Sentence Completions

Abstract

The Sentence Completions test is a historical attitude measure developed by Martin F. Fritz and published in 1961. Designed to assess personal attitudes through the sentence completion technique, the instrument functions as a projective measure. It comprises 120 incomplete sentences that respondents must finish, along with a final open-ended question requiring participants to list three specific personal changes they wish to make. This measure is recognized for its historical significance in the field of Psychology and is preserved through collaboration with the University of Akron, Archives of the History of American Psychology.

The original PDF of the Sentence Completions test documentation can be downloaded here: download Sentence Completions.

Keywords

Attitude Measurement, Sentence Completion Tests, Projective Techniques, College Students, History of Psychology, Affective Assessment, Test Development.

Authors

Martin F. Fritz

Purpose

The primary purpose of the Sentence Completions test is the systematic measurement and qualitative assessment of personal and generalized attitudes held by the respondent. Developed within a student counseling context, the test serves to provide insights into the affective domain, interests, values, and expectancies (Classification 5300) of the target population.

As an early projective measure, it was intended to elicit underlying feelings and beliefs that might be difficult to access or quantify through more direct, structured self-report methods, thereby aiding in student guidance and counseling services.

Construct

The central psychological construct measured by this instrument is Attitudes. In the context of this test, attitudes are understood as the enduring positive or negative evaluations, emotional feelings, and behavioral tendencies toward various aspects of life, self, or external objects.

The unstructured nature of the sentence completion task is hypothesized to allow participants to project their true attitudinal structure onto the ambiguous stimuli, offering a deep, qualitative appraisal of their disposition without the constraints of forced-choice responses.

Validity

Specific empirical data concerning the validity of the Sentence Completions test were not explicitly indicated or documented in the available source materials from 1961. As a historical instrument, particularly one utilizing a projective technique, its initial utility and acceptance likely relied more heavily on clinical interpretation and apparent face validity rather than the rigorous statistical validation methods that became standard practice in later psychometric research.

Reliability

Information regarding the reliability of the Sentence Completions test is absent from the historical records provided. Standard psychometric measures of internal consistency (e.g., split-half reliability) or temporal stability (test-retest reliability) were not reported. This lack of detailed quantitative reliability data is often characteristic of early projective instruments, where the inherent subjectivity in scoring responses posed significant challenges for traditional reliability calculation.

Factor Analysis

No factor analysis is indicated for the Sentence Completions test. The scale’s design and methodological approach appear to have been developed without the application of exploratory or confirmatory factor analysis, techniques typically used to identify underlying latent factors or dimensions within the collected attitudinal responses.

Instrument

Test Type: Projective Measure

Format: Written completion of incomplete sentences

Language Available: English (Implied)

Population Group: Human

Age Group: Typically young adulthood

Population Details: College Students

Test Methodology: Test Development (Focusing on the creation and structuring of the items for attitudinal assessment)

Keywords

Attitude Measures, College Students, History of Psychology, Affective Assessment, Projective Testing, Iowa State University.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Not provided.

Affiliation Email addresses: Not provided.

Correspondence Address: Martin F. Fritz, Iowa State University Student Counseling Service.

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The test was developed and documented in 1961. Permissions for use are generally granted for Research/Teaching purposes, reflecting its status as a historical measure included in the Archives of the History of American Psychology. Specific fee structures for academic or non-commercial research use are typically waived or nominal due to its archival nature.

Reference’s

• Fritz, M. F. (1961). Sentence Completions. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1037/t16823-000.

Items of the Sentence Completions

IMPORTANT: The following scale items must be preserved in their original language and must not be changed in any way.

The instrument consists of 120 incomplete sentences designed to elicit attitudinal responses. Additionally, the test concludes with one open-ended question instructing respondents to list three specific changes they would like to make in themselves.