See discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.

net/publication/262564279

. Personality Characteristics of Addicts and Non-addicts Determined through

Rorschach Findings

Article in Pakistan Journal of Psychology · June 2009

CITATIONS READS

3 1,072

1 author:

Muhammad Tahir Khalily

Shifa Tameer-e-Millat University Islamabad
54 PUBLICATIONS 369 CITATIONS

SEE PROFILE

All content following this page was uploaded by Muhammad Tahir Khalily on 02 November 2019.

The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file.

This watermark does not appear in the registered version - http://www.clicktoconvert.com

Pakistan Journal of Psychology, June 2009, 40, 1, 3-15

PERSONALITY CHARACTERISTICS OF ADDICTS AND NON-

ADDICTS DETERMINED THROUGH RORSCHACH FINDINGS

Muhammad Tahir Khalily

Psychology Department and Addiction Treatment Unit
County Hospital, Roscommon.

ABSTRACT

The current study aims to explore underlying personality

characteristics of addicts and non-addicts examined by the
Rorschach Inkblot test to differentiate between the two groups. 25
addicts were randomly selected and matched with an equal number
of non-addicts. The subjects were contacted in Drug Treatment
Centres, Hayat Shaheed Teaching Hospital, Govt Lady Reading
Hospital and Dost Welfare Foundation (NGO), Peshawar, Pakistan.
A semi-structured interview was used for the collection of
demographics and drug related information. Rorschach Inkblot test
was administered on the subjects and their responses for each card
were recorded in their protocols and scored. A descriptive analysis
was carried out for the Rorschach findings and tabulated. The
results indicated that the addicts showed distinctive underlying
personality characteristics compared to their counterparts. It is
concluded that these personality aspects should be considered in the
formulation of and during the course of treatment. It recommends a
treatment strategy based on operant conditioning to avoid highly
cognitive demand treatment strategy at the initial phase to minimize
relapse.

INTRODUCTION

Addiction is a global problem, reducing social and human resources in

different parts of the world. It is not confined to certain social strata but appears
to affect all levels of society. Drug abuse is a serious problem in Pakistan, and
there is a tremendous increase in the addiction population since the early eighties;
it has now reached an alarming situation and has become a public health issue. It
is estimated that there are 4 million addicts in Pakistan with appalling figures of

3
This watermark does not appear in the registered version - http://www.clicktoconvert.com

KHALILY

injectable drug users (Anti Narcotics Force Islamabad, 2006). It is a serious as

well as a complex problem. In addition to its direct effect on health, its impact is
also associated with other problems both psychological and social; it produces
personality changes that affect not only the addicts but also those around them
and the community at large. In spite of the terrible consequences, people are
abusing drugs to escape from unpleasant experiences. Many factors are
considered responsible for this high-priced habit: health, social, personal, and
psychological issues. The causes range from pharmacological to environmental,
social, and psychological. However, personality characteristics are viewed as
significant indicators and are pivotal to understanding the underlying structure of
personality which distinguishes addicts from non-addicts. This study aims to
examine personality characteristics determined by the Rorschach Inkblot test to
differentiate between addicts and non-addicts in the context of planning
interventions. Subsequently the findings will help the clinician to recommend an
appropriate strategy that could address the underlying personality characteristics
and also to avoid unrealistic cognitive demands in the initial phase of treatment,
thereby minimizing the relapse rate.

Rorschach Inkblot Test

The Rorschach Inkblot test is one of the richest performance-based

techniques for examination of personality characteristics in various clinical and
research settings (Camera, Nathan & Puente, 2000). Developed by the Swiss
psychiatrist Herman Rorschach in 1921, it has been extensively used in clinical
practice, teaching, and research, and is a widely used tool in diagnostic
personality testing (Exner, 2001). Rorschach interpretations emphasize
psychological organization and functioning in the form of a number of
psychological characteristics (Exner, 2002). This exclusive distinction of
Rorschach tends to focus on characteristics of the personality structure rather
than of individual behaviours. It discovers the kind of information that goes
beyond the detection of symptoms and investigates etiological issues that
differentiate one individual from the other. In this regard Per-Christian, Vanem,
Krog and Hartmann (2008) revealed that Rorschach findings, compared to other
psychological tools, explicitly explore deficient social skills indicating an
inaccurate perception and cognitive deficits in substance abusers. They further
revealed that substance abusers were found to be significantly different from the
university students with whom they were compared, in that they thought
illogically and had poor interpersonal relationships. Blatt and Berman (1984)
indicated difficulties in containing and regulating affect. Grossman, Wasyliw,

