Name ____________________________________ Age/Sex___________________

Date_________________________
SACKS SENTECE COMPLETION TEST
Below are 60 incomplete sentences. Read each one and finish it by writing the FIRST THING
that comes to your mind. Work as quickly as you can. Do not spend too much time on each
item. If you cannot complete an item outright, encircle the number and return to it later.
1. I feel that my father seldom________________________________________________
2. When the odds are against me_______________________________________________
3. I always wanted to________________________________________________________
4. If I were in charge_________________________________________________________
5. To me the future looks_____________________________________________________
6. The men over me_________________________________________________________
7. I know it is silly but I am afraid of_____________________________________________
8. I feel that a real friend______________________________________________________
9. When I was a child________________________________________________________
10. My idea of a perfect woman is______________________________________________
11. When I see a man and woman together_______________________________________
12. Compared with most families, mine__________________________________________
13. At work, I get along best with_______________________________________________
14. My mother______________________________________________________________
15. I would do anything to forget the time I________________________________________
16. If my father would only____________________________________________________

17. I believe that I have the ability to____________________________________________

18. I could be perfectly happy if________________________________________________
19. If people work for me_____________________________________________________
20. I look forward to_________________________________________________________
21.In school, my teachers____________________________________________________
22. Most of my friends dont know that I am afraid of________________________________
23. I dont like people who____________________________________________________
24. Before, I_______________________________________________________________
25. I think most girls/boys____________________________________________________
26. My feeling about married life is______________________________________________
27. My family treats me like___________________________________________________
28. Those I work with are_____________________________________________________
29. My mother and I_________________________________________________________
30. My greatest mistake was__________________________________________________
31. I wish my father__________________________________________________________
32. My greatest weakness was_________________________________________________
33. My secret ambition in life__________________________________________________
34. The people who work for me_______________________________________________
35. Someday I_____________________________________________________________
36. When I see the boss coming_______________________________________________

37.I wish I could lose the fear of_______________________________________________

38.The people I like best_____________________________________________________
39.If I were young again_____________________________________________________
40.I believe most women/men_________________________________________________
41.If I had sex relations______________________________________________________
42.Most families I know______________________________________________________
43.I like working with people who______________________________________________
44.I think that most mothers__________________________________________________
45.When I was younger, I felt guilty about________________________________________
46.I feel that my father is_____________________________________________________
47.When luck turns against me________________________________________________
48.In giving orders to others I_________________________________________________
49.What I want most out of life________________________________________________
50.When I am older_________________________________________________________
51.People whom I consider my superiors________________________________________
52.My fears sometimes force me to_____________________________________________
53.When Im not around, my friends____________________________________________
54.My most vivid childhood___________________________________________________
56.My sex life is____________________________________________________________
57.When I was a child my family_______________________________________________

58.People who work with me usually____________________________________________

59.I like my mother but______________________________________________________
60. The worst thing I ever did_________________________________________________

SACKS SENTENCE COMPLETION TEST

NATURE OF THE TEST
Dr. Joseph M. Sacks and other psychologist of 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 namely:
family sex interpersonal relationship self-concept
It has felt that items included in this test present sufficient opportunities for the
subject to express his attitudes so that clinical psychologist may infer his dominant
personality traits/trends. Such information is useful in screening patient for therapy,
which gives clues to content and dynamics of patients attitudes and feelings.
NATURE OF THE SCALE FAMILY The family area included three sets of attitudes
namely: a) those towards mother, b) father, and c) family unit. It is hoped that even
when the subject becomes evasive or cautious, at least one of the four items in
each area will reveal significant response.
SEX The sex area includes attitudes towards woman and heterosexual relationship.
The 8 items in this area allows the subject to express himself with regards to
woman, towards marriage, and with respect to sexual relationship.
INTERERSONAL RELATIONSHIP The area of interpersonal relationship includes
attitudes towards friends and acquaintances, colleagues at work or school, superior
at work or school, and people supervised. The 16 items in this area affords the
subject to express his feelings towards those.
SELF-CONCEPT The area of self-concept includes fear, guilt feelings, goals and
attitudes towards ones own ability, concept of himself as he is, he was and as he
hopes to be. There are 24 items included in this area.
SCORING AND INTERPRETATION A rating sheet has been advised for the SSCT which
brings together under each attitude, the four stimulus item and the subjects
responses to them.
For example:
Attitude towards Father items: 1. I feel that my father seldom works. 16. If my father
would do better. 31. I wish that my father is dead. 46. I feel that my father is no
good. Those four responses are considered together and interpretative summary is
made that crystallizes the clinicians impression of the subjects attitude towards in

