Rorshach inkblot test

Many people have heard of the famous Rorschach inkblot test in which respondents are
asked to look at ambiguous inkblot images and then describe what they see. The test often
appears in popular culture and is frequently portrayed as a way of revealing a person’s
unconscious thoughts, motives, or desires.

The Rorschach inkblot test is a type of projective psychological test created in 1921 by a
Swiss psychologist named Hermann Rorschach. Often utilized to assess personality and
emotional functioning, it is the second most commonly used forensic test after the MMPI-2. One
1995 survey of 412 clinical psychologists by the American Psychological Association revealed
that 82% used the Rorschach inkblot test at least occasionally.

The rorshach has traditionally been considered a projective test consisting of a set of 10
bilaterally symmetrical inkblots. It is based on the use of inkblots, which is where it acquired the
name RT.

Goal

. The overall goal of the technique is to assess the structure of personality, with particular
emphasis on how individuals construct their experience (cognitive structuring) and the meanings
assigned to their perceptual experiences.

Assumptions

The central assumption of the Rorschach is that stimuli from the environment are
organized by a person’s specific needs, motives, and conflicts, and by certain perceptual “sets.”
This need for organization becomes more exaggerated, extensive, and conspicuous when
subjects are confronted with ambiguous stimuli, such as inkblots. Thus, they must draw on their
personal internal images, ideas, and relationships to create a response. This process requires that
persons organize these perceptions as well as associate them with experiences and impressions.
The central thesis on which Rorschach interpretation is based is this: The process by which
persons organize their responses to the Rorschach is representative of how they confront other
ambiguous situations requiring organization and judgment. Once the responses have been made
and recorded, they are scored according to three general categories: (a) the location, or the area
of the inkblot on which they focused; (b) determinants, or specific properties of the blot they
used in making their responses (color, shape, and so on); and (c) the content, or general class of
objects to which the response belongs (human, architecture, anatomy, etc.)

Scoring systems

Exners comprehensive system is most widely used .

History

Rorschach was certainly not the first to suggest that a person's interpretation of an
ambiguous scene might reveal hidden aspects of that individual's personality. He may have been
inspired to create his famous test by a variety of influences.

As a boy, Rorschach had a great appreciation for klecksography or the art of making images
from inkblots. As he grew older, Rorschach developed a mutual interest in art
and psychoanalysis. He even published papers analyzing the artwork of mental patients,
suggesting that the art they produced could be used to learn more about their personalities

How Did Rorschach Create the Inkblot Test?

Rorschach developed his approach after studying more than 400 subjects, including over
300 mental patients and 100 control subjects. His 1921 book Psychodiagnostik presented ten
inkblots that he selected as having high diagnostic value. The book also detailed his approach to
scoring responses to the test. His intention when creating the test was not to develop a general
use projective personality test. Instead, his goal was to create a test that could be used in the
diagnosis of schizophrenia.

Rorschach's book found little success, and he died suddenly at age 37 just one year after
the text's publication. Following the publication of the book, however, a wide variety of scoring
systems emerged. The test has grown to be one of the most popularly used psychological tests.
How Does the Rorschach Inkblot Test Work?

In order to understand how the inkblot tests work, it is important to understand how what it
consists of and how it is administered.

 The Rorschach test consists of 10 inkblot images, some of which are black, white, or gray
and some of which are color.
 A psychologist or psychiatrist who has been trained in the use, scoring and interpretation
of the test shows each of the ten cards to the respondent. During the test, the subject is
provided with each of the ten cards, one by one.
 The subject is then asked to describe what he or she thinks the card looks like.
 Test-takers are allowed to hold the cards in any position they may want, whether it is
upside down or sideways.
 The respondents are free to interpret the ambiguous image however they want.
 They may also respond in any way that they want. They may say that they see one thing,
several different things, or even nothing at all.
 Test-takers can focus on the image as a whole, on certain aspects of the image, or even on
the white space that surrounds the image.
 Once the subject has provided a response, the psychologist will then ask additional
questions to get the subject to further elaborate on his or her initial impressions.
 The psychologist also rates the reactions on a large number of variables such as whether
the subject looked at the whole image. These observations are then interpreted and
compiled into a profile of the individual.

Administration

Examiner should standardize their administration procedures as much as possible.

This is particularly important because research has consistently indicated that it is
relatively easy to influence a subject`s response. For example, saying the word good after
each response. Can increase the overall number of responses an the roshach by as much
as 50% .
 Similarly examiner`s who were told that more experienced examiners elicited a
greater proportion of human than animal reponses actually produced this pattern from
examinees, even though the examiners believed they were providing a standard
administration.

