Rorschach test
The Rorschach test is a projective psychological test in which subjects' perceptions of inkblots are recorded and then analyzed using psychological interpretation, complex algorithms, or both. Some psychologists use this test to examine a person's personality characteristics and emotional functioning. It has been employed to detect underlying thought disorder, especially in cases where patients are reluctant to describe their thinking processes openly.[4] The test is named after its creator, Swiss psychologist Hermann Rorschach. The Rorschach can be thought of as a psychometric examination of pareidolia, the active pattern of perceiving objects, shapes, or scenery as meaningful things to the observer's experience, the most common being faces or other pattern of forms that are not present at the time of the observation.[5] In the 1960s, the Rorschach was the most widely used projective test.[6]
"Rorschach Test" redirects here. For the band, see Rorschach Test (band).Rorschach test
/ˈrɔːrʃɑːk/,[3] UK also /-ʃæk/
German: [ˈʁoːɐ̯ʃax]
Rorschach inkblot test, the Rorschach technique, inkblot test
Although the Exner Scoring System (developed since the 1960s) claims to have addressed and often refuted many criticisms of the original testing system with an extensive body of research,[7] some researchers continue to raise questions. The areas of dispute include the objectivity of testers, inter-rater reliability, the verifiability and general validity of the test, bias of the test's pathology scales towards greater numbers of responses, the limited number of psychological conditions which it accurately diagnoses, the inability to replicate the test's norms, its use in court-ordered evaluations, and the proliferation of the ten inkblot images, potentially invalidating the test for those who have been exposed to them.[8]
Usage
United States
The Rorschach test is used almost exclusively by psychologists. Forensic psychologists use the Rorschach 36% of the time.[82]
In custody cases, 23% of psychologists use the Rorschach to examine a child.[83]
Another survey found that 124 out of 161 (77%) of clinical psychologists engaging in assessment services utilize the Rorschach,[84] and 80% of psychology graduate programs teach its use.[85]
Another study found that its use by clinical psychologists was only 43%, while it was used less than 24% of the time by school psychologists.[82]
During World War II, United States Army Medical Corps chief psychiatrist Douglas Kelley and psychologist Gustave Gilbert administered the Rorschach test to the 22 defendants in the Nazi leadership group prior to the first Nuremberg trials,[86] and the test scores were published some decades later.[87]
Because of the large amount of data used to interpret the test, psychologist Zygmunt Piotrowski, began work to computerize ink blot interpretation in the 1950s and 1960s. This work included over 1,000 rules and included no summary nor narrative conclusions.[88] A subsequent computerized interpretation of Rorschach test scores, that included summary and conclusions [89] was developed in the 1970s by psychologists Perline and Cabanski, and marketed internationally.[90] This computerized interpretation of the test was used to interpret the set of scores developed by Gilbert on Nazi Hermann Goering[91][92] along with several other Nazis while awaiting trial at Nuremberg Prison.[93]
In the 1980s psychologist John Exner developed a computerized interpretation of the Rorschach test, based on his own scoring system, the Exner Comprehensive System.[88][94] Presently, of the three computerized assessments, only the Exner system is available on the market.
The arguments for or against computerized assessment of the Rorschach is likely to remain unresolved for some time, as there is no absolute correct interpretation against which the different markers (scores) denoting mental health can be compared. Although scores for a theoretically typical healthy adult have been proposed[95] and reasonable attempts to standardize the computer interpretation against these scores have been obtained,[91][92] more work in this area needs to be done.
United Kingdom
Many psychologists in the United Kingdom do not trust its efficacy and it is rarely used.[96] Although skeptical about its scientific validity, some psychologists use it in therapy and coaching "as a way of encouraging self-reflection and starting a conversation about the person's internal world."[24] It is still used, however, by some mental health organisations such as the Tavistock Clinic.[97] In a survey done in the year 2000, 20% of psychologists in correctional facilities used the Rorschach while 80% used the MMPI.[98]
Japan
Shortly after the publication of Rorschach's book, Japanese psychologist Yuzaburo Uchida came across a copy in a second-hand book shop. His positive reaction created an enduring popularity for the tests in Japan.[99] The Japanese Rorschach Society is the world's largest and the test is "routinely put to a wide range of purposes",[25] being described in 2012 as "more popular than ever".[97]
In art and media
Australian artist Ben Quilty has used the Rorschach technique in his paintings, by loading impasto oil paint onto a canvas and then pressing a second, unpainted, canvas onto the first, and proceeding to create an artwork from the shape created by this method.[156]
The mask of the fictional antihero of the same name in the graphic novel limited series Watchmen and its 2009 film adaptation displays a constantly morphing inkblot based on the designs used in the tests.[157] In the 1999 Sofia Coppola movie The Virgin Suicides the character of Cecilia is given the test[158] and in David Cronenberg's Spider (2002) the Rorschach inkblots are incorporated into the opening of the film.[159][160]
In 2022, a Malayalam language film titled Rorschach was announced with actor Mammootty in the lead role, inspiring queries and discussion in social media about the test.[161]
The trailer for season 1 of the 2017 TV series Mindhunter features a bloody inkblot.[162]
In Fallout: New Vegas, the character Doc Mitchell uses three cards from the test to give judgment on the player character who is recovering from a bullet to the head. Cards VII, VI, and II are used in that order. The player answers from a premade list of answers which then determine the player's skill bonuses.[163] A community mod for Card II was created due to popular agreement from the community that it looked like "Two bears high fiving".[164] This would inspire a character in the Honest Hearts addon called "Two Bears High Fiving".[165]