The most popular projective technique is the Rorschach inkblot test developed by Hermann Rorschach, a Swiss psychiatrist in 1921.

10 Inkblots Published In Rorschach’s famed monograph Psychodiagnostik In 1921.

The 10 figure that constitute the stimuli of the Rorschach test.

Rorschach Test is fully projective (Stimulus and responses)Frank (1939,1948) introduced the term projective method.When people try to understand vague or ambiguous unstructured stimuli, the interpretation they produce reflects their needs, feelings, experience, prior conditioning thought process.(internal psychological organization/ unconscious)

Person will project something important about him.

1.Good understanding of people and the notion of personality.(Rorschach test(RT) is not interpreted based on any personality theory; but person as a unique individual = emotion, thinking, self image).

2.Good working knowledge of psychopathology and maladjustment.

3. Interpreter must have an understanding of the test itself (nature and how it works).

The greatest utility of the RT is when an understanding of a person, as an individual, becomes important for the purpose of selecting treatment strategies.

Personality Assessment: psychological organization and functioning of the person than behavior of the person.Assessment of Thought DisorderMay be the assessment is to select a diagnostic label.

Although the RT has become an important clinical tool, its development has not always proceeded in a very systematic manner.

Rorschach died at the age of 37, only seven months after psychodiagnostik, was published.

The original title Rorschach selected for his monograph was “Method and Results of a perceptual- diagnostic experiment: interpretation of arbitrary forms”

Later changed to Psychodiagnostik by the influence of Morgenthaler, (editor & friend) it is more than a “mere” experiment.

Rorschach played “Blotto”= klecksograhie: A Popular Parlor Game.

Rorschach’s father was an artist and he also developed artistic skill in ink drawings. This lead to RT.

In 1915 Rorschach obtained a position as senior psychiatrist in Herisau. He decided to investigate the Klecksograhie game systematically

Rorschach made dozens of inkblots in preparing for his experiment

Rorschach typically made his inkblots on tissue paper.

“… a few large ink blots are thrown on a piece of paper, the paper is folded, and the ink spread between the two halves of the sheet ….not all figures so obtained can be used, for those used must fulfill certain conditions… the forms must be relatively simple….they will not be suggestive…”(in the monograph, p.15)

At the end he had created a series of 15 or 16 figures that seemed most useful for his purpose.

After reviewing his findings, reduced the series to 12 figures and continued to administer the 12 until circumstances caused him to eliminate two more.

The manuscript was published in Sep.1921.He died in April, 1922.

The method Rorschach was devised offered considerable diagnostic usefulness in identifying schizophrenia.

Inkblots as intellectual assessment, then personality assessment

RT was not well-received, attracting little notice.

David Levy brought it into United states and his student Samuel Beck, popularized its use in US by publishing books and papers on it.

Several users published work on Rorschach and several offered their own system of administration, scoring and interpretation which leads to lot of problems in standardization.

Five Competing Interpretative Systems:

Beck (Samuel Beck)

Hertz (Marguerite Hertz)

Klopfer (Bruno Klopfer)

Piotrowski (Zigmund Piotrowski)

Rappaport (David Rappaport)

John Exner’s empirical studies of the Rorschach attempts to make the Rorschach inkblot test more objective.

It is the integration of the five systems

Exner’s comprehensive system is the most frequently used system for interpreting the Rorschach ink blot test.

The stimuli were generated by dropping ink on to a card and folding it.They are not, however, random: the ten cards in the current test were hand selected out of thousands that Rorschach generated.10 blots :

5 black / white (achromatic)2 red/ grey (II & III) (Monochromatic)3 colour (VIII – X)(multi chromatic)

Seating: side by side

Two reasons: To avoid unintentional and unwanted cues

from the examiner To have better view from which to see the

features of the blot.

Precautions:Prepare yourself arrange the cards, seating etc early. Writing materialsProtocol sheet and location sheetProtocol sheet: 8 ½ by 11” white sheet horizontally.

Purpose of the assessmentThe purpose is to describe the procedures not how they are interpreted.Explain if needs ‘What is inkblot’10 blots; no time limit

…Tester Language“We Are Going To Do The Inkblot Test”. (If pt asks -> it will help me understand you better,

plan a better treatment)

Avoid any reference to card turning , right or wrong or any statement that might create a set.

The average adult will usually complete with in 60 minutes

The term “ink blot” is the preferable term.

Handing the person the first card and asking:

“What might be this?”

How many things I should find?Can I turn it? “It is up to you”

Should I just use my imagination? Just tell me what you see there.

Examiner should use good common sense and answered in a non-direct way.

The client should hold the card.

Two Phases of administration1. Response or Free association phase2. Inquiry phase

Record responses verbatim during both phases2 reasons: Specific words / phrases for accurate scoring To create permanent record for retest and consultationUse standard abbreviations

To get more or adequate responses encourage the clientWhat else does it look like?“Look Some More, Take Your Time, You Will Find Something Else”Record the position of the blot when the response is given ( <, v, > or O).(No marking for upright and O for rotation without stopping when responding).

Problem of brief/lengthy records (more responses) does not contribute much.

Brief protocols (<14) reject or retest immediately following the response phase.

If Card I Responses > 6, stop before 7th and no more than 6 on cards 2 – 10If Card I Responses < 6, no limit on number of responses for subsequent cardsThe instructions employed by Rorschach and comprehensive system, produce an average range responses bet. 17 - 27(42).

Inquiry only after 10 cardsNo new information only clarificationNo direction; no cuesPrepare the subject

“Help Me To See It, Just Like You Saw It”

Re-Read S’s Response Verbatim, Then Record What They Say Verbatim

Location : where is it?Determinants: what makes it look like that?Content: what is it?

TOL: some times people see…..here…Do you see anything looks like that?

This stage is not needed for all examinees(Some times examinee might convinced that whole responses are better than part response, so only give whole responses to all 10 cards).

b = be c = seer = are u= youy= why abt = aboutat = any thing bc = becausebf = butterfly cb = could bedk = don’t know e.t = every thingll = looks like may b = may bess = some sort

Eight (8) CategoriesLocationDevelopmental Quality DeterminantsOrganizational ActivityForm QualityContentPopularSpecial Scores

Card I:

Card II:

Card III:

Card IV: Father card

Card V: Reality testing card

Card VI: Sex card

Card VII: Mother Card

Card VIII:

Card IX:

Card X: