The Rorschach Inkblot Test is a test that provides data and information about how a child or teen problem-solves situations “in the moment.” Research indicates that the Rorschach is a valid assessment tool (with validity akin to other personality measures, as well as measures of IQ).
What is the validity of the Rorschach test?
The results of a meta-analysis of Rorschach studies indicate that reliabilities in the order of .83 and higher and validity coefficients of .45 or .50 and higher can be expected for the Rorschach--when hypotheses supported by empirical or theoretical rationales are tested using reasonably powerful statistics.
Is an ink blot done in a Rorschach test?
To put it simply, the Rorschach is a projective psychological test that evaluates the answers of a patient to conclude their personality. Ironically, Rorschach did not create the inkblot test for personality testing. The test was developed to identify serious mental illnesses such as schizophrenia, depression, and anxiety.
What does a Rorschach test tell you?
What does the Rorschach test tell you? This test was designed to look for patterns of thought disorder in schizophrenia and has evolved to include other areas, like personality, emotional disorders, and intelligence. The Rorschach has been standardized using the Exner system and is effective in measuring depression, psychosis, and anxiety.
Can we trust the Rorschach test?
The test was trusted enough as a reliable and sensitive indicator of such problems that the negative finding convinced the team and the man was released. In spite of its detractors, the Rorschach continues to be used in a research context. What is a major criticism of the Rorschach inkblot test?
Is the Rorschach inkblot test reliable?
Based upon published reports, the Rorschach can be regarded as a reliable and valid psychometric instrument, given that certain conditions are met. One is that it is administered by an experienced, competent, and trained examiner. Another condition is that a known and structured method of assessment be used.
Why is the Rorschach test controversial?
Well, here's the problem: The Rorschach blots (not to mention the "answers") are supposed to be kept secret. Many psychologists were outraged, believing that having the information out there would make the test worthless, since test-takers could memorize the answers and "cheat."
Is the Rorschach test still used today?
While the Rorschach test could be considered a relic by modern psychologists today and may not be the perfect tool, it continues to be used widely, particularly for identifying and diagnosing schizophrenia - which was Hermann Rorschach's true intention for this test.
Do people still use the Rorschach?
Yes, they are still in use, and they provide rather bad information. My former advisor once worked with a clinician who told him that the main reason they're any better than using the weather report as a projective stimulus is that the Rorschach tests have been in use as-is for decades.
What are 3 criticisms toward the Rorschach test including Exner's version?
Some of their criticisms deserve serious attention from the Rorschach establishment, for example, the weak scientific database derived from Exner's “in house” research, Exner's disinclination over the years to include or recruit the work of researchers outside of his establishment, the problem of “R” (why the Rorschach ...
Are Rorschach test pseudoscience?
The psychologist Pieter Drenth has come to describe the test as “pseudoscientific diagnosis,” while for the psychologist and sceptical researcher Benjamin Radford the test “should be relegated to the pile of once-promising but now-discredited psychological tests.”
What is a Rorschach image?
What is a Rorschach image? It was an image created by dropping some ink on a page of paper and folding the paper over to get a mirror image of the inkblot. The images were then shown to people who were asked to describe what they were seeing in the somewhat-abstract images.
How to determine validity of a Rorschach?
Validity in this case can be evaluated by comparing the Rorschach with clinical data or with other established tests of personality. Weiner (2001), for example, stated that the Rorschach has a validity effect size “almost identical” to the MMPI (Weiner, 2001, p. 423). Groth-Marnat (2009, p. 391) has pointed out that results of validity studies on the Rorschach have been mixed, but are confounded by various factors including the “type of scoring system, experience of the scorer, and type of population.” Early studies produced validity scores of .40 to .50, but later studies found scores as low as 0.29. However, such studies were further confounded by variables such as age, number of responses, verbal aptitude, education, and other confounding factors that were not controlled.
What is a rorschach?
The Rorschach is a psychometric tool that uses a series of inkblots shown to a subject, and elicits verbal responses as to what the individual sees in the images. It is administered by an examiner who asks questions and records answers.
