Suicide and transparency responses on the Rorschach: A replication.

S. J. Blatt and B. A. Ritzler (1974) reported that the presence of transparency and cross-sectional responses on the Rorschach differentiated individuals who completed suicide from nonsuicidal individuals. In an attempt to cross-validate those findings, the present study compared the Rorschach protocols of 14 19–44 yr old individuals who committed suicide with those of a matched sample of individuals who had not. In keeping with Blatt and Ritzler's results, the group of suicidal individuals gave a greater number of transparency and cross-sectional responses than did the group of nonsuicidal individuals, thus indicating the utility of the Rorschach in predicting suicide. (6 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Mothers' fantasy representations and infant security of attachment: A Rorschach study of first pregnancy.

Studied the relationship between pregnant women's fantasy representations on the Rorschach test and later attachment status of their 1-yr-olds. The Manual for Assessing Primary Process Manifestations in Rorschach Responses (R. R. Holt, 1968) was used to score Rorschach protocols gathered from 25 women during their 1st pregnancies. Later, the 1-yr-olds and their mothers were videotaped in the Strange Situation to assess infant attachment behaviors. Findings support the hypothesis that primary process integration during pregnancy is significantly and positively related to infant security of attachment. Results also suggest a relation between empathic maternal behaviors and dimensions of mothers' unconscious mental representations measurable prior to the infant's birth. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Rorschach and TAT indices of homosexuality in overt homosexuals, neurotics, and normal males.

Rorschach and TAT protocols of 20 male overt homosexuals, 20 male neurotics, and 20 normal male students were compared in order to determine whether proposed homosexual signs were discriminative. The homosexual group gave a significantly greater mean number of the Rorschach and TAT signs than did either nonhomosexual group. "Within the homosexual group, correlation between the number of Rorschach signs and number of TAT signs produced by each S proved significant, serving as a check on the validity of both schemes and indicating the consistency of these 2 diverse measures of homosexuality." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The Psychoanalytic Rorschach Profile: An integration of drive, ego, and object relations perspectives.

Over the last 20 years a growing number of psychoanalytic researchers have explored theoretical constructs and psychopathology through empirical investigation of object representations elicited in projective tests, particularly the Rorschach. A newly designed scoring system, the Psychoanalytic Rorschach Profile (PRP), was created to overcome the limitations of previously published scoring systems. The PRP consists of 10 scales that assess the areas of impulse, ego structure, and object relations. A pilot study to determine reliability and validity of the new scoring system was undertaken by comparing the Rorschach protocols of five borderline and five schizophrenic subjects. Analysis of data results revealed high interrater reliability and significant discrimination of the clinical groups. The potential power of an integrated profile analysis of Rorschach imagery by the PRP is discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Intrapsychic and behavioral correlates of the phenomenon of imaginary companions in young children.

This study employed behavioral and Rorschach Test data to examine eighteen 4- and 5-year-olds with imaginary companions. We hypothesize that the imaginary companions served these children as an adaptive resource in handling conflictual interpersonal experience, thereby enabling them to function without overt symptomatology. As measured by the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) all the children did perform within the normal range. Their Rorschach protocols, when compared to normal, comparably aged children as reported by Ames, Metraux, Rodell, and Walker (1974), were characterized by a markedly larger number of human, animal, and inanimate movement scores and poorer form level. This Rorschach pattern suggested excellent imaginal resourcefulness and thus provided another demonstration of these children's remarkable capacity for symbolic representation. An analysis of the content of these responses using the Mutuality of Autonomy (MOA) Scale (Urist, 1977) revealed a contrast between autonomous, benign human interactive percepts and malevolent animal and inanimate movement interaction. We viewed the use of the human movement response as a buffer against more conflictual fantasied representations. This perspective is parallel to previous clinical studies that stressed the reparative... (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Schizophrenia and central nervous system pathology.

The Rorschach protocols of 3 groups of patients, typical process schizophrenics, atypical or reactive schizophrenics, and schizophrenics with known central nervous system pathology were examined for incidence of Piotrowski's 10 signs of organic involvement. It was found that organic and process groups could not be distinguished from each other, but both of these groups showed significantly more subjects with at least five signs than did the reactive group. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Sexual abuse in early versus late childhood: Differing patterns of pathology as revealed on the Rorschach.

Examined retrospectively the Rorschach protocols of 3 groups of girls; 37 sexually abused before their 9th birthday; 43 sexually abused after their 9th birthday; and a control group of 72 patients with no history of abuse. Five Rorschach variables were found to reliably differentiate early- from late-abuse-onset groups. The patterns of group differences revealed that over half of early-abused Ss manifested a preoedipal form of pathology characterized by disturbed cognition, damaged self, and preoccupation with themes of primitive supply and transitional relatedness. Only 12% of late-abused Ss displayed this pattern. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

"Rorschach and TAT indices of homosexuality in overt homosexuals, neurotics, and normal males": Erratum.

