The uses of sentences completion test
include personality analysis, clinical
application, attitude assessment,
achievement motivation and measurement
of other constructs.
They are used in several disciplines, including
psychology, management, education, and
marketing.
Dr. Joseph M. Sacks and other psychologist of the
New York Veterans Administration Mental
Hygiene Service developed a sentence
completion test designed to obtain significant
clinical material in four representative areas of
adjustment namely:
Sentence completion tests typically provide
respondents with beginnings of sentences,
referred to as “stems,” and respondents then
complete the sentences in ways that are
meaningful to them.
SCALES
FAMILY: The family area included three sets
of attitudes namely:
a) those towards mother
b) father
c) family unit.
It is hoped that even when the subject
becomes evasive or cautious, at least one of
the four items in each area will reveal
significant response.
SEX: The sex area includes attitudes towards
women and heterosexual relationship.
The 8 items in this area allows the subject
to express himself with regards to woman,
towards marriage, and with respect to
sexual relationship.
INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIP: The area
of interpersonal relationship includes
attitudes towards friends and
acquaintances, colleagues at work or
school, superior at work or school, and
people supervised.
The 16 items in this area affords the
subject to express his feelings towards
those.
SELF-CONCEPT: The area of self-
concept includes fear, guilt feelings,
goals and attitudes towards one’s own
ability, concept of himself as he is, he
was and as he hopes to be.
There are 24 items included in this area.
Attitude towards Father items:
1. I feel that my father seldom works.
16. If my father would do better.
31. I wish that my father is dead.
46. I feel that my father is no good.
Those four responses are considered together
and interpretative summary is made that
crystallizes the clinician’s impression of the
subjects’ attitude towards in this area. In this
case, the summary stated: “Extreme hostility
and contempt or overt death wishes”.
2 - SEVERELY DISTURBED - Appears to
require the therapeutic aid in handling
emotional conflicts in this area.
1 – MILDLY DISTURBED Has emotional
conflict in this area but appears able to
handle them without therapeutic aid.
0 – No Significant disturbance rated in this
area
X – Unknown, Insufficient evidence
Attitude towards Mother (14, 29, 44, 59)
2 = Completely rejects and depreciates mother whom he considers over demanding.
1 = Sees mother’s fault but accepts and tolerates differences.
0 = express only positive feelings towards the mother.
Attitude towards Father (1, 16, 31, 46)
2 = feels extreme hostility and contempt with overt death wishes.
1 = admires father but wishes that their relationship were closer.
0 = expresses complete satisfaction with father’s personality.
Attitude towards Family Unit (2, 27, 42, 57)
2 = feels rejected by the family which lacks solidarity and which has constantly contended with
difficulties.
1 = aware that the family does not recognize him as a mature person but has no difficulty in
relating with them.
0 = instability of the family domicile has had little effect on his favorable feeling towards them.
Attitude towards Women ( 10, 25, 40, 55)
2 = extremely suspicious, possible homosexual tendency
1 = high ideas but ambivalent feelings.
0 = only minor or superficial criticisms
Attitude towards Heterosexual Relationship (11,26,41,56)
2 = appears to have given up achieving good sexual adjustment
1 = deserved sexual experiences but reservation about his ability to maintain
marital relationship.
0 = indicates satisfaction towards this area
Attitude towards Friends and Acquaintances (8,23,38,53)
2 = suspicious and apparently seclusive
1= seems to wait approval of others before committing himself emotionally
0 = express mutual relationship with friends and self
Attitude towards People Supervised (4,19,34,58)
2 = feels he can handle or control hostility in handling others
1 = feels capable of doing good supervisory but has misgivings about assuming an
authoritarian role.
0 = feels controllable and well accepted by subordinates.
Attitude towards Supervisors at work or School (6,21,36,51)
2 = resents or fear authority
1 = mild difficulty in accepting difficulty
0 = Expresses good attitude.
Attitude towards Colleague at work/school (13,28,43,58)
2 = feels rejected by colleagues, and condemns them
1 = has some difficulty at work and depends on colleagues
0 = expresses good mutual feelings
Fear (7,22,37,52)
2 = disturbed by the apparent fear of loving, possibility to control
his feelings
1 = fear of self-assertion which is fairly common and not pervasive.
