Explain how projective tests are used to measure personalities of individuals.

Answers will vary. During projective tests, individuals are shown a picture, abstract image, or photo and are asked to describe what they see or to tell a story about it. The rationale behind projective tests is that each individual responds to the stimulus in a way that reflects his or her unique personality. The Rorschach ink blot test is commonly used to assess personality. Like other projective tests, however, it has low reliability. The individual being assessed may look at the same picture and see different things at different times. In addition, the assessor might apply her or his own biases in interpreting the information about the individual's personality. Please see the section "Application of Personality Theory in Organizations" for more information.