Reports an error in the original article by Anthony Davids, Mark Joelson, and Charles McArthur (Journal of Abnormal & Social Psychology, 1956[Sept], 53, 161-172). In the section on TAT results, under the heading of Signs suggested for further confirmation (p. 168), it states incorrectly (line 15) that the sign of a strong unresolved attachment to a father or father figure was scored in stories composed for Card 8. The sign was in fact scored in stories composed for TAT Card 7. (The following abstract of this article originally appeared in record 1958-02891-001). Rorschach and TAT protocols of 20 male overt homosexuals, 20 male neurotics, and 20 normal male students were compared in order to determine whether proposed homosexual signs were discriminative. The homosexual group gave a significantly greater mean number of the Rorschach and TAT signs than did either nonhomosexual group. "Within the homosexual group, correlation between the number of Rorschach signs and number of TAT signs produced by each S proved significant, serving as a check on the validity of both schemes and indicating the consistency of these 2 diverse measures of homosexuality." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Criterion-related validity of Rorschach analogues of dissociation.

The validity of Rorschach indicators of dissociation was evaluated using scores on the Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES) as the standard. Results indicated that participants with Rorschach indicators of dissociation scored significantly higher on the DES than did those without the indicators. Also, incremental changes from 0 to 1 and 1 to 2 Rorschach indicators were associated with increased dissociation as measured by the DES. Viewed from DES measurement of dissociation, Rorschach analogues of dissociation identified a distinctive group that is characterized by strong dissociative tendencies and did not tap the less intense dissociative phenomena common to general psychiatric populations and to nonclinical samples. The Rorschach indicators of dissociation were able to be scored reliably and remained stable at retest. As indirect measures, Rorschach indicators are less subject to distortions stemming from defensiveness or tendencies to manipulate. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

An effort at studying Rorschach content symbolism: The frog response.

The conception was advanced that a frog response on the Rorschach Test constituted a symbolic representation of unconscious cloacal birth and oral impregnation fantasies. It was hypothesized that a group of frog responders would display more eating disturbances than would a comparison group. A group of 31 psychiatric patients, giving frog responses in their Rorschach protocols, was compared with a matched control group. A chisquare test corrected for continuity proved significant beyond the .001 level of confidence for a 2-tailed test. This was interpreted as lending support to a conception of interpreting Rorschach responses as symbolic communications. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The Rorschach Human Experience Variable, interpersonal relatedness, and object representation in nonpatients.

W. Perry and D. J. Viglione (1991) combined human representational variables from J. E. Exner's (1993) Comprehensive System in their Ego Impairment Index to create the Human Experience Variable (HEV). To validate the HEV, 105 nonpatient women completed the Bell Object Relations Inventory (M. Bell, 1991) and the Rorschach. Their spouses also rated the quality of these women's interpersonal relatedness by completing a modified Bell Object Relations Inventory and the Emotional Maturity Rating Form (H. Bessell, 1984). The HEV was significantly related to the quality of interpersonal relatedness, after considering Rorschach measures of psychopathology and "nonhuman" Rorschach images. Results indicate that representations of self and other accessed through the Rorschach account for unique variance in the prediction of the quality of interpersonal relationships, thus supporting the validity of the Rorschach and the concept of object relations. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Cognitive and personality factors in suicidal behavior.

Studied the role of aggression in suicidal behavior. The personality functioning of 20 suicide attempters, 20 nonsuicidal psychiatric controls, and 20 suicide completers was assessed using the Rorschach. There were 11 female and 9 male 21–63 yr old Ss in each group. M. Feffer's role-taking task (see record 1960-04380-001) provided a test of the cognitive functioning of the 1st 2 groups. All 3 groups experienced the breakthrough of more aggressive than libidinal drive derivatives, but no significant differences between the groups were found. Only the suicide attempters' aggressive responses were more primitive than their libidinal responses. On the role-taking task, the suicidal group's cognitive functioning in the neutral situation was superior to their functioning in the aggressive one. The control group yielded no such difference. The suicidal group's performance in the aggressive situation was also significantly inferior to the control group. Results are interpreted as underscoring the role of cognition in symptom choice. (15 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Object relations development and psychotherapy dropout in borderline outpatients.