Step 1 introducing the respondent to the technique

Allow the examinee to feel relatively comfortable with testing procedures

Step 2 giving the testing instructions

 What might you see?

 Subject maximum freedom to respond to the stimuli in his or her own manner
 Side by side not face to face decrease the possible influence of the examiners
nonverbal behavior
 Minimize examiner influence

Step 3 the response (association ) phase:

 There is no right or wrong answers, should be mentioned

 Time should be recorded (when subjects first see the card and ends when they
make their initial response, as well as the total time they spend with each card)
 Measurements can be helpful in revealing the general approach to the card and the
possible difficulties in coming up with the responses.
 Cards II,III &Vare generally easy to respond to and usually have shorter reaction
time than cards VI,IX & X which typically produce the largest reaction time.
 The average no of responses is 22.32 (17 to 27).
 If a client provides six or more responses to the first inkblot, the examiner should
remove the inkblot.
 On all subsequent inkblots, the same procedure should be used whenever the
client provides five or more responses.
 However if fewer than 6 reponses to the first inkblot are given, no other limits on
either the first inkblot or any later inkblot should be provided.
  Exners (2003) stresses that all reponses must be recorded verbatim. To simplify
this process, most clinician develop a series of abbreviation (V,<,>,^)
 Any odd or unusual response to cards such as apparent increase in anxiety,
wandering of attention or acting out on any of the percepts.

Step 4: inquiry

 The inquiry should begin after all 10 cards have been administered. Its purpose is
to collect the additional information required for an accurate scoring of the
responses.
 It is intended to clarify the responses that have already been given, not to obtain
new responses. The inquiry should not end until this goal has been accomplished.
 The inquiry should not influence subjects responses.
 Nondirective questions are preferred.
 Outcomes of inquiry is the collection of information sufficient to decide on
scoring for location and determinants.
 Point the percepts.
 Awareness of subject should be check.

How Are Inkblot Interpreted?

So what exactly do interpreters of the Rorschach test look for when they are analyzing
responses to the inkblots? The actual content of the responses is one thing, but other factors are
essential as well. Some of the things that interpreters are looking at include:

 How respondents describe the image. Certain responses are common on each card, so
scorers include a code that identifies such responses.
 How long they take to respond. Taking a very long time before offering a response
might indicate that the respondent is "shocked" by what they see.
  Factors are known as determinants, which can include location, form, color, and
shading, that generate a response.
 Extra or unrelated comments. Any additional comments that are made that are no part
of the main response.
 The popularity or originality of the responses given. Some responses are quite
common, while others may be much more unique. Highly atypical responses are notable
since they might indicate disturbances in thought patterns.

Interpretations of the Inkblot Test

The first card in the Rorschach test is a black and white symmetrical image that
respondents frequently describe as a bat, butterfly, or moth. Seeing animal or human shapes is a
common response to each of the 10 cards.

The third inkblot, for example, is often described as being two human figures engaged in
some type of interaction. Responses to this card are thought to provide information about how
the individual interacts with other people. A relatively fast response might indicate being at ease
with others and comfortable with social relationships. A delayed response, however, might
reveal that the individual struggles with social interactions.

Certain inkblots contain the color red, which is sometimes perceived as blood. Responses
to such cards can be an indication of how people cope with threats of harm or how they deal with
anger. Sexual imagery is also often seen in many of the cards.

Responses, thus recorded, are scored according to the form level, determinants,
location, and content. The location is the section of the blot chosen – the whole card, or a major
or minor detail. There are various determinants that determine the characteristics of a person.
These include features of the blot like shading, texture, or color that influence the response. The
content is what of the response, for instance, a bat, a human torso, butterfly, etc. Form level
indicates whether the response is consistent with the shape of the blot and the complexity of the
response.
If a response reflects the shape of the blot, it is considered as a sign of adequate reality
testing. Likewise, a response that richly integrates several features of the blot is considered to be
a sign of high intellectual functioning. Rorschach is thought to be a useful test that provides
insight into a person’s intelligence, interests, and cultural background, degree of introversion or
extraversion, level of anxiety, reality testing, and a host of other variables.
Scoring
 Exner comprehensive scoring system is used for scoring.
 Includes location,determinants,content and popularity.
 15 special scores for responses such as unusual verbalizations and aggressive movements.
 6 special indices are created.
Symbol Definition Criterion
W Whole response Where the entire blot is used
in the response . all portions
must be used.
D Common detail response A frequently identified area of
the blot
Dd Unusual detail response an infrequently identified ares
of the blot.
S Space response A white space is used in the
response ( scored only with
another location symbol in
WS,DS,Dds)

How Is the Inkblot Test Used as a Diagnostic Tool?

