In teaching practice there is always a need for psychological testing of students. In addition, such a need can arise in any group work. One of the universal methods is the method of unfinished offers.
It allows not only a better understanding of students. It also makes it possible to quietly and efficiently conduct
psychological and pedagogical diagnostics. The technique of unfinished sentences (Sachs-Levy test) helps to identify those problems that often do not even reach the conscious level. That is, that the person himself is not aware. It reveals the deepest conflicts of personality, helps to understand the individual system of values and attitudes.
The essence of the method is quite simple. The method of unfinished sentences is for the subject to pronounce or record 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 which 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 methodology of unfinished sentences can be used both as a method of psychological testing and as an independent game. It is especially interesting to be able 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 offers” method for children, which is carried out “in a chain”. For example, you can start telling a fairy tale.
One participant begins the phrase, and ends another. Then he pronounces his part of the sentence, which the next player will complete. The application of this technique helps not only to better understand students, but also to relieve their stress, create an atmosphere of goodwill and play. Psychologists use it for a variety of purposes for people of all ages. For example,
when applying for a job or for brainstorming, the “unfinished offers” technique can also be used. Interpretation of it in a simple and affordable way will help to understand the
value orientation of the future employee, his expectations.
Such a test can be carried out repeatedly. Changes that occur with people are also susceptible to analysis and can be detected using this technique. It is only necessary to clearly develop and define criteria for interpretation. To do this, you can use the scale of "sequence", "logic", "creativity". That is, the completion of phrases can be evaluated from various points of view. This technique will also help to identify the style of thinking. Sometimes it is used to diagnose mental disorders, this is a fairly universal test that can be carried out with any age group. Of course, the content of the phrases should be adapted depending on who the psychologist or teacher is dealing with.
It is also important to clearly state the task. The methodology of unfinished sentences may include an unlimited number of phrases. It is also important to emphasize for test takers that there are no and cannot be “right” answers. But how detailed the answer should be, whether it will be a choice from the proposed options (less commonly used) or arbitrary completion, whether the text can be added further or should be limited to one or two phrases, the subjects should be informed in advance. If the criteria are quite free, then the detailed, logical, associative statements will be important parameters that can be used to assess the personality and its hidden problems.