Used Rorschach object relations measures to identify patterns of object representations in borderline outpatients that would distinguish those at risk for premature termination from those likely to continue in expressive psychodynamic psychotherapy. Existing data from the Borderline Psychotherapy Research Project (O. Kernberg et al, 1989) were used. Ss were 12 women, aged 21–39 yrs, with borderline personality disorder. Ss who dropped out showed a predominance of narcissistic themes in their Rorschach responses at the outset of treatment, as scored by the Rorschach Separation-Individuation Scale (S-I Scale), and produced almost 4 times as many narcissism as rapprochement themes on the S-I Scale as Ss who continued treatment. Overall findings lend support to the salience of developmental themes related to separation-individuation within the population of borderline patients. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Rorschach developmental level and intelligence factors.

Attempted to provide a more complete exploration of the relationship between Rorschach developmental level scores and intelligence than has appeared to date in the literature. Factor scores for both the WAIS and Rorschach measures were used in comparing test protocols obtained from 86 16–68 yr old psychiatric inpatients. Results reaffirm a relationship between intellectual level and developmental level. Further, the relationship was found to be of a general nature. It did not rely specifically on verbal, perceptual, or memory factors. Results also indicate that the relationship held for females as well as males. (25 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The relationship between the Rorschach and assessment of the capacity to engage in short-term dynamic psychotherapy.

Administered the Rorschach and a capacity-for-dynamic-process scale to 42 adults (aged 18–65 yrs) in short-term psychotherapy. A 5-variable stepwise regression model demonstrated a strong association between personality attributes assessed through the Rorschach and judgments of Ss' potential for engaging in dynamic psychotherapy. Common factors from Rorschach protocols were organizational activity, deviant responses, and experience potential. Texture and lambda were unique predictor variables. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Representational boundaries in role portrayals among paranoid and nonparanoid schizophrenic patients.

Studied the boundary properties of self and other representations in 31 normal Ss (mean age 18.8 yrs) and in 18 paranoid (mean age 21.2 yrs), 14 intermediate (mean age 21.9 yrs), and 16 nonparanoid (mean age 22.1 yrs) inpatient schizophrenics, using a dramatic role-playing technique. Role test and Rorschach responses were scored for presence of fluid and rigid boundaries between representations of human characters. Paranoid schizophrenics evidenced higher levels of rigid boundaries, nonparanoid schizophrenics had higher levels of fluid boundaries, and normal Ss showed fewer fluid or rigid boundaries. Rorschach and role test measures of boundary disruption were significantly correlated with each other and with other measures of psychopathology. Findings suggest that the relative balance between fluid and rigid representational boundaries is an effective discriminator of paranoid and nonparanoid subtypes and that the presence of either type of boundary imagery discriminates schizophrenics from normal Ss. (31 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A review of recent research addressing the utility of the Rorschach.

To address the utility of the Rorschach, the author synthesized a large sample (N?=?138) of empirical, quantitative research published in the past 20 years. Longitudinal and behavioral criteria and ecological incremental validity beyond self-report and interview were emphasized because of their relationship with test applications. Methodological issues (temporal consistency, diversity, clinician judgment), applications (treatment outcome, schizophrenia, thought disorder, depression and suicide risk), and selected Rorschach variables are addressed. The evidence reveals that many Rorschach variables are efficient tools for clinical, forensic, and educational applications. The test is particularly useful in (a) individualizing case conceptualizations and interventions and (b) predicting and evaluating outcomes. These conclusions are consistent with using the Rorschach as a behavioral problem-solving test that illuminates the interaction among psychological, biological, and environmental factors. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The Rorschach: Facts, fictions, and future.

A large body of empirical evidence supports the reliability, validity, and utility of the Rorschach. This same evidence reveals that the recent criticisms of the Rorschach are largely without merit. This article systematically addresses several significant Rorschach components: interrater and temporal consistency reliability, normative data and diversity, methodological issues, specific applications in the evaluation of thought disorder and suicide, meta-analyses, incremental validity, clinician judgment, patterns of use, and clinical utility. Strengths and weaknesses of the test are addressed, and research recommendations are made. This information should give the reader both an appreciation for the substantial, but often overlooked, research basis for the Rorschach and an appreciation of the challenges that lie ahead. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

MMPI, Rorschach, and WAIS: A meta-analytic comparison of reliability, stability, and validity.

We estimated the average reliability, stability, and validity of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI), Rorschach Inkblot Test, and Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS) from articles published in the Journal of Personality Assessment and the Journal of Clinical Psychology between 1970 and 1981. Following standard psychometric theory, reliability values exceeded stability values, which exceeded validity values. Validity studies based on theory, prior research, or both showed greater effects than did studies lacking a theoretical or empirical rationale. In general, the reliability and stability of all three tests were acceptable and approximately equivalent. The convergent-validity estimates for the Rorschach and MMPI were not significantly different, but both these estimates were lower than the estimate for the WAIS. It appears that both the MMPI and Rorschach can be considered to have adequate psychometric properties if used for the purpose for which they were designed and validated. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)