1. The Rotter Incomplete Sentences Blank (RISB) test is a semi-structured projective personality test that requires respondents to complete sentences with the first few words provided. 2. Responses are assumed to reflect individuals' desires, fears, attitudes, and provide insights for assessment of adjustment. 3. The RISB was developed from an experimental Army test to provide an objective screening measure for adjustment as well as diagnostic information for treatment. Scores are evaluated according to empirical examples to assess overall adjustment.

1. ROTTER’S INCOMPLETE
SENTENCES BLANK TEST
AQSA SHAHID

2. BASICS AND BACKGROUND
• PERSONALITY TESTING:
Projective Tests Non-Projective Tests
Semi-structured Highly Structured
Vague and Ambiguous stimuli Clear and Vivid Stimuli
Subjective Objective
Rorschach Inkblot Test,
TAT (Thematic Apperception Test),
RISB
MMPI (Minnesota Multiphasic
Personality Inventory),
EPPS (Edward Personal Preference
Scale) EPQ (Eysenck Personality
Questionnaire)

3. SENTENCE COMPLETION METHOD
• THE SENTENCE COMPLETION METHOD OF ASSESSING PERSONALITY ADJUSTMENT
IS A SEMI-STRUCTURED PROJECTIVE TECHNIQUE, THAT REQUIRES THE
RESPONDENT TO FINISH A SENTENCE FOR WHICH THE FIRST WORD OR WORDS
ARE PROVIDED.
• AS WITH OTHER PROJECTIVE TECHNIQUES, IT IS ASSUMED THAT THE RESPONSES
REFLECT INDIVIDUAL’S DESIRES, FEARS, ATTITUDES, AND SO FORTH, IN THE
SENTENCES HE OR SHE PRODUCES.

4. ADVANTAGES AND
DISADVANTAGES OF SENTENCE
COMPLETION METHODS
AQSA SHAHID

5. ADVANTAGES
• FREEDOM OF RESPONSE: THE RESPONDENT IS NOT FORCED TO ANSWER “YES” OR
“NO”, TO THE QUESTIONS BUT INSTEAD, MAY RESPOND HOWEVER HE OR SHE
DESIRES.
• SOME DISGUISE OF PURPOSE: ALTHOUGH A RESPONDENT MAY BE AWARE OF
THE GENERAL INTENT OF A STEM, WHAT CONSTITUTES A “GOOD” OR “BAD”
RESPONSE IS NOT READILY APPARENT TO MOST RESPONDENTS.
• RELATIVELY EFFICIENT GROUP ADMINISTRATION: MOST SENTENCE COMPLETION
TESTS CAN BE ADMINISTERED TO A GROUP OF ANY SIZE WITHOUT APPARENT
LOSS OF VALIDITY.

6. • NO SPECIAL TRAINING FOR ADMINISTRATION: ALTHOUGH RESPONSES SHOULD
BE INTERPRETED ONLY BY TRAINED PROFESSIONALS, ADMINISTRATION DOES
NOT REQUIRE SPECIFIC TRAINING.
• OBJECTIVE SCORING: THE SENTENCE-COMPLETION METHOD LENDS ITSELF
EASILY TO OBJECTIVE SCORING FOR SCREENING OR RESEARCH PURPOSES.
ALTHOUGH OBJECTIVE SCORING HAS NOT BEEN DEVELOPED FOR MANY
SENTENCE-COMPLETION TESTS, THE RISB IS AN EXAMPLE OF THE RELATIVE EASE
WITH WHICH RESPONSES CAN BE OBJECTIVELY SCORED.

7. • RELATIVELY SHORT ADMINISTRATION AND SCORING TIME: ADMINISTRATION
TIME TENDS TO BE SHORTER THAN FOR MOST PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTS, AND THE
TIME REQUIRED FOR SCORING OR ANALYZING TENDS TO BE SHORTER THAN FOR
MOST TESTS THAT INCORPORATE THE PROJECTIVE TECHNIQUE.
• FLEXIBILITY: THE SENTENCE-COMPLETION METHOD IS EXTREMELY FLEXIBLE. NEW
SENTENCE BEGINNINGS CAN BE CONSTRUCTED OR TAILORED FOR A VARIETY OF
CLINICAL, APPLIED AND RESEARCH PURPOSES, AND RESPONSES MAY BE SCORED
OR ANALYZED IN A VARIETY OF WAYS.

