The Perception-of-Relationships Test (PORT)

Barry Bricklin, Ph.D.
Data-Based. Measures How Close a Child Feels to Each Parent,
and the Postive and Negative Impacts of Each Relationship.
Age 3 Years, 2 Months and Up.

The Test
The Main Strengths of the PORT
Administration & Scoring
Reliability and Validity
PORT Computer Scoring Profile

The Test

Like its companion test, the Bricklin Perceptual Scales (BPS), the PORT is a data-based projective test, where the data base has been developed specifically to assist informed custody decision making.

The Perception-of-Relationships Test (PORT), is made up of seven tasks (mostly drawings) that measure the degree to which a child seeks to be psychologically "close" to each parent, and the strengths and weaknesses developed as a result of interacting with each parent.

Specifically, the PORT measures:

1. the degree to which a child seeks psychological "closeness" (positive interactions with) each parent; and

2. the types of action tendencies (dispositions to behave in certain ways e.g., assertively, passively, aggressively, fearfully, etc.) - adaptive as well as maladaptive - the child has had to develop to permit or accommodate interaction with each parent.

It is particularly useful in custody decision making because it sheds light on the degree to which a child actually seeks interaction with a given parent, and reflects the degree to which he or she has been able to work out a comfortable, conflict-free style of relating to each parent.

The Main Strengths of the PORT

It can be used with children as young as 3 years, 2 months of age. Appendix IV of the PORT Handbook not only illustrates PORT responses of children in that age-range, but also some examples gathered from children as young as 2.

2. Its intentions are extremely well disguised, making it particularly helpful where children have been exposed to bribery and loyalty conflicts.

3. It is exceedingly sensitive to the dynamics of parent-child relationships, and has been used with great accuracy to detect physical and sexual abuse.

4. A rich assortment of clinical data is given in the PORT handbook which makes it possible to learn a great deal about how the child has profited from, or been weakened by, his or her relationship with each parent. These data are useful in many clinical situations, in addition to the custody field.

Administration & Scoring

One spiral-bound booklet contains everything necessary to ADMINISTER, RECORD and SCORE the PORT.

The booklet has been designed to provide a permanent record of each PORT that is administered. A separate PORT BOOKLET is used with each child.

The PORT BOOKLET utilizes 3 different colored pages. White pages contain the test stimuli to which the child responds. Blue pages contain administration and scoring directions. Green pages are used to block the child's view of the blue pages. After the test is administered, the green pages are removed. This brings together the child's answers with the scoring directions; everything needed to score the PORT will now be visible and handy.

Time for administration and scoring: about 30 minutes, total.

Reliability and Validity

An early study showed an 89 percent agreement rate between courtroom judges and the PORT in choosing optimal primary caretaking parents. Current studies show increases in this number to the 90 to 95 percent range (due to great refinement in the scoring scheme.)

The validation process for the PORT has been going on for more than 25 years. Two chapters in the PORT HANDBOOK are devoted to an in-depth summary of the PORT's validity and reliability data.

PORT COMPUTER SCORING PROFILE (unlimited use) (PORT-CSP)VP102-CSP
6 page visual interpretation with all of the 7 tasks summarized and consolidated test results. For Windows.

First published in 1989, the PORT has been administered over 150,000 times,
helping nationwide with custody decisions.

PERCEPTION-OF-RELATIONSHIP TEST (PORT) VP102

Contains: Updated PORT Handbook, 8 PORT Test/Scoring Booklets, 1 PORT Pen, PORT Eraser, Updates, Author Contact Number, 3 Years Update Service, Newest Validity Report.

Perception-Of-Relationship Test Kit (VP102): $248

Additional PORT Test/Scoring Booklets:

8 for $129

16 for $179

24 for $239

PORT Computer Scoring Profile (CSP) Windows compatible, 6 pages, scoring and presentation of results using graphs, pie charts, etc. Unlimited uses. Saves.

PORT-CSP CD ROM: $248

PORT Handbook: $179