Projection’s definition required a definitive trait-possession metric that psychology lacks

Evidence

Holmes’s first criterion was trait possession; in other words, direct projection could only be labeled as such if the projector actually possessed the trait being attributed to someone else. It was not enough for a person to simply fear possessing the trait. Unfortunately, the usefulness of this criterion is dependent on there being a definitive method for deciding that a person “has” a trait, and as has already been noted, that is not the case. — , Rudman, Laurie A - On the Nature of…, 2351

Categorization

• XREF: Connects to the replicability and construct-validity crisis literature in social psychology; also echoes criminology’s measurement disputes over latent traits.