About the Crisi Wartegg System (CWS) for the Wartegg Drawing Completion Test
The Crisi Wartegg System (CWS) is a standardized methodology for the clinical use (administration, scoring, and interpretation) of the Wartegg Drawing Completion Test (WDCT). The WDCT is a performance-based personality measure (semi-structured drawing technique) that can be completed in 5-10 minutes and is appropriate for children, adolescents, and adults. It is easy to administer, provides rich data (comparable to other performance-based personality measures), and is not overwhelming for clients to complete. Meta-analysis (Gronnerod & Gronnerod, 2011) attests to the validity of the WDCT in assessing personality and psychopathology. The CWS is recognized as a valid performance-based personality techique that can be used for certification in Therapeutic Assessment.
Created in 1926 by the German psychologist Ehrig Wartegg (1897-1983), the WDCT consists of eight boxes, each containing an ambiguous mark. The client completes each panel by making a meaningful drawing that incorporates the mark in that panel. The resulting drawings can be rigorously scored and interpreted according to a formal system (the Crisi Wartegg System) developed by Dr. Alessandro Crisi of the Istituto Italiano Wartegg in Rome, Italy. Psychologists in the United States, Italy, Japan, Scandinavia, and South America frequently use the measure in psychological assessments. It is also a selection tool of the Italian military.
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Crisi Wartegg System (CWS) Training Sequence
During the CWS training sequence, the presenters will review the history and theory of the WDCT, teach its administration, introduce the major features of the scoring system, discuss interpretation, and illustrate the utility of the test in combination with other personality measures. Like any performance-based measure, learning the CWS is training intensive. A brief description of each level is provided below:
Level 1: Learn administration and basics about the test (including statistical foundations, history, and scoring guidelines). Upon completion of this training level, clinicians are able to administer the test independently with clients, but require consultation with a member of the IIW to score, interpret, and incorporate into clinical work.
Level 2: Review basic (normative) interpretation of calculated indices and scores. Clinicians continue to be able to administer the test independently, but require consultation with a member of the IIW to score, interpret, and incorporate into clinical work.
Level 3: Hone interpretation and clinical conceptualization. Clinicians continue to be able to administer the test independently, but require consultation with a member of the IIW to score, interpret, and incorporate into clinical work.
Level 4 (Optional): Integrate the Wartegg with other measures (i.e., MMPI, Rorschach), and discuss Collaborative Therapeutic Assessment utility, through case consultations.
Crisi Wartegg System (CWS) Clinical Consultation
For clinicians trained in the administration of the WDCT according to the Crisi Wartegg System (CWS), Dr. Palm is available for individual or group clinical consultation (regarding specific clinical cases). To consult, clinicians typically send a de-identified CWS protocol, along with a typed transcript, and Dr. Palm scores the protocol (returning it to the clinician prior to consultation for review). A one-hour virtual consultation is scheduled, at the clinician’s convenience, during which the protocol is reviewed, interpreted, and integrated with other test results as they relate to assessment questions.
Interested clinicians should contact Dr. Palm for more information, or to arrange a consultation.
Visit the SCCCA online registration portal for a list of current CWS Trainings.
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For more information on the Crisi Wartegg System, clinicians can reference the English-language Manual for Administration, Scoring and Interpretation, published in 2018:
Crisi, A., & Palm, J. A. (2018). The Crisi Wartegg System (CWS): Manual for administration, scoring, and interpretation. Routledge.
The Wartegg Manual is available from the publisher here: Routledge
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