4
This watermark does not appear in the registered version - http://www.clicktoconvert.com

PAKISTAN JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGY

Benn and Gyoerkoe (2002) found that drug addicts have difficulty in establishing
meaningful relationships, agreeing with another study of the Rorschach protocols
of opium addicts that demonstrates antisocial characteristics in this group
(Gaconon & Meloy, 1994).

To recap, the Rorschach test is a performance-based technique that has

the potential to explore information about unspoken, irrational motives and
underlying personality characteristics that are difficult to attain by using self-
report inventories (Stricker, 1999; Meyer & Archer, 2001; Bornstein, 2001).
Furthermore, the Rorschach test could extract more sensitively the personality
characteristics that differentiate addicts and non-addicts. In addition, the
Rorschach Inkblot test possesses reliability and validity similar to that of other
psychological tools used for personality assessment (Board of Trustees of the
Society for Personality Assessment, 2005).This unique contribution of Rorschach
as a psychological tool plays a significant role in the formulation (Yoshida,
Murano & Satio, et al., 1995) and treatment plan for addicts (Blatt & Berman,
1990), and can contribute to a deeper understanding of human behaviours in the
context of management and intervention.

METHOD

Sample

The sample of this study consisted of 50 subjects including an equal

number of addicts and non-addicts. Of 75 addicts, (who were getting treatment in
different Drug treatment centres) 25 subjects were randomly selected for this
study. Their identification and drug related information were collected through a
semi-structured questionnaire specially designed for this purpose. The
information relevant to their drug history is portrayed in Table 1 in the Results
section. Since matched pairs (non-addicts) were not easily available, each of the
addicts selected as subjects was matched with one of their attendants (friend,
colleague, brother or cousin) who accompanied them to the hospital, providing
variables such as education, marital status, economic status, and residential area.

Description of Measures

Semi-Structured Interview Schedule (SSIS)

SSIS was prepared to collect the relevant information of subjects
concerning age, residential area, education, marital status, socio-economic status,

5
This watermark does not appear in the registered version - http://www.clicktoconvert.com

KHALILY

and other information related to drug addiction i.e. duration of addiction, age
when started, types of drug used, and easily availability of drugs.

Rorschach Inkblot Test

The Rorschach Ink blot test is one of the richest projective techniques to
investigate personality characteristics. Developed by a Swiss Psychiatrist
Herman Rorschach in 1921, it has been widely used in clinical practice, and is a
most commonly used tool in diagnostic personality testing (Exner 2001). As
there are no specific Rorschach schools available for learning in this country that
strictly follow their own method of administration, scoring and interpretation, the
clinicians and academicians have adapted a systematic approach compatible with
all approaches, avoiding rigorous adherence to any one. For administration,
scoring, and interpretation usually approaches were adopted by Allen (1983),
Klopfer and Davidson (1962), Gilbert (1979), Rapapert (1968), and Ogden
(1973). However in this study Klopfer system was used for scoring and
interpretation of the protocols.

