SACKS' SENTENCE COMPLETION TEST
Nature of the Test
Dr. Joseph M. Sacks and other psychologists from the New York Veterans Administrative Mental
Hygiene Service developed a sentence completion test designed to obtain significant clinical material
in four representative areas of adjustment:
1. Family
2. Sex
3. Interpersonal Relationships
4. Self-Concept
This test provides sufficient opportunities for subjects to express their attitudes, allowing clinical
psychologists to infer dominant personality traits and trends. Such information is useful for screening
patients for therapy and understanding their attitudes and feelings.
Nature of the Scale
1. Family
This area includes three sets of attitudes:
• Attitudes towards Mother
• Attitudes towards Father
• Attitudes towards the Family Unit
Even if the subject is evasive, at least one of the four items in each area should reveal significant
responses.
2. Sex
This area includes attitudes towards women and heterosexual relationships. The eight items in this
area allow subjects to express their views on women, marriage, and sexual relationships.
3. Interpersonal Relationships
This area includes attitudes towards:
• Friends and acquaintances
• Colleagues at work or school
• Supervisors at work or school
• People the subject supervises
Sixteen items provide opportunities for the subject to express their feelings towards these groups.
4. Self-Concept
This area includes:
• Fear
• Guilt feelings
• Goals
• Attitudes towards one’s own abilities
• Self-perception in the past, present, and future
Twenty-four items explore how the subject views themselves in these aspects.
Scoring and Interpretation
A rating sheet compiles responses to the test items, grouping them under each attitude. For
example, attitudes toward the father are measured using the following items:
1. "I feel that my father seldom works."
2. "If my father would do better."
3. "I wish that my father were dead."
4. "I feel that my father is no good."
These responses are analyzed together to provide an interpretative summary. For example:
• "Extreme hostility and contempt or overt death wishes."
Scoring Scale:
• 2 - Severely Disturbed: Requires therapeutic aid for handling emotional conflicts.
• 1 - Mildly Disturbed: Experiences emotional conflict but can manage without therapeutic
aid.
• 0 - No Significant Disturbance
Sacks and Levy emphasize identifying disturbed areas through a constellation of responses. The
rating's validity depends on the examiner’s clinical expertise and the subject's provided materials.
Interpretation Guide
Attitude towards Family
• Mother (Items: 14, 29, 44, 59)
o 2 = Completely rejects and depreciates mother.
o 1 = Acknowledges mother's faults but tolerates them.
o 0 = Expresses only positive feelings toward the mother.
• Father (Items: 1, 16, 31, 46)
o 2 = Extreme hostility and contempt, possibly with death wishes.
o 1 = Admires father but desires a closer relationship.
o 0 = Complete satisfaction with father’s personality.
• Family Unit (Items: 2, 27, 42, 57)
o 2 = Feels rejected by an unstable, unsupportive family.
o 1 = Feels unrecognized as mature but can relate to family.
o 0 = Maintains favorable feelings towards family despite instability.
Attitude towards Sex and Relationships
• Women (Items: 10, 25, 40, 55)
o 2 = Extremely suspicious, possibly homosexual tendencies.
o 1 = High ideals but ambivalent feelings.
o 0 = Minor or superficial criticisms.
• Heterosexual Relationships (Items: 11, 26, 41, 56)
o 2 = Has given up on achieving sexual adjustment.
o 1 = Desires sexual experiences but doubts marital stability.
o 0 = Expresses satisfaction in this area.
Attitude towards Interpersonal Relationships
• Friends and Acquaintances (Items: 8, 23, 38, 53)
o 2 = Suspicious and seclusive.
o 1 = Waits for others’ approval before emotional commitment.
o 0 = Expresses mutual relationships with friends.
• People Supervised (Items: 4, 19, 34, 58)
o 2 = Struggles with controlling hostility when managing others.
o 1 = Capable but hesitant to assume authority.
o 0 = Feels accepted by subordinates.
• Supervisors at Work/School (Items: 6, 21, 36, 51)
o 2 = Resents or fears authority.
o 1 = Mild difficulty accepting authority.
o 0 = No significant disturbances.
• Colleagues at Work/School (Items: 13, 28, 43, 58)
o 2 = Feels rejected and condemns colleagues.
o 1 = Some difficulties, relies on colleagues.
o 0 = Expresses good mutual feelings.
Attitude towards Self-Concept
• Fear (Items: 7, 22, 37, 52)
o 2 = Deep fear of emotional expression.
o 1 = Fear of self-assertion but not pervasive.
o 0 = Lack of fear.
• Guilt Feelings (Items: 15, 30, 45, 60)
o 2 = Overwhelmed by guilt, especially related to spiritual or sexual conflicts.
o 1 = Regretful but mildly disturbed.
o 0 = No significant guilt feelings.
• Own Ability (Items: 2, 7, 32, 47)
o 2 = Feels completely incompetent and hopeless.
o 1 = Acknowledges ability but fears challenges.
o 0 = Confident in overcoming obstacles.
• Past (Items: 9, 24, 39, 54)
o 2 = Feels rejected and isolated.
o 1 = Some unresolved past difficulties.
o 0 = Feels well-adjusted.
• Future (Items: 5, 20, 35, 50)
o 2 = Pessimistic, no hope for success.
o 1 = Uncertain but tries to be optimistic.
o 0 = Confident in achieving goals.
• Goals (Items: 3, 18, 33, 49)
o 2 = Lacks motivation for achievement.
o 1 = Desires material success for family and self.
o 0=
