The Holtzman Inkblot Technique and aging: norms and factor structure

The Holtzman Inkblot Technique (HIT) was individually administered to 102 elderly community-living adults, aged 59-94. The purpose of the present study was to gather basic normative data for a sample of noninstitutionalized elderly persons, as well as to investigate the factorial composition of the HIT for the present cohort of elderly. Substantial variation across persons was noted for 18 of 22 HIT variables, and a principal axis solution (varimax rotation) yielded 7 identifiable factors, similar in some respects to those identified in previous analyses of the HIT with other age cohorts. Substantial within-cohort variation for several HIT scores was found across age and sex, but not for level of education. The implications of these data for the projective assessment of personality in elderly persons was discussed, and directions for future research were recommended.