Procedure

The supervisory committee of the psychology department at the

University of Peshawar, Pakistan, approved the purpose of this study. As an
ethical issue, no identifying data relating to clients was included in the final
description. The subjects were contacted at the drug addiction treatment centres
of the Govt Lady Reading Hospital, Hayat Shaheed Teaching Hospital, and Dost-
Welfare Foundation, Peshawar, an NGO. During the initial meeting each subject
was given an orientation, and his consent was obtained for the administration of
the test. Before administering the Rorschach Inkblot tests, necessary equipment
related to the tests was organized, and standard instruction (Allen, 1983) for the
administration of Rorschach was read out. Relevant questions raised by the
subjects were answered. The test was administered in two phases: performance
proper and detail inquiry. All the responses were recorded word to word. Each
protocol was scored to portray how each subject reacted to ten inkblot cards.
Each response was assigned a scoring symbol with respect to each category such
as Location, Determinants, Form Level, Contents and Popular. The author scored
the recorded responses according to the standard procedures. In the mean while
the other two scorer (professionally trained in administration and scoring of
Rorschach) individually scored each protocol, to attain maximum agreement on
scoring and ensure the inter-rater reliability. For the purpose of inter-rater

6
This watermark does not appear in the registered version - http://www.clicktoconvert.com

PAKISTAN JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGY

reliability (Viglione & Taylor, 2003) percentages of agreement were calculated.

The interrater consistency indicated 98% agreement on Location, 97.5% on
Determinants, 99% on Form Level, 95 % on Popular and 99% on Content
category indicating good reliability, (Cicchetti & Sparrow, 1981).
A descriptive analysis was carried out of the Rorschach protocols
findings, tabulated and presented in the next section.

RESULTS

There is some significant information revealed in Table 1 indicating that

53.33% of addicts used both hashish and heroin, while 13.33% and 20% used
hashish and heroin respectively. The data also indicate that 69.33% considered
hashish as a gateway drug to heroin. The mean onset age is 18 years, indicating a
vulnerable period for the introduction of this habit; this period is very significant
for personal growth and career selection. Furthermore, the mean age for both
addicts and non-addicts in this study is 28 years, which is considered to be
crucial age to contribute in the economic development of society.

Table 1
The frequency and percentage of use of drugs, and drug first experience

Types of Drug Frequency % Type of drug %

first used
Hashish 10 13.33 52 69.33
Heroin 15 20 13 17.33
Hashish & Heroin 40 53.33 - -
Alcohol 5 6.66 5 6.66
Opium 2 2.66 2 2.66
Tranquillizers 1 1.33 1 1.3
Injection 2 2.66 2 2.6
Onset Mean Age = 18 years Mean Age = 28 years

7
This watermark does not appear in the registered version - http://www.clicktoconvert.com

KHALILY

Table 2
Descriptive Statistics for Demographic Variables

Variables Addicts Non-Addicts Percentages

(N=25) (N=25)
Education
Matric 15 15 60
F.A / B.A 6 6 24
M.A 4 4 16

Marital Status
Married 11 11 44
Unmarried 14 14 56

Economic Status
Low Income 16 16 64
Middle Income 7 7 28
Upper Middle Income 2 2 8

Residential Area
Urban 16 16 64
Rural 9 9 36

Table 3
Descriptive Statistics for Rorschach Miscellaneous Category

Addicts Non Addicts

Miscellaneous
Variables Frequency % Frequency %

R 264 (M= 10.56) 317(M=12.68)

P 138 52.27 169 53.31
F+ 142 53.78 288 90.85
F- 122 46.21 29 9.14

A descriptive analysis was carried out, tabulated and depicted in Table 3

for Miscellaneous Category. It demonstrates that the non-addicts produced more
(M=12.68) responses (R) to the Rorschach cards than the addicts, indicating a

8
This watermark does not appear in the registered version - http://www.clicktoconvert.com

PAKISTAN JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGY

broad range of interest in the former while the low number (M=10.56) responses
from the latter indicate inhibition, a meticulous striving for a few responses, or
lack of motivation (Rapapert, Gill & Schafer, 1968). Table 3 further depicts that
the non-addicts appeared to produce more (53.31%) popular (P) responses with
good quality Form (F+) level (90.85%) compared to their counterpart addicts.
This reflects the frequent interaction of non-addicts along with an appropriate
link with reality and accurate perception. On the other hand the more (46.21%)
F- responses and low (52.27%) P responses of the addicts are indicative of poor
self-perception, inability to concentrate, lack of intellectual control and clarity in
associative processes, in addition to unresponsive conventional concept (Schafer,
1954) and low sociability. Moreover, a decrement in F+ responses is indicative of
difficulty in intellectual functioning and lack of spontaneity (Phillips & Smith,
1953).