While the Rorschach has long been a popular psychological test, its value has also been
heavily questioned. Surveys have suggested that between 43 and 77 percent of clinical
psychologists use the Rorschach as an assessment tool. However, one review concluded that the
Rorschach test had little validity as a diagnostic instrument.
 Research suggests that certain responses to the inkblots might be indicative of
schizophrenia and possibly bipolar disorder and schizotypal personality disorder. However,
studies suggest that responses to the inkblot do not appear related to a posttraumatic stress
disorder, anxiety disorders, conduct disorder, major depressive disorder, dependent personality
disorder, narcissistic personality disorder, conduct disorder, or antisocial personality disorder.

Criticisms of the Rorschach Test

Despite the popularity of the Rorschach test, it has remained the subject of considerable
controversy. Many of the criticisms center on how the test is scored and whether the results have
any diagnostic value.

Concerns Related to Scoring the Inkblot Test

The test was criticized extensively during the 1950s and 1960s for its lack of
standardized procedures, scoring methods, and norms.

Before 1970, there were as many as five scoring systems that differed so dramatically
that they essentially represented five different versions of the test. In 1973, John Exner published
a comprehensive new scoring system that combined the strongest elements of the earlier systems.
The Exner scoring system is now the standard approach used in the administration, scoring, and
interpretation of the Rorschach test.

Concerns Over Poor Validity and Reliability

In addition to early criticism of the inconsistent scoring systems, detractors note that the
test's poor validity means that it is unable to accurately identify most psychological disorders. As
you can imagine, scoring the test can be a highly subjective process.

Another key criticism of the Rorschach is that it lacks reliability. In other words, two
clinicians might arrive at very different conclusions even when looking at the same subject's
responses.
Concerns Over Diagnoses

The test has shown some effectiveness in the diagnosis of illnesses characterized by
distorted thinking such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Some experts caution, however,
that since the Exner scoring system contains errors, clinicians might be prone to over-diagnosing
psychotic disorders if they rely heavily on Exner's system.

Inkblot Tests Can Provide Useful Information

The test is primarily used in psychotherapy and counseling, and those who use it
regularly often do so as a way of obtaining a great deal of qualitative information about how a
person is feeling and functioning. The therapist and client can then further explore some of these
issues during therapy.

Despite the controversies and criticisms over its use, the Rorschach test remains widely
used today in a variety of situations such as in schools, hospitals, and courtrooms.

Current status

According to the Society for Personality Assessment, the Rorschach inkblot test is
second in popularity only to the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory among
professionals in the field.

Case

Samantha is a 28-year-old lawyer. She is happily married and has recently discovered she is
pregnant. She and her husband had been trying to conceive for the past year.
I used the Rorschach as part of a leadership coaching programme with her. To give you a flavour
of the Rorschach in practice, here are her responses to this card.
"It's two people facing each other. You can see their heads, arms and legs spread out. (1) There is
a big cooking pot between them. They are stirring the cooking pot, making food. (2) The thing in
the middle is like two hearts - maybe it's meant to show that they are in love?
"(2) The red thing in the middle looks like a butterfly. I know it's silly - and probably because I'm
pregnant, but the (3) red things on each side look like newborn babies with the umbilical cords
still attached. When I think of that, the (4) two people could be a mummy and daddy holding a
Moses basket or cot. Look, you can see the blanket round the side.
"(2) The red in the middle is their two hearts joined and is the baby. (1) They could be fighting
for the baby, like a tug-of-war with the cot. That reminds me of work, which I haven't thought
about for ages. Parents divorcing and fighting over the children. God forbid that would happen to
me.

Interpretation
Samantha is a well-adjusted, confident and successful woman who is experiencing a particularly
happy period in her life. It is clear to see how she projects the themes of her current life on to the
inkblot.

There is a strong theme of partnership and attachment. The two people making something
("stirring the cooking pot"), alludes to Samantha's pregnancy. This theme is then reinforced ("the
red things on each side look like new-born babies with the umbilical cords still attached"), and
then instantiated ("the two people could be a mummy and daddy holding a Moses basket or
cot").

Anxiety is the opposing emotion to joy in Samantha's emotional dynamic. Worries about future
conflict with her partner intrude into her narrative ("they could be fighting for the baby, like a
tug-of-war with the cot").