Abstract

VILLEMOR-AMARAL, Anna Elisa de. The theoretical validity in psychological assessment. Psicol. cienc. prof. [online]. 2008, vol.28, n.1, pp. 98-109. ISSN 1414-9893.

The aim of this paper is to discuss the importance of the theoretical endorsement in the interpretation of projective techniques, or auto-expression methods, beyond the validity allowed by psychometric techniques. This paper aims to demonstrate the common points in various theories on the conceptions about the mind and its nature and how ideational and affective contents are organized in nets. As the answers in the situations of psychological assessment reproduce the affective and ideational components of the mental nets as well as their quality, that are seen as coherent and reasonable constructions in relation to what has been experienced by the examined person, the focus of the analysis are the configurations and the drama, not necessarily quantities and symptoms. So, the validity of the interpretations can be considered from the theory, raised on previous clinical observations, and their legitimacy is possible only on the basis of the theoretical knowledge, the clinical experience and the mental development of the psychologist.

Keywords : Psychological assessment; Projective techniques; Auto-expression methods; Theoretical validity.

        · abstract in Portuguese     · text in Portuguese     · Portuguese ( pdf )