this area. In this case, the summary stated: Extreme hostility and contempt or
overt death wishes A rating is made of the subjects degree of disturbance in this
area according to the following scale:
2 - SEVERELY DISTURBED Appears to require the therapeutic aid in handling
emotional conflicts in this area. 1 MILDLY DISTURBED Has emotional conflict in this
area but appears able to handle them without therapeutic aid. 0 No Significant
disturbance rated in this area X Unknown, Insufficient evidence
Sacks and Levy feel that it is more desirable to point out areas of disturbance and
determine these through a constellation of response. The validity of the rating is
dependent of course upon the clinical background of the examiner as well as upon
materials produced by the subject.
The following are the summaries and ratings of the individual attitudes and outlines
presented for a general summary of the SSCT findings. This includes the following:
1. Statement of those areas in which subject shows the most disturbed attitudes.
This may provide significant clues for therapist. 2. A description of the
interrelationships between attitudes with respect to content. This often illuminates
dynamic factors in the case.
Certain influences on the subjects personality structure case be made on the basis
of the SSCT, such as: 1. The subjects manner of response to impulse from within or
to stimuli from the environment. 2. The subjects nature of response to stress
impulsive or well-controlled. 3. The subjects thinking content: realistic, artistic, and
fantastic.
Interpretation Guide
Attitude towards Mother (14, 29, 44, 59) 2 = Completely rejects and depreciates
mother whom he considers over demanding. 1 = Sees mothers fault but accepts
and tolerates differences. 0 = express only positive feelings towards the mother.
Attitude towards Father (1, 16, 31, 46) 2 = feels extreme hostility and contempt
with overt death wishes. 1 = admires father but wishes that their relationship were
closer. 0 = expresses complete satisfaction with fathers personality.
Attitude towards Family Unit (2, 27, 42, 57) 2 = feels rejected by the family which
lacks solidarity and which has constantly contended with difficulties. 1 = aware that
the family does not recognize him as a mature person but has no difficulty in
relating with them. 0 = instability of the family domicile has had little effect on his
favorable feeling towards them.

Attitude towards Women ( 10, 25, 40, 55) 2 = extremely suspicious, possible
homosexual tendency 1 = high ideas but ambivalent feelings. 0 = only minor or
superficial criticisms
Attitude towards Heterosexual Relationship (11,26,41,56) 2 = appears to have given
up achieving good sexual adjustment 1 = deserved sexual experiences but
reservation about his ability to maintain marital relationship. 0 = indicates
satisfaction towards this area
Attitude towards Friends and Acquaintances (8,23,38,53) 2 = suspicious and
apparently seclusive 1= seems to wait approval of others before committing himself
emotionally 0 = express mutual relationship with friends and self
Attitude towards People Supervised (4,19,34,58) 2 = feels he can handle or control
hostility in handling others 1 = feels capable of doing good supervisory but has
misgivings about assuming an authoritarian role. 0 = feels controllable and well
accepted by subordinates.
Attitude towards Supervisors at work or School (6,21,36,51) 2 = resents or fear
authority 1 = mild difficulty in accepting difficulty 0 =
Attitude towards Colleague at work/school (13,28,43,58) 2 = feels rejected by
colleagues, and condemns them 1 = has some difficulty at work and depends on
colleagues 0 = expresses good mutual feelings
Fear (7,22,37,52) 2 = disturbed by the apparent fear of loving, possibility to control
his feelings 1 = fear of self-assertion which is fairly common and not pervasive. 0 =
lack of fear
Guilt Feelings (15,30,45,60) 2 = concerned with spiritual feeling and physical sex
drives 1 = has regret over past and seems mildly disturbed by his failure to control
his trouble. 0 = does not seem to be aware of guilt feelings
Attitude towards Own Ability (2,7,32,47) 2 = feels completely incompetent and
hopeless 1 = feels he has a specific ability but tends to fear difficulty 0 = confident
on his ability to overcome obstacles
Attitude towards Past (9,24,39,54) 2 = feels rejected and isolated 1 = 0 = feels well
adjusted, no significant disturbance in the past
Attitude towards the Future (5, 20, 35, 50) 2 = pessimistic, no hope in his own
resources for happiness and success 1 = unsure of himself but tries to be optimistic
0 = seems confident in achieving his goals

Goals (3, 18,53,49) 2 = lack of motivation for achievement 1 = desires material

things for family as well as for himself 0 =