Doctoral Dissertations

Date of Award

8-1990

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

Major

Psychology

Major Professor

Alvin G. Burstein

Committee Members

Charles P. Cohen, Wesley Morgan, Ann Wachter

Abstract

The Four Picture Test (FPT) is an economically administered picture-story projective test developed in 1930 by the Dutch industrial and clinical psychologist. Dr. D.J. van Lennep (1896-1983). As van Lennep's work was heavily influenced by key currents in the history of American psychology, a review of his life raises questions basic within our profession. The aim of the dissertation is to explore the conceptual and psychological underpinnings of the Four Picture Test, as a preliminary to evaluating its contemporary utility. A key issue is whether the test is equally useful with men and women. The dissertation is in two parts. The first is historical in emphasis. Chapter 1 sketches van Lennep's career, his phenomenological orientation, the conceptual framework underlying the FPT, and the relation of the FPT to controversies in American projective testing after World War II, particularly the development of the Thematic Apperception Test. Chapter 2 is a survey of pertinent scoring systems-those van Lennep devised for the FPT, as well as those used by others to analyze fantasy and narrative material and to assess internal object representations. Drawing heavily on unpublished archival materials. Chapter 3 reviews research carried out by van Lennep and others using the FPT. Chapter 4 analyzes the psychological challenges posed by the FPT and critically assesses, from a feminist standpoint, salient issues in van Lennep's life and work. The second part of this study reports new research testing Reiff's recent report of sex differences among American college students on ten FPT variables. Protocols were obtained from 45 males and 44 females enrolled in university programs for gifted students. No significant differences were found on any of the ten variables. Implications of the results are discussed and future research directions proposed. The test stimuli should be revised, a scoring system tied to psychoanalytic object relations theory created, and "gender" dimensions substituted for sex differences as a focus of investigation.

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