RISB

Name____________________ Sex___________ Age__________

Marital Status_____________ Date______________
Complete these sentences to express your real feelings. Try to do every one.
Be sure to make complete sentences.

1. I like……………………………………………………………………………………....
2. The happiest time………………………………………………………………………....
3. I want to know………………………………………………………………………........
4. Back home………………………………………………………………………………..
5. I regret…………………………………………………………………………………….
6. At bedtime ………………………………………………………………………………..
7. Boys……………………………………………………………………………………....
8. The best…………………………………………………………………………………...
9. What annoys me…………………………………………………………………………..
10. People…………………………………………………………………………………....
11. A mother………………………………………………………………………………...
12. I feel…………………………………………………………………………………......
13. My great fear…………………………………………………………………………….
14. In high school…………………………………………………………………………....
15. I can’t…………………………………………………………………………………....
16. Sports…………………………………………………………………………………....
17. When I was child………………………………………………………………………..
18. My nerves………………………………………………………………………………..
19. Other people……………………………………………………………………………..
20. I suffer…………………………………………………………………………………...
21. I failed…………………………………………………………………………………...
22. Reading………………………………………………………………………………….
23. My mind………………………………………………………………………………....
24. The future………………………………………………………………………………..
25. I need…………………………………………………………………………………….
26. Marriage………………………………………………………………………………....
27. I am best when…………………………………………………………………………..
28. Sometimes……………………………………………………………………………….
29. What pains me…………………………………………………………………………...
30. I hate……………………………………………………………………………………..
31. This school……………………………………………………………………………....
32. I am very………………………………………………………………………………...
33. The only trouble……………………………………………………………….………...
34. I wish…………………………………………………………………………………….
35. My father………………………………………………………………………………...
36. I secretly………………………………………………………………………………....
37. I………………………………………………………………………………………….
38. Dancing………………………………………………………………………………….
39. My greatest worry is…………………………………………………………………….
40. Most girls………………………………………………………………………………..
CURRENT ADMINISTRATION
The printed instructions are given on the page which state complete these sentences to express your real feelings.
Try to do every one. Be sure to make a complete sentence. No further instructions are given except to repeat the
printed instructions if necessary and to urge subjects to complete all the items. Administration to a group of any
number of subjects is possible. The approximate average time for administration is twenty minutes.

THE USE OF SCORING MANUAL

Sentence completions are used from examples in the scoring manuals by assigning a numerical weight from 0
to 6 for each sentence and totaling the weights to obtain the overall score. The scoring examples in part II of this
manual are given to facilitate the assignment of weights to responses. They are from ISB responses of 58 male and
53 female college students, ranging from extremely well adjusted person to those judged to be in need of
psychotherapy. Since the scoring examples are illustrative and representative of common responses with no intent to
list all possible sentence completions, a set of scoring principles will be presented. These principles are intended to
aid in determing the correct weight for a completion when a very similar statement cannot be found in the scoring
examples.
In order to provide the potential user of the ISB with “supervised” experience before attempting to score
clinical or experimental records. The correct scoring for these records is given at the end. These examples will
enable the clinician to check his scoring against that of the authors. They may also use by a clinic supervisor to
check the scoring ability of any student or general scorer.
Sentence completion is used for illustrative purposes in the following discussion are taken almost entirely from
the manual.

SCORING PRINCIPLES
OMISSION RESPONSE
Omission responses are designated as those for which no answer is given or for which the thought is incomplete.
Omissions and fragments are not scored.
It is recognized that in a clinical situations are occasionally provocative since they may point to areas which the
individual does not recognize or cannot bring himself to express.
For all responses which are subsumed under the heading of incomplete thoughts or omissions, no scoring is made.
After the remainder of responses is prorated by the formula {40 / (40-omissions)} times the total scores however, if
there are more than 20 omissions, the paper is considered unscorable for all practical purposes.
For example, “Most girls . . . don’t appeal to me except sexually because”; or “I hate . . . the thought of going home
since”
CONFLICT RESPONSES
“C” or conflict, responses are those indicating an un healthy or maladjusted frame of mind. These include
hostility reactions, pessimism, symptom elicitation, hopelessness and suicidal wishes, statements of unhappy
experiences, and indications of past maladjustment.
Responses range from C1 to C3 according to the severity of the conflict or maladjusted expressed. The numerical
weights for the conflict responses are
C1=4
C2=5
C3=6
Typical of the C1 category are responses in which concern is expressed regarding such things as the world state of
affairs, financial problems, specific school difficulties, physical complaints, identification with minority groups, and
so on. In general it might be said that subsumed under C1 are minor problems which are not deep-seated or
incapacitating, and more or less specific difficulties.
More serious indications of maladjustment are found in the C2 category. On the whole the responses refer to
broader, more generalized difficulties than are found in C1. I Included here are expressions of inferiority feelings,
psychosomatic complaints, concern over possible failure, generalized school problems, lack of goals, feeling of
inadequacy, concern over vocational choice, and difficulty in heterosexual relationships as well as generalized social
difficulty.
Expression of severe conflict or indications of maladjustments are rated C3. Among the difficulties found in this
area are suicidal wishes, sexual conflicts, severe family problems, fear of insanity, strong negative attitudes toward
people in general, feelings of confusion, expression of rather bizarre attitudes, and so forth.
For example, “I like . . . to know if I am crazy”. This type of response will lie in C3 category. “The happiest time .
. . is over” and this type of response will lie in C2 category. “I want to know . . . about life”, this type of response
will lie in C1 category

