processing of the data revealed specific affective markers enabling differentiation of these three subgroups. These relate respectively to the difficulty of accessing identity and denial of the relationship, the extent of anal regression, hyper-vigilance and projection of the external threat, and the rich or poor nature of the imaginary space. Research avenues are suggested based on a non-reductive integrative approach to psychotic disorders to improve differential diagnosis and therapeutic management. .

4. The Rorschach Experience Type, Experience Actual and Psychological Adjustment: Evidence for Experiential Repertoire and Response Style Effects, Marvin W. Acklin & Dianne DeSousa, pages 75-81. The Rorschach Experience Type (Erlebnistypus; EB) and Experience Actual (EA) have historically been interpreted as indicators of psychological adjustment, with higher EA presumed to reflect greater psychological resources and better adaptive functioning. The present study examined relationships between EB, EA, and multiple indicators of psychological adjustment in a sample of college students administered a battery of psychological measures including the Rorschach Inkblot Method (Comprehensive System), the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI), the Profile of Mood States (POMS), the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and selected WAIS–R measures. Contrary to prediction, individuals with higher EA demonstrated significantly higher levels of reported psychological distress on several MMPI, POMS, and BDI indicators. These results appear inconsistent with the traditional assumption that higher EA reflects better psychological adjustment. Post hoc analyses suggested an alternative explanation. EA was negatively associated with MMPI defensiveness indicators, particularly the L (Lie) scale, suggesting that individuals with higher EA may be more candid and experientially open in reporting psychological experience. This interpretation is consistent with Rorschach’s original distinction between coarctated and dilated experiential styles and with Beck’s formulation of EA as an index of psychological resources for processing ideational and affective stimuli. The findings suggest that higher EA may reflect a broader experiential repertoire and reduced defensiveness in the reporting of psychological experience rather than greater psychological maladjustment. . 5. A Study-Derived Rorschach Affect Modulation in Law Enforcement Personnel: A Cross-Sectional Comparison of State Police & Railway Protection Force, Kanishka & Pratibha Singh, pages 82-89. Performance-based measures such as the Rorschach Comprehensive System (CS) may complement self-report assessments in high-stress occupational settings. The present study introduces a study-derived composite index, the Pleasurable Modulation Impediment Index (PMI) to capture affect-modulation difficulties and compares its distribution across two law-enforcement groups. In a cross-sectional design, 40 personnel (State Police n = 20; Railway Protection Force [RPF] n = 20) were assessed using the Occupational Stress Index (OSI) and the Rorschach Inkblot Test (CS scoring). PMI (range 0–4) was computed as a sum of four binary indicators: Sum C′ > 2, presence of color-shading blends, presence of shading blends, and Space responses (S) > 2. Non-parametric analyses were applied. The results indicated that the State Police personnel demonstrated significantly higher PMI scores than RPF personnel (Mann–Whitney U = 84, p = .001, r ≈ .52). Elevated PMI (≥2) was more frequent among Police (60%) compared to RPF (10%), with a significant association between unit and PMI category (χ² = 10.99, p = .001). PMI was not significantly correlated with OSI total scores (ρ = .23, p = .154). The study-derived PMI appears sensitive to unit-level differences in affect-modulation patterns, with higher impediment scores observed in State Police personnel. Findings support the potential utility of performance-based composite indices in occupational mental health assessment, while highlighting the need for further validation. 6. Perceptual Accuracy and Cognitive Flexibility in OCD: Using Exner's Comprehensive System Comparative Analysis with Normal Controls, Bhavya Mishra, Satyadhar Dwivedi & Anand Dubey, pages 90-98. Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a relentless psychiatric condition characterized by obsessions, compulsions, and associated cognitive and emotional disturbances. While previous research has extensively examined the symptomatic and cognitive features of OCD, relatively fewer studies have explored its underlying perceptual accuracy and cognitive flexibility, particularly using projective methods. The present study aimed to compare the perceptual accuracy and cognitive flexibility of OCD and healthy controls using the Rorschach Inkblot Test scored according to Exner’s Comprehensive System. A cross-sectional comparative design was employed. The sample comprised 60 participants, including 30 OCD and 30 healthy controls, selected through purposive sampling and convenient sampling, respectively. Socio-demographic details were collected using a semi-structured data sheet, OCD severity was assessed using the Yale–Brown Obsessive–Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS), and the Rorschach Inkblot Test was assessed to find out perceptual accuracy and cognitive flexibility. