Non forensic: Tests and assessment techniques that were developed for the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment planning of non-forensic populations. Although, conventional psychological tests have limited use in forensic contexts, they are used to make a link between the test and the legal issues to actually assess the criminal as an individual. Example: Tests to measure achievement, (Woodcock Johnson Tests of Achievement), personality (Personality Assessment Inventory), or intellectual ability (Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-III).

THEMATIC APPERCEPTION TEST (TAT)

The Thematic Apperception Test is a type of projective test that involves describing ambiguous scenes to learn more about a person's emotions, motivations, and personality. Popularly known as the "picture interpretation technique," it was developed by American psychologists Henry A. Murray and Christina D. Morgan at Harvard University in the 1930s. The TAT is one of the most widely researched and clinically used personality tests. The test that focuses on the subconscious dynamics of a person's personality.

How it works?

  • Uses open-ended questions to explore different parts of a person’s personality.
  • Uses picture cards to understand a person’s emotions, conflicts, and inner wishes.
  • The test includes black-and-white drawings with unclear or ambiguous characters—men, women, and children shown in different situations.

For example: a boy looking at a violin, or a man holding his hat with his head down while a woman beside him looks out the window.

During the test, the person is asked to create a story for each picture—making it as detailed and dramatic as possible, with a clear beginning, middle, and end. For every picture card, they must answer:

  • What is happening in the picture?
  • What might have happened before this scene?
  • What are the characters thinking and feeling?
  • How does the story end?

Scoring:
The examiner evaluates each story based on:

  • Story content: which may reflect the person’s beliefs, attitudes, expectations, inner struggles, and worldview.
  • Emotional tone: feelings like sadness, fear, anger, happiness, or anxiety provide clues about their emotional state.
  • Behavior while responding: such as changes in voice, lack of eye contact, fidgeting, long pauses, or hesitation.

 

RORSCHACH INKBLOT TEST (RIT)

 In the Rorschach (roshak) inkblot test, the person is asked to describe what they see in ambiguous inkblot images. The therapist then interprets the person's answers. This projective test is a way of revealing a person’s unconscious thoughts, motives, or desires. A person's interpretation of an ambiguous scene might reveal hidden aspects of that individual's personality. Swiss psychologist named Hermann Rorschach developed the test in 1921 using inkblots as an assessment tool.

Rorschach observed that people with schizophrenia reacted to the inkblots in noticeably different ways compared to individuals with other mental conditions. This led him to consider whether inkblots could help identify patterns linked to specific psychological disorders.

Example of interpretation:
Many inkblots contain shapes that may encourage sexual interpretations. Some psychologists believe that such interpretations reflect unconscious thoughts or feelings.
For instance, a red inkblot might remind someone of female genitalia. If a person instead says it looks like a butterfly or a crab, this is viewed as a positive response—although a butterfly is considered more positive than a crab, suggesting lower sexual tension.

If someone gives very few sexual answers, it may suggest sexual frustration.
If they interpret the blot directly as sexual organs or sexual themes in a negative or unusual way, it may point to difficulties related to relationships with the opposite sex. A very high number of sexual responses (especially negative ones) can be seen as a sign of schizophrenia.

 

16 PERSONALITY FACTORS (16PF)

 Psychologist Raymond Cattell created a taxonomy of 16 different personality traits that could be used to describe and explain individual differences between people's personalities. According to Trait Theory, human personality is composed of a number of broad traits or dispositions.

16 personality dimensions described by Cattell are:

  1. Abstractedness: Imaginative versus practical 
  2. Apprehension: Worried versus confident
  3. Dominance: Forceful versus submissive
  4. Emotional stability: Calm versus high-strung
  5. Liveliness: Spontaneous versus restrained
  6. Openness to change: Flexible versus attached to the familiar
  7. Perfectionism: Controlled versus undisciplined
  8. Privateness: Discreet versus open
  9. Reasoning: Abstract versus concrete
  10. Rule-consciousness: Conforming versus non-conforming
  11. Self-reliance: Self-sufficient versus dependent
  12. Sensitivity: Tender-hearted versus tough-minded
  13. Social boldness: Uninhibited versus shy
  14. Tension: Inpatient versus relaxed
  15. Vigilance: Suspicious versus trusting 
  16. Warmth: Outgoing versus reserved

It is used in forensic settings in order to detect the personality type of the offender, as personality type is an indication of criminal behaviour. Personality traits are then represented by a range and the individual's score falls somewhere on the continuum between highest and lowest extremes. Each personality factor is scored on a 10-point scale. A score below four is considered low, and a score above seven is considered high. Remember, here high score doesn't correspond to "good" and low score doesn't correspond to "bad."