This, too.
THE CAT TEST
To accurately identify emotionally disturbed individuals, Foster, Algovrine, and Kaufman (in press) developed the Cat Test. This simple, yet novel, test is easily administered by professionals, parents, or aides. There are three steps:
1) Place testee in empty room facing far wall.
2) Place cat in center of room. Lock the door.
3) After 10 minutes, enter the room and observe results.
Foster et al. noted that the Cat Test allows for fine discrimination between subsets of Mental Illness, offering the following interpretations of the results:
1) OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE DISORDER: Four neat piles of fur found in the corners of the room – cat alive, but cold.
2) SOCIALIZED DELINQUENT: Fur scattered randomly about room and on testee – cat alive, still cold.
3) BI-POLAR (manic stage): Pieces of cat scattered randomly about room – CAT TERMINATED.
4) BI-POLAR (depressive stage): Pieces of testee scattered about room – emotional stability of cat suspect.
5) PARANOID REACTION: Testee cowering in far corner of the room – cat alive and sleeping in the center of the room.
6) PSYCHOPATHOLOGY: Only evidence of cat is skin, wrapped loosely about testee’s head – CAT ASSUMED TERMINATED.
7) SCHIZOPHRENIC REACTION: Testee in center of room carrying on long, existential discussion with cat – cat alive, but confused.
8) NEUROTIC REACTION: Testee asking cat for advice about migraine headache – cat alive, still confused.
9) CATATONIC REACTION: Testee in corner of room with back arched, hair on end, hissing, and refusing to acknowledge presence of cat – cat alive, very confused, and sexually aroused.
Seems as good a system as any.
THE CAT TEST
To accurately identify emotionally disturbed individuals, Foster, Algovrine, and Kaufman (in press) developed the Cat Test. This simple, yet novel, test is easily administered by professionals, parents, or aides. There are three steps:
1) Place testee in empty room facing far wall.
2) Place cat in center of room. Lock the door.
3) After 10 minutes, enter the room and observe results.
Foster et al. noted that the Cat Test allows for fine discrimination between subsets of Mental Illness, offering the following interpretations of the results:
1) OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE DISORDER: Four neat piles of fur found in the corners of the room – cat alive, but cold.
2) SOCIALIZED DELINQUENT: Fur scattered randomly about room and on testee – cat alive, still cold.
3) BI-POLAR (manic stage): Pieces of cat scattered randomly about room – CAT TERMINATED.
4) BI-POLAR (depressive stage): Pieces of testee scattered about room – emotional stability of cat suspect.
5) PARANOID REACTION: Testee cowering in far corner of the room – cat alive and sleeping in the center of the room.
6) PSYCHOPATHOLOGY: Only evidence of cat is skin, wrapped loosely about testee’s head – CAT ASSUMED TERMINATED.
7) SCHIZOPHRENIC REACTION: Testee in center of room carrying on long, existential discussion with cat – cat alive, but confused.
8) NEUROTIC REACTION: Testee asking cat for advice about migraine headache – cat alive, still confused.
9) CATATONIC REACTION: Testee in corner of room with back arched, hair on end, hissing, and refusing to acknowledge presence of cat – cat alive, very confused, and sexually aroused.
Seems as good a system as any.
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