In teaching practice there is always a need for psychological testing of students. In addition, such a need may arise in any group work. One of the universal methods is the technique of unfinished sentences.
It allows not only to better understand the students. It also makes it possible to imperceptibly and qualitatively conduct psychological and pedagogical diagnostics. The technique of unfinished sentences (Sachs-Levy test) helps to identify those problems that often do not even go to the conscious level. That is, what the person himself is not aware of. It reveals the deep conflicts of the personality, helps to understand the individual system of values and attitudes.
The essence of the method is quite simple. The technique of unfinished sentences is for the subject to say orwrote down the end of the sentence. For example, "There is no love without …" or "If I won a million, the first thing I would …". Depending on what area we want to explore, you can come up with an unlimited number of phrases. You can also ask the subject to give not one, but several answers. In this case, it will be important which version he proposed first. The technique of unfinished sentences can be used both as a method of psychological testing and as an independent game. It is especially interesting to apply it in the lessons of a foreign or Russian language. You can set aside five or ten minutes for this game at the end of the lesson. Another way is the "unfinished sentence" technique for children, performed "in a chain." For example, you can start telling a story.
One participant starts the phrase and the other finishes it. Then he says his part of the sentence, which the next player will complete. The use of this technique helps not only to better understand students, but also relieve their tension, create an atmosphere of goodwill and play. Psychologists also use it for a variety of purposes for people of different ages. For example, when applying for a job or for brainstorming, the technique of "unfinished sentences" can also be used. Interpreting it in a simple and accessible way will help to understand the value orientation of the future employee, his expectations.
This test can be done repeatedly. The changes that happen to peopleare also amenable to analysis and can be identified using this technique. It is only necessary to clearly develop and define the criteria for interpretation. To do this, you can use the scale of "consistency", "logicality", "creativity". That is, the completion of phrases can be evaluated from different points of view. This technique will also help to identify the style of thinking. Sometimes it is also used to diagnose mental disorders, it is a fairly universal test that can be performed with any age group. Of course, the content of the phrases should be adapted depending on who the psychologist or educator is dealing with.
It is also important to clearly formulate the task. The technique of incomplete sentences itself can include an unlimited number of phrases. It is also important to emphasize to test takers that there are not and cannot be "correct" answers. But how detailed the answer should be, whether it will be a choice from the proposed options (used less frequently) or an arbitrary completion, whether it is possible to continue to add text or should be limited to one or two phrases, the subjects should be informed in advance. If the criteria are quite free, then the development, logic, associativity of the statement will be important parameters that can be used to assess the personality and its hidden problems.
