THE ROTTER INCOMPLETE

SENTENCES BLANK
(RISB)
BY
JULIAN B. ROTTER
Strengths of Sentence Completion Tests

 Open-ended, free response

 Easily administered, brief
 Engaging for client
 Purpose disguised, some projection
 Can become part of clinical interview
(maybe most common use)
Limitations of Sentence Completion Tests

 Low reliability, validity

 Response styles play a strong role
 Interpretation may be time-consuming
 Requires literate client
 Rotter’s Incomplete Sentences Blank
(ISB)
 40 items with short stems
 Takes about 20 minutes, easy to
administer
 Has a scoring manual with scoring
criteria
 Acceptable reliability
 Cutoff of 135 for maladjustment
 Scoring Principles
 Omission responses
are designed as those for which no
answer is given
or
for which the thought is incomplete

40/40-omission
 Conflict responses or C
responses are those indicating an unhealthy
or maladjusted frame of mind.
• hostility reactions
• hopelessness
• suicidal wishes
• statements of unhappy experiences

responses ranges from C1 to C3

C1=4, C2=5, C3=6
 Positive responses or P
responses are those indicating a healthy
or hopeful frame of mind.

responses ranges from P1 to P3

P1=2, P2=1, P3=0
 Neutral responses or N
responses are those not falling clearly
into either of the above categories.

all N responses are scores 3

 Scoring the ISB
6. Severe conflict: suicidal, severe family problems, strong negative
attitudes

5. Moderate conflict: inferiority, generalized social difficulty,

psychosomatic complaints, concern over failure.

4. Mild conflict: specific conflicts, not deep-seated

3. Neutral: neither +ve or -ve. Lacking emotion or personal reference.

2. Specific positive: +ve attitude toward specific things (e.g.,

school, hobbies) and general warmth feelings toward others.

1. General positive: general +ve feelings, optimism, humor, social

adjustment

0. Very positive: clear and intense humor, optimism, acceptance of

others.
 Analysis
 Familial Attitudes
 Social and Sexual Attitudes
 General Attitudes
 Character Traits
 Summary