Zulliger Test: Characteristics, Operation And Uses
Probably the most famous projective test in history is the Rorschach, the famous black ink blots with abstract shapes that suggest all kinds of objects and figures.
It is likely that we have seen this test on more than one occasion but in colors, something that actually corresponds to a test derived from it: Zulliger’s test.
Although strongly inspired by the best-known projective test of all, the Zulliger test has characteristics that differentiate it considerably from the Rorschach, so much so that it is considered a test with greater validity and reliability. Let’s see why below.
The Zulliger test, also called Z-test, is a projective test created during World War II.. This test takes strong inspiration from the classic and famous Rorschach test, however, it does not follow the same protocol and, in addition, has multiple advantages over it. In fact, it is much easier to apply and has much faster interpretation parameters, in addition to having more empirical evidence that gives strength to the Zulliger test as a reliable test, despite still being a projective test.
The main reason why this test is used coincides with that of any other projective instrument with origins in psychoanalysis: describe latent personality traits of the evaluated person. It is due to this premise that, despite having been applied for almost a century, it is still a test in which the subject is asked to project what he observes and, therefore, the Zulliger test is not exempt. of criticism. Despite this, today it is still widely used in personnel selection processes.
It is considered that this test represents a great advantage over other projective tests by having good reliability and validity data, something that tests such as the figure in the rain, the tree test or the Murray test do not have. Several statistical studies have been carried out that argue that the Zulliger test has good robustness in the field of personnel selection. Instead, In the field of clinical psychology it is not widely used and, in fact, it is not considered an appropriate tool for the diagnosis of any disorder..
Origin of this projective test
The fact that the Zulliger test is so similar to the Rorschach test is because Its creator, the Swiss psychiatrist Hans Zulliger, was a student of Hermann Rorschach himself., one of the most influential psychiatrists and psychoanalysts not only in Switzerland but in the entire world. Thanks to the knowledge imparted by Rorschach, Zulliger would eventually become an influential child analyst, as well as the promoter of psychoanalytic pedagogy.
Even though he was a pupil of Rorschach, Zulliger dedicated himself body and soul to understanding and delving into psychoanalysis and exploring human personality through his mentor’s classic spot test. To this would be added a decisive event in his life: the start of the Second World War and the need to have rapid tests to select the Swiss army.
Despite remaining neutral during the war, Switzerland urgently needed new candidates to join the army and fill official positions. Not just any soldier could be accepted for any position, but filtering had to be done and to do so it was best to apply psychological tests or tests to, thus, evaluate the mental and attitudinal capabilities of future soldiers.
By then Hans Zulliger had become the chief officer of the psychological services and was in charge of administering different types of tests., including Rorschach sheets for the candidates to evaluate their personality. Although he considered that it was a good tool for this objective, in the war context that was being experienced, speed was necessary, which is why Zulliger decided to modify the original test so that it could be applied more quickly and in large groups.
So that, Zulliger created his own test by modifying the Rorschach test, making it simpler and with more specific administration guidelines., which allowed it to be applied collectively. This is how the Zulliger test for personnel selection was born.
What does the Zulliger test evaluate?
As we mentioned, the Zulliger test is a projective test, which means that it is an instrument with which a large number of subjective responses can be obtained. What tests of these characteristics have in common is that they all start from stimuli that they awaken the imagination of the person being evaluated, as well as their sensitivity, desires, personality traits, creativity…
However, what differentiates the Zulliger test from other tests of the same style is that it has greater validity and ease when applied, the latter being the main reason why Zulliger developed this test and, thus, being able to do a more agile and faster selection of personnel.
In its original conception, this test was made to be able to quickly differentiate people without psychological problems from those who might have them, in addition to identifying in them appropriate skills for certain positions in the army.
Supporters of using the Zulliger test say that this test helps assess people’s mental processes, as well as their fears, social adaptation, internal world, emotions, aptitudes and control capacitywhich is why many human resources departments use it when selecting personnel.
How does it apply?
The Zulliger test can be applied both individually and collectively. In both cases, it begins by presenting the evaluated person with the three slides that make up this test.
It is explained that the figures he sees in them do not represent anything in particular and that they can evoke many different things from person to person. What they have to do as they are being evaluated is explain what the figures they are seeing suggest to them..
An example of a instruction that can be given to the evaluated person is the following:
“I’m going to show you a series of pictures. In these pictures there are no good or bad answers, and you will have to say what they could be. You can take the pictures, turn them and see them as a whole or in parts. Everything is at your discretion. While you look at the pictures and tell me what you think you see in them, I will write what you tell me.”
The slides that make up the Zulliger test are the following three.
Plate 1.
The first sheet presents white, black and gray tones. The figures seen in it are compact, with slightly cut edges and, in general, they should suggest to the evaluated person a single concept, a global response. In principle, it represents deep thinking and is related to facing new situations.
According to those who use this test, when the person evaluated does not give a global response, a momentary or fixed disturbance is suspected. In people with depression, according to supporters of this technique, they express discomfort when looking at this grayscale sheet.