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and a chi-square test of independence. The findings revealed statistically significant group differences on selected Rorschach variables, including Dd, χ² = 8.17, p = .017, (H), χ² = 4.32, p = .038, SC, χ² = 7.94, p = .005, and the Obsessive Style Index (OBS), χ² = 6.65, p = .010. Most other Rorschach variables did not significantly differentiate the OCD group from healthy controls. The findings suggest that OCD may be associated with a disabling psychiatric condition, but their perceptual accuracy, cognitive flexibility and dealing with external situations are the same as others. 7. Cultural Differences in the Comprehensive System for the Rorschach Inkblot Test: Lambda, M and X percentages in the Indian Population, Rupa Kalahasthi, Sarah L Hedlund & James Sexton, , Pages 99-110. The Rorschach Inkblot test has been widely used across the globe, and the Exner Comprehensive System is one of the popular scoring systems of the test. Over the years, researchers have examined the applicability of the Exner Comprehensive System in different countries and cultures (Meyer et al, 2007). In the current study, the researcher aims to identify the applicability of the Comprehensive System with the Indian population. The data was collected from an outpatient clinic in India (N = 41, f=19, mean age = 34.2)) and re-scored using the Exner Comprehensive System by two independent raters. In this study, the variables of Lambda, Human Movement (M) and the X percentages were analyzed. Results indicated that in the Indian sample, Lambda was higher, M was lower, XA and X+ percentages were lower and the X- and Xu percentages were higher than the Comprehensive System norms. These findings indicate that there is a high likelihood of over-pathologizing in the Indian sample if the Comprehensive System norms are used. 8. Comparative Phenomenological Analysis of Sack’s Sentence Completion Test: Indian Case Studies, Sukhsiddhi D. Pol, Anand Prakash & Rupesh Rajan, Pages 111-114. There are no previous qualitative comparative studies that investigate the Sacks Sentence Completion Test (SSCT) profiles in the severity of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). This is a purposive case series of Indian (N=3) that employed GAD-7 to determine the level of its severity (mild=7, moderate=12, severe=20) and SSCT through phenomenological content analysis. There were significant increases in self-concept distress and sex-domain distress in all cases. Moderate progression was noticed in the Family and Interpersonal areas. The SSCT identified that relational therapy was proven to be an instrument that found the attachment-related conflicts of personality not seen by GAD-7. Such findings solidify the usefulness of projective assessment and GAD phenotyping, and the need for further studies on a larger sample. 9. Reflections on the Sentence Completion Method: Sentence Completions and Sentence Completing, John T. Rucker, 115-117. The sentence completion method has been and continues to be a popular component of personality assessment. To date, the method is most often used in research and clinical contexts by analyzing, scoring, and interpreting the various content presenting in sentence completion responses. One undervalued source of assessment responses within the method is the process-based data emerging from the task of completing sentences. This brief commentary provides a distinction between sentence completions (i.e., outcome) and sentence completing (i.e., process) with implications for utilizing both aspects in the context of personality assessment. 10. Exploring Unconscious Mind through Somatic Inkblot Test, B. L. Dubey & Anand Dubey, Pages 118-120. Welcome to this internet domain provided by the Somatic Inkblot Society! This is a nonprofit international organization based in India composed of mental health professionals and behavioral scientists internationally. These are dedicated to developing techniques for exploring the hidden world of the unconscious mind (inner space), and for releasing a suffering person’s “Inner cry”. They have published their work in the SIS Journal of Projective Psychology & Mental Health since 1974. This publication is abstracted in “APA’s Psychological Abstract” It has also been listed in academic research database ProQuest Psychology Journals™- a leading company in Michigan, United States, provider of electronic databases for over 20,000 academic libraries around the country and 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. The unique contribution of our research is the development of Somatic Inkblot test (SIT), an online web version, available on www.somaticinkblottest.com and www.dubayhealingcenter.com. This section of the web page is open to visitors above eighteen years of age. We extend a warm welcome to any members of the lay public, who might like to contribute their support and energy to our goals. It takes about 30 minutes to complete the test (Dubey & Dubey, 2021). 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, 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 (Cassell and Dubey, 2003, 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. The SIT automates the entire “psychological test life cycle” including administration, scoring, interpretation, reporting and diagnostic collaboration. In addition to quantitative analysis, the SIT facilitates and emphasizes content analysis, psychoanalytic interpretation, and symbolic interpretation via a database of research made available as “hints”, “Artificial Intelligence” and case studies. 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 procedure is an adjunct to psychotherapy because 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 material. During the administration of the SIT procedure, clients may abreact emotional conflict raised to consciousness by the images, which can be a therapeutic experience (Cassell & Dubey, 2003).