8. DISADVANTAGES
1- RESPONSES CAN NOT BE MACHINE OR COMPUTER SCORED AND REQUIRE
GENERAL SKILL AND KNOWLEDGE OF PERSONALITY ANALYSIS FOR CLINICAL
APPRAISAL AND INTERPRETATION.
2- THE METHOD DOES NOT AFFORD AS MUCH DISGUISE OF PURPOSE AS DO
OTHER PROJECTIVE METHODS. CONSEQUENTLY, A SOPHISTICATED RESPONDENT
MAY BE ABLE TO CONCEAL FROM THE EXAMINER WHAT HE/SHE DOES NOT WISH
TO REVEAL.
3- SUFFICIENT INFORMATION CANNOT BE OBTAINED IN SOME CASES,
PARTICULARLY FROM ILLITERATE, DISTURBED OR UNCOOPERATIVE RESPONDENTS.

9. PURPOSE OF THE RISB
• FOR THE PURPOSE OF RISB, ADJUSTMENT IS DEFINED AS THE RELATIVE FREEDOM
FROM PROLONGED UNHAPPY/DYSPHORIC STATES (EMOTIONS) OF THE
INDIVIDUAL, THE ABILITY TO COPE WITH FRUSTRATION, THE ABILITY TO
INITIATE AND MAINTAIN CONSTRUCTIVE ACTIVITY, AND THE ABILITY TO
ESTABLISH AND MAINTAIN SATISFYING INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS.

10. • MALADJUSTMENT: IS THE PRESENCE OF PROLONGED UNHAPPY/DYSPHORIC
STATES (EMOTIONS) OF THE INDIVIDUAL, INABILITY TO COPE OR DIFFICULTY IN
COPING WITH FRUSTRATION, A LACK OF CONSTRUCTIVE ACTIVITY OR
INTERFERENCE IN INITIATING OR MAINTAINING SUCH ACTIVITY, OR THE
INABILITY TO ESTABLISH AND MAINTAIN SATISFYING INTERPERSONAL
RELATIONAHIPS.

11. • AN INDIVIDUAL’S 40 COMPLETIONS ARE EVALUATED ACCORDING TO
EMPIRICALLY DERIVED SCORING EXAMPLES, AND THE TOTAL SCORE FOR ALL 40
COMPLETIONS PROVIDES AN OVERALL INDEX OF ADJUSTMENT CALLED THE
“OVERALL ADJUSTMENT SCORE”.
• THIS SCORING METHOD MAKES THE RISB USEFUL AS A SCREENING INSTRUMENT
OF OVERALL ADJUSTMENT.

12. • INDIVIDUALS WHOSE TOTAL SCORE ARE GREATER THAN SPECIFIED CUTOFF
SCORE CAN BE REFERRED FOR COUNSELING OR THERAPY OR OBSERVED FOR
EVIDENCE OF PROBLEMS IN THEIR ADJUSTMENT TO CAMPUS AND ACADEMIC
LIFE.
• ALTHOUGH THE RISB WAS DEVELOPED PRIMARILY FOR THIS SPECIFIC CLINICAL
PURPOSE, IT IS CONSISTENT WITH ACCEPTED THEORIES OF PERSONALITY,
ADJUSTMENT AND ASSESSMENT.

13. • IN ADDITION TO COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY SETTINGS, THE RISB IS USED IN
INDUSTRY, MILITARY SETTINGS, JUNIOR AND SENIOR HIGH SCHOOLS, RESEARCH
SETTINGS, AND PARTICULARLY IN HOSPITALS, MENTAL HEALTH CLINICS AND
PRIVATE CLINICAL PRACTICES.

14. DEVELOPMENT OF THE RISB
• THE RISB CONSISTS OF 40 ITEMS REVISED FROM AN EXPERIMENTAL FORM USED
IN THE U.S. ARMY, BY ROTTER AND WILLERMAN.
• ONE AIM OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF RISB WAS THE PROVISION OF AN OBJECTIVE
MEASURE FOR SCREENING AND RESEARCH PURPOSES.
• SECOND AIM WAS AN INSTRUMENT DESIGNED TO PROVIDE INFORMATION OF
RATHER SPECIFIC DIAGNOSTIC VALUE FOR TREATMENT PURPOSES.