The Impact of Theory on Psychological Testing: How Psychoanalytic Theory Makes Diagnostic Testing More Enjoyable and Rewarding

Abstract

Systematically applying psychoanalytic theory to psychological testing cultivates a practical, useful, and enjoyable experience of test administration, test scoring, and test interpretation. Furthermore, by grounding psychological testing in psychoanalytic theory, testing becomes rewarding because there is a lively clinical interplay between testing and psychotherapy, These potential sources of enjoyment and skill for the psychological examiner are explored, and several clinical examples are given for illustrative purposes. The need to appreciate the impact of a given theoretical frame of reference is highlighted.