Table 4
Descriptive Statistics for Rorschach Location Category

Addicts Non Addicts

Locations Frequency % Frequency %

W 59 22.34 211 66.56

W¬ 89 33.71 55 17.35
DW 49 18.56 16 5.04
D 36 13.63 20 6.30
d 17 6.43 12 3.78
S 14 5.30 3 0.94

In the Location category the non-addicts produced more (66.56%) W

responses than the addicts, while the addicts produce more (33.71%) W ¬
responses with more (18.56%) DW, reflecting the ability of non-addicts to
integrate and organise material in their environment while the addicts illustrated
a tendency to overgeneralization without paying adequate attention (Gilbert,
1979), illogical thinking, and impulsive action without considering the
consequences (Allison, Blatt & Zimet, 1968; Rapapert et al., 1968). This table
also indicate that addicts show more S responses (5.30 %) than the non-addicts
responses (0.94 %) indicating oppositional tendency towards significant figures
of the addicts (Rapaport et al., 1968)

9
This watermark does not appear in the registered version - http://www.clicktoconvert.com

KHALILY

Table 5
Descriptive Statistics for Rorschach Determinants Category

Determinants Addicts Non Addicts Ratios

(Frequency) (Frequency)
Form (F) 160 (60.60 %) 246 (77.60 %) ___
Movement
M 7 20 1:3
FM 43 30 3:2
m 13 7 2:1
Colour
FC 8 1 8:1
C 17 5 3:1
Fc¬ 8 3 3:1
C¬ 8 5 2:1

In the Determinants category, results shown in Table 5 reveal that the

non-addicts produced more (77.60%) F responses with a good number of M (1:3)
and FM(3:2) and less m(2:1) responses than the addicts, indicating a stable value
system, good self esteem and the ability to control social pressures intellectually
and conventionally (Phillips & Smith, 1953). On the other hand the addicts
reported more Colour [C (3:1), FC (8:1), C¬(2:1) and Fc¬(3:1)] responses than
their non-addict counterparts, reflecting less concern for social values, lack of
secure self-control, emotional instability, and violent characteristics.

Table 6
Descriptive Statistics for Rorschach Content Category

Contents Addicts Non Addicts

Frequency % Frequency %
H 16 6.60 122 35.33
Hd (Including oral 45 17.04 21 6.62
content)
A 90 34.09 99 31.23
An 28 10.60 14 4.41
Obj 23 8.71 14 4.41
N 8 3.03 15 4.73
Sex 30 11.36 15 4.73
Pl 15 5.68 19 5.99
Insects 3 1.13 2 0.63
Cloud 4 1.51 5 1.57

10
This watermark does not appear in the registered version - http://www.clicktoconvert.com

PAKISTAN JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGY

Blood 3 1.13 1 0.31

In the contents category Table 6, indicates that the non-addicts produced
more (35.33%) Human (H) responses, indicating a secure interaction with the
environment with good self esteem and adequate interpersonal relationships,
while the greater number (17.04%) of Hd responses, including oral content, of
addicts indicates poor self concept, a strong tendency towards addiction and
desperate immediate gratification (Knight & Prout, 1951), lack of insight to own
motives (Phillips & Smith, 1953), and poor interpersonal relationships (Beck &
Molish, 1967). Furthermore the addicts produced more (34.09%) Animals (A)
responses with more (10.60%) Anatomy (An) and Blood (1.13%) responses than
the non-addicts, demonstrating stereotyped thinking, inhibition, disturbed
adjustment (Klopfer & Davidson, 1962), narrow range of interest and negativism,
and oppositional tendencies (Schafer, 1954). In addition the addicts produced
more Object (8.71%) and Sex (11.36%) responses, suggesting more pleasure
seeking, sensual (Zimmering, Tollan, Safrin & Wortis, 1952) and dependent
characteristics on their part, while the non-addicts produced more (5.99%) Plant
(Pl) and Cloud (1.57%) responses, indicating the presence of anxiety and
sensitivity (Gilbert, 1979).