0 = lack of fear
Guilt Feelings (15,30,45,60)
2 = concerned with spiritual feeling and physical sex drives
1 = has regret over past and seems mildly disturbed by his failure to
control his trouble.
0 = does not seem to be aware of guilt feelings
Attitude towards Own Ability (2,7,32,47)
2 = feels completely incompetent and hopeless
1 = feels he has a specific ability but tends to fear difficulty
0 = confident on his ability to overcome obstacles
Attitude towards Past (9,24,39,54)
2 = feels rejected and isolated
1 = Negative attitude about past present but have a control over it
0 = feels well adjusted, no significant disturbance in the past
Attitude towards the Future (5, 20, 35, 50)
2 = pessimistic, no hope in his own resources for happiness and success
1 = unsure of himself but tries to be optimistic
0 = seems confident in achieving his goals
Goals (3, 18,53,49)
2 = lack of motivation for achievement
1 = desires material things for family as well as for himself
0 =Adequate motivation
✔
Attitude towards Mother (14, 29, 44, 59) 2 = Completely rejects and
depreciates mother whom he considers over demanding. 1 = Sees
mother’s fault but accepts and tolerates differences. 0 = express only
positive feelings towards the mother.
Attitude towards Father (1, 16, 31, 46) 2 = feels extreme hostility and
contempt with overt death wishes. 1 = admires father but wishes that
their relationship were closer. 0 = expresses complete satisfaction
with father’s personality.
Attitude towards Family Unit (2, 27, 42, 57) 2 = feels rejected by the
family which lacks solidarity and which has constantly contended with
difficulties. 1 = aware that the family does not recognize him as a mature
person but has no difficulty in relating with them. 0 = instability of the
family domicile has had little effect on his favorable feeling towards
them.
Attitude towards Women ( 10, 25, 40, 55) 2 =
extremely suspicious, possible homosexual
tendency 1 = high ideas but ambivalent
feelings. 0 = only minor or superficial criticisms
Attitude towards Heterosexual Relationship
(11,26,41,56) 2 = appears to have given up
achieving good sexual adjustment 1 =
deserved sexual experiences but reservation
about his ability to maintain marital
relationship. 0 = indicates satisfaction towards
this area
Attitude towards Friends and Acquaintances (8,23,38,53) 2 =
suspicious and apparently seclusive 1= seems to wait approval of
others before committing himself emotionally 0 = express mutual
relationship with friends and self
Attitude towards People Supervised (4,19,34,58) 2 = feels he can handle
or control hostility in handling others 1 = feels capable of doing good
supervisory but has misgivings about assuming an authoritarian role. 0 =
feels controllable and well accepted by subordinates.
Attitude towards Supervisors at work or School (6,21,36,51) 2 = resents
or fear authority 1 = mild difficulty in accepting difficulty 0 = Expresses
good attitude.
Attitude towards Colleague at work/school (13,28,43,58) 2 = feels
rejected by colleagues, and condemns them, 1 = has some difficulty
at work and depends on colleagues, 0 = expresses good mutual
feelings
Fear (7,22,37,52) 2 = disturbed by the apparent fear of loving,
possibility to control his feelings 1 = fear of self-assertion which
is fairly common and not pervasive. 0 = lack of fear
Guilt Feelings (15,30,45,60) 2 = concerned with spiritual feeling
and physical sex drives 1 = has regret over past and seems mildly
disturbed by his failure to control his trouble. 0 = does not seem to
be aware of guilt feelings
Attitude towards Own Ability (2,7,32,47) 2 = feels completely
incompetent and hopeless 1 = feels he has a specific ability
but tends to fear difficulty 0 = confident on his ability to
overcome obstacles
Attitude towards Past (9,24,39,54) 2 = feels rejected
and isolated 1 = Negative attitude about past
present but have a control over it, 0 = feels well
adjusted, no significant disturbance in the past
Attitude towards the Future (5, 20, 35, 50) 2 =
pessimistic, no hope in his own resources for
happiness and success 1 = unsure of himself but tries
to be optimistic 0 = seems confident in achieving his
goals
Goals (3, 18,53,49) 2 = lack of motivation for
achievement 1 = desires material things for family
as well as for himself 0 =