Among the most common responses when looking at this sheet are: flightless insect (e.g., beetle), crab, leaf, and the like.
Plate 2.
The second sheet is the most striking because you can see various colors such as red, white, orange, blue or dark green, as well as various differentiated areas. It is the most complex figure, as well as the one that also awakens the greatest number of sensations and emotions.which is why it is used to evaluate emotional aspects.
Some of the elements evaluated using this sheet include the capacity for order, self-control, criticism and coping with pressure situations, all of them expressed in great detail since the multicolor sheet invites the evaluated person to make an effort when giving information.
Some test takers manifest what supporters of the Zulliger test call “chromatic shock.”. In this specific sheet, this phenomenon would consist of the subject orienting his responses towards the black, green and/or brown/brown spots preferably, avoiding the interpretation of the red part.
It may also be the case that, once he has recovered from the “shock”, the subject responds to what the color red suggests, but does so at the end. This would be related to fear of affection and fear of being rejected by others.
Among the most popular answers we have four-legged animals such as bulls, cows, buffaloes… There are also those who respond to this picture indicating that what they see is an insect like an ant.
Plate 3.
Finally we have the third sheet, which Play with gray, black and red tones. The drawing that is represented in this part of the test always suggests a certain dynamism and movement, and is used to evaluate the area of social relations. It gives rise to global interpretations, of large and small details.
Normally this picture usually evokes responses related to movement, and among the most common figures that those evaluated usually see we have: people, butterflies, little men, goblins, children, Native Americans with feather headdresses…
How is it evaluated?
In order to evaluate the Zulliger test, it is necessary to master this test. As it is a projective test, it requires a certain amount of experience and knowledge of what the multiple answers that those evaluated can mean, which is why it is not suitable for just anyone to apply it. The answers must be evaluated in qualitative terms, starting from the fact that there are no right or wrong answers..
The answers given by the person evaluated in each sheet are analyzed, both in their content and in the way in which they have been expressed. The more details, sensations, figures or experiences the subject has said they experienced while taking the test, the higher their score will be.. Originality, psychological coherence, self-perception, thinking style and creativity will also be valued, data that also help us see the candidate’s inner world and personality.
Re-question or Survey Phase
This phase is optional. It consists of reviewing the answers given by the interviewee, advancing sheet by sheet to ensure that the next phase, coding the answers, is done with the maximum possible information and accuracy. With this re-questioning phase new information can be obtained or information given by the individual can be specified and, thus, clear up any doubts that may have arisen during the process.
As a projective test that it is, There are different ways to code this test, one of the most accepted and used being the Exner Comprehensive System..
This system allows the complete evaluation of the personality of the individual being evaluated, respecting the psychometric criteria of validity and reliability. Each of the objects that the interviewee has perceived during the test is coded. and measured according to pre-established guidelines, obtaining different scores and meanings.
The coding is carried out taking into account the following parameters.
1. Location
By location we mean In which area of the sheet did the person evaluated perceive the object?. It can be global (using the entire figure), a usual detail or an unusual detail (using some part of the figure) or white space.
As a general rule, it is understood as the way in which we perceive information, going from the most general to the most particular and vice versa, or if we only stay with the singular or general.
2. Evolutionary quality
The evolutionary quality alerts us about the quality of the thought process behind the answer that the evaluated person gives us. These can be responses from:
Synthesis: where different objects in the stain are linked and at least one of them has a specific shape.
Vague synthesis: different objects in the stain are linked, but none have a specific form.
Ordinary: a delimited area of the stain is selected and articulated, placing emphasis on the shape and defining features of the object.
Vague: the stain appears giving a diffuse, ambiguous or indeterminate impression.
3. Determinants
The determinants are the aspects that led the person to perceive the object seen.. Among them we can mention: form, human or animal movement (active or passive), inanimate movement, chromatic or achromatic color, shading, form-dimension, pairs, reflections…
Generally, determinants denote richness and variety of imaginative and adaptive resources.
4. Contents
The contents refer to the nature to which the perceived object belongs. They can be human figures, animals, or human experiences. It can also be related to different fields of human knowledge such as art, botany, anthropology, or forces/elements of nature such as fire, water, wind, earth, clouds…
This is the most projective parameter of the entire test, showing the internal contents of the personality of the person evaluated. Depending on what content has been shared with us, a hypothesis can be generated about possible interpersonal problems, personality traits, violent behaviors and impulses, among others.
Final aspects and conclusion
The Zulliger test has a great advantage over other projective tests, including the Rorschach. The first is that It only takes 30 minutes to apply, with a coding time of no more than 2 hours (3 sheets), a noticeably shorter time compared to the Rorschach that takes 2 hours to be applied and 8 to be coded (10 sheets). Added to this, it has a lot of validity and reliability, something that projective tests usually lack.
Because it is quick to apply and can be used both individually and in groups, the Zulliger test is highly valued among professionals who have to evaluate the skills of several subjects in a short period of time, as is the case of personnel selectors.
It is also highly valued in the judicial and military fields, although it is not as relevant as more standardized personality and aptitude tests.