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION

Drug addiction is a serious problem in Pakistan affecting all levels of

society. The current study indicated that the onset age of illicit drug use is 18
years, a crucial time for personal development and career selection for the rest of
one’s life. Furthermore, the average age of the addicts considered in this study is
28 years, which is also a critical span of life for the economic development of
any society, including Pakistan. This is a complex and multifactorial problem and
needs multifaceted strategies to deal with it. Treatment is one of the important
strategies to ameliorate the situation. Many treatment strategies are practised and
claim effectiveness. They explain drug addiction according to their own model,
identifying causal or precipitating factors and proposing treatment strategies
accordingly. However, personality characteristics are viewed as significant in the
initiating, maintaining and ameliorating components in all these models to treat
the addiction problem efficiently and effectively. In this regard the current study
is an attempt to explore personality characteristics to gain an insight into this
complex problem beyond the apparent symptoms. The Rorschach Inkblot test
was used as a performance-based technique to investigate the underlying
personality characteristics, which differentiate addicts from non-addicts.

11
This watermark does not appear in the registered version - http://www.clicktoconvert.com

KHALILY

The results indicated that addicts and non-addicts were significantly

different on all Rorschach variables, which are highlighted in this study. The
results further indicated important underlying personality aspects that could be
considered pivotal in understanding their relation to addiction and their impact as
personality predictors during the course of treatment. The addicts as a group
presented with a cluster of characteristics, i.e. lack of motivation, poor self-
concept, inability to concentrate, lack of intellectual control and clarity in
associative processes, unresponsive conventional concept, low sociability, lack of
spontaneity, difficulty in intellectual functioning, lack of attention, impulsivity
without considering consequences, emotional instability, poor interpersonal
relationships, a strong tendency for immediate gratification, lack of insight to
their own motives, narrow range of interests, dependency, disturbed adjustment,
and oppositional tendency. In contrast the non-addicts as a group presented with
a cluster of characteristics including a broad range of interests, accurate
perception, good interpersonal relationships and good self esteem, spontaneity in
intellectual functioning, ability to control immediate desires, concern for social
values, independence, confidence interacting with people in the environment,
adequate attention and concentration ability, and high sociability. Nevertheless,
the non-addicts showed the presence of anxiety that could be linked to the testing
situation and novelty of the investigation.

To conclude, significant aspects of personality were explored by the

Rorschach Inkblot test for both groups and explicitly distinguished addicts from
non-addicts. These distinctive personality characteristics of addicts appear to
make clear the need for putting these critical elements into the formulation during
treatment on a priority basis to minimize relapse rates and to prolong the
maintenance period. It further suggests that a highly cognitive demand treatment
strategy in the initial phase for addicts would be counterproductive. A client
treatment program embedded in the operant conditioning model (Meyers &
Miller, 2001; Meyers & Wolf, 2004) with emphasis on social, familial and
recreational activities without the use of drugs is more advantageous than a
programme which puts stress on the higher intellectual functions.

REFERENCES
Allen, R. M. (1983). Student’s Rorschach Manual. (Rev. Ed.). New York:
International University Press.

12
This watermark does not appear in the registered version - http://www.clicktoconvert.com

PAKISTAN JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGY

Allison, J., Blatt, S. J., & Zimet, C. N. (1968). The interpretation of

psychological tests. New York: Harper and Row.

Beck & Molish, H. D. (1967). Rorschach’s Test (Vol.1), (3rd. Ed.) New York.

Blatt, S. J. & Berman, W. H. (1984). A methodology for the use of the Rorschach
in clinical research. Journal of Personality Assessment, 48, 226-239.

Blatt, S. J. & Berman, W. H. (1990). Differentiation of personality types among

opiate addicts. Journal of Personality Assessment, 54 (1 & 2), 87-104.

