Projective Hypothesis

The Projective Hypothesis posits that the use of unstructured and ambiguous stimuli such as projective tests like the Rorschach inkblot test or the Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) are important and necessary as a means of bypassing a client's defenses and to discover their unconscious needs, motives, and conflicts. These types of tests rely on the test subject's completely subjective interpretations of inkblots or of the ambiguous pictures of the TAT. These interpretations that come out of subject's subconscious and imagination can provide insights into the inner workings of the mind.

For instance, a TAT picture might cause one person to create a positive story about the image while another person might create a negative story about the same image. A professional trained in these projective testing methods can create a psychological profile based on the subject's responses.