POSITIVE RESPONSES
“P” or positive responses are those indicating a healthy or hopeful frame of mind. These are evidence by
humorous or flippant remarks, optimistic responses, and acceptance reactions.
Responses range from P1to P3 depending on the degree of good adjustment expressed in the statement. The
numerical weights for the positive responses are
P1= 2
P2=1
P3=0
In the P1 class common responses are those which deal with positive attitudes toward school, hobbies, sports,
expression interest in people, expression of warm feeling toward some individual and so on.
Generally found under the heading of P2 are those replies which indicate a generalized positive feeling toward
people, good social adjustment, healthy family life, optimism and humor.
Clear cut good natured humor, real optimism, and warm acceptance are types of responses which are subsumed
under the P3 group. The ISB deviates from the majority of the test in that it scores humorous responses.
For example, “I like . . . to have good time”, this type of response will lie in P1 category. “The happiest time . . . is
yet to come”, this type of response will lie in P2 category. “Back home . . . are many friends”, this type of response
will lie in P3 category.

NEUTRAL RESPONSES
“N” or neutral responses are those not falling clearly into either of the above categories. They are generally on a
simple descriptive level. Two general types of responses which account for a large share of those that fall in the
neutral category. One group includes those lacking emotional tone or personal reference. The other group is
composed of many responses which are found as often among maladjusted as among adjusted individual and
through clinical judgment could not be legitimately place in either C or P group. All the N responses are scored 3.
For example, “Most girls . . . are females” or “When I was child . . . I spoke as a child”. These types of responses
will lie in neutral responses.

INDEPENDENT SCORING OF ITEMS

Each response is to be scored and evaluated independently of all others, except when it is clear-cut reference to a
previous statement. It is, of course, important in the scoring of any papers to avoid the halo effect as much as
possible so that the measurement can be reliable. This is equally necessary here for, if each response is not scored
independently of all others, there is a tendency to rate all responses in light of the over-all picture.
In some cases a response refers directly to a previous item, and it would not be reasonable to score it independently
of the first. In such an instance, therefore, a previous response must be used in the evaluation of the later one.
For example, “I wish . . . he were dead” in one record had reference to the preceding sentence when the individual
said, “the only trouble . . . is I wish I could forget I’ll be like my father”. Another instance is, “I secretly . . . blame
my mother”, which refers to a precedent, “My father . . . was a suicide”.

QUALIFICATION
Responses which start like an example in the manual but are differently qualified are scored with a consideration of
these qualifications.
For example, it may be seen that the following responses should be scored higher than if they had not been qualified.
“Sports . . . I have always liked, yet they don’t hold my interest like they did”. Or “This school . . . is o.k., but it’s
too close to home”.
There are also responses which will be given lower ratings than they would get without the qualification. Common
among these are responses given by individuals subsequent to therapy. “The future . . . is uncertain, but I think I can
lick it”. Or “Back home . . . life was pretty miserable, but I think I can cope with the situation now”.
Such qualifications may change the weighting of the response by one or more points.
EXTEME WIEGHTS
In cases when a response seems to be more extreme than the examples cited, then it is permissible to use an
extreme weight. These weights may be assigned, however, if clearly warranted. In cases when a response seems to
be more extreme than the examples cited, then it is permissible to use an extreme weight. If the following responses
were given they would be scored 6, although there are no examples listed for these items. “Sports . . . should not be
allowed for mixed groups because they are too stimulation”. Or “Reading . . . is one thing I hate”.

UNUSUALLY LONG RESPONSES

In cases where the response is unusually long, it should be given an additional point in the direction of “C” unless
it has already been rated 6. It has been found that the maladjusted individual often writes long involved sentences as
if compelled to express himself fully and not misunderstood. On the other hand well-adjusted person frequently
replies to the stimuli with short concise statements.
For example, one poorly adjusted individual wrote, “I am best when . . . I am under no pressure of responsibility
concerning the accomplishment of a given thing within a certain specified time”. An adjusted person wrote, “I am
best when . . . I’m having a party”. This does not seem to be a function of intelligence as might be hypothesized. The
previous responses were from two superior intelligence. The following are reactions of two individuals of lesser
ability, the maladjusted students wrote, “I like . . . agriculture”. A well-adjusted individual wrote simply, “I like . . .
people”.
The only exception to this rule concerns neutral completions. If the response is a common quotation, stereotype or
song title, it is always scored as neutral, regardless of length.