Board of Trustees of the Society for Personality Assessment (2005). The status of
the Rorschach in clinical and forensic practice: An official statement by
the Board of Trustees of the society for Personality Assessment. Journal
of Personality Assessment, 85, 219-237.

Bornstein, R. F. (2001). Clinical utility of the Rorschach inkblot method:

Reframing the debate. Journal of Personality Assessment, 77, 39-47.

Camera, W. J., Nathan, J. S., & Puente, A. E. (2000). Psychological test usage:
Implications in professional psychology, Professional Psychology:
Research and Practice, 31, 141-154.

Cicchetti, D. V. & Sparrow, S. S. (1981). Developing criteria for establishing

interrater reliability of specific items: Applications to assessment of
adaptive behaviour. American Journal of Mental Deficiency, 86, 127-
137.

Exner, J. E. Jr. (2002). A primer for Rorschach interpretation. Asheville, NC:

Rorschach Workshops.

Exner, J. E. Jr. (2001). A Rorschach workbook for the comprehensive system.

(5th Ed.) Asheville, NC: Rorschach Workshops.

Gaconon, C. B., & Meloy, J. R. (1994). The Rorschach assessment of aggressive

and psychopathic personalities. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum
Associates.

13
This watermark does not appear in the registered version - http://www.clicktoconvert.com

KHALILY

Grossman, L. S., Wasyliw, O. E., Benn, A. F. & Gyoerkoe, K. L. (2000). Can sex
offenders who minimise on the MMPI conceal psychopathology on the
Rorschach? Journal of Personality Assessment, 78, 484-501.

Gilbert, J. (1979). Interpreting psychological test data. (Vol. 11). San Francisco:
Van Nostrand Reinhold Company.

Klopfer, B. & Davidson, H. (1962). The Rorschach technique: An introductory

manual. New York: Harcourt

Knight, R. G., & Prout, C. T. (1951). A study of results in hospital treatment of

drug addictions. American Journal of Psychiatry, 108, 303-308.

Meyer, G. J., & Archer, R. P. (2001). The hard science of Rorschach research:
What do we know and where do we go? Psychological Assessment, 13,
486-502.

Meyers, R. J., & Miller, W. R. (2001). A Community Reinforcement Approach to

Addiction Treatment. Cambridge University Press.

Meyers, Robert J. & Wolfe, B. L. (2004). Get your loved one sober: Alternatives
to nagging, pleading, and threatening. Hazel den Publication.

National Drug Assessment Study in Pakistan (2006-07). Anti Narcotics Force

(ANF). Islamabad: National Govt of Pakistan.

Ogdon, D. P. (1973). Psycho-diagnostics and Personality Assessment, A

handbook. Published by Western Psychological Services Los Angeles
California.

Per-Christian, Vanem, Dag, Krog & Hartmann, Ellen. (2008). Assessment of

substance abusers on the MCMI-111 and the Rorschach. Scandinavian
Journal of Psychology, 49, 83-91.

Phillips & Smith. (1953). Rorschach interpretation: Advanced technique. New

York: Grune.

Rapapert, D., Gill, M. & Schafer, R. (1968). Diagnostic Testing. Chicago: Year
Book Medical Publishers.

14
This watermark does not appear in the registered version - http://www.clicktoconvert.com

PAKISTAN JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGY

Schafer, R. (1954). Psychoanalytic interpretation in Rorschach testing. New

York: Grune.

Stricker, G. & Gold, J. R. (1999). The Rorschach: toward a nomothetically based,

ideographically applicable configurationally model. Psychological
Assessment, 11, 240-250.

Viglione, D. J. & Taylor, N. (2003). Empirical support for interrater reliability of

Rorschach comprehensive system coding. Journal of Clinical
Psychology, 59, 111-121.

Yoshida, S., Murano, S., Satio, Y., et al. (1995). Treatment of obesity by
personality classification oriented program. Obesity Research, 3, Suppl.
2, 205-209.

Zimmering, P., Tollan, J., Safrin, R., & Wortis, S. (1952). Drug addiction in
relation to problems of adolescence. American Journal of Psychiatry,
109, 272-278.

15

View publication stats