Which study found that the Rorschach was effective in differentiating psychotic disorder patients from non-patients?
Hilsenroth, Eudell-Simmons, DeFife, and Charnas (2007) did find, for example, that the Rorschach was effective in differentiating psychotic disorder patients from non-patients, as well as from personality disorder patients.
Is the Rorschach valid?
More recent studies of validity have met with mixed results. Smith et al. (2010) evaluated the validity of the Rorschach in assessing the effects of trauma using a different system, the “Logical Rorschach” developed by Wagner (2001, as cited in Smith et al., 2010). They found “equivocal” findings, but indicated that the LR “may have some validity in the assessment of trauma-related phenomena.” Wood et al. (2010) evaluated the Rorschach using a meta-analysis of 22 studies including 780 forensic subjects, in an attempt to separate psychopaths from nonpsychopaths. They reported a mean validity coefficient of 0.062 using all variables, and a validity of 0.232 using the Aggressive Potential index. They concluded that their findings “contradict the view that the Rorschach is a clinically sensitive instrument for discriminating psychopaths from nonpsychopaths.” (Wood et al., 2010, p. 336). Another result was reported by Lindgren, Carlsson, and Lundback (2007) in which they found no agreement between the Rorschach and a self-assessed personality using the MMPI-2.
Is the Rorschach a valid psychometric instrument?
Based upon published reports, the Rorschach can be regarded as a reliable and valid psychometric instrument, given that certain conditions are met. One is that it is administered by an experienced, competent, and trained examiner. Another condition is that a known and structured method of assessment be used.
Is the Rorschach a controversial instrument?
There is an enormous literature on the Rorschach, yet it remains, after nearly 100 years, a controversial instrument. This report discusses the reliability and validity of the Rorschach, based upon a review of relevant literature.
Does the Rorschach have detractors?
The Rorschach has certainly had its detractors.
Why did Hermann Rorschach develop inkblots?
Therefore, perhaps inspired by his favorite childhood game and his studies of Sigmund Freud's dream symbolism, Hermann Rorschach developed a systematic approach to using inkblots as an assessment tool to evaluate cognition and personality and to diagnose certain psychological conditions , including schizophrenia.
What is the interpretation of the Rorschach test?
In addition to the official scores, the interpretation of the Rorschach test is also based on behaviors expressed during the actual test-taking time, consistent or unique themes in the responses, patterns across the scores, and extraordinary idiosyncratic perceptions.
How did Rorschach use his artistic skills?
Rather, Rorschach used his artistic skills to refine and enhance his final inkblots so that each contained carefully placed contours to suggest objects or specific images to most people.
What does the mind do when you ask the test taker to describe what they see in the inkblot?
Therefore, by asking the test taker to describe what they see in the inkblot, they are genuinely telling you about themselves and how they project meaning onto the real world.
What is the basic idea of a test taker?
The basic idea involves the test taker projecting their thoughts and feelings on what seems to be ambiguous and meaningless images, and the interpretation falls within the realm of the tester's judgment.
Who invented the inkblot test?
The Rorschach Inkblot Test was developed in 1921 by a Swiss psychologist named Hermann Rorschach (pronounced “ROAR-shock”). The history states that one of Hermann's favorite games, when he was a child, was called Klecksography, which involved creating inkblots and creating stories or poems about them. He thoroughly enjoyed the game so much that his school friends nicknamed him Klecks, the German word for inkblot.
Is the Rorschach test a relic?
While the Rorschach test could be considered a relic by modern psychologists today and may not be the perfect tool, it continues to be used widely, particularly for identifying and diagnosing schizophrenia - which was Hermann Rorschach's true intention for this test.
History
Uses
Administration
- There are 10 official inkblots, each printed on separate white cards. Five inkblots are black and gray; two are black, gray, and red; and three are multicolored without any black. During administration, the examiner will sit next to you. This helps them see what you see. The test involves certain steps: 1. Present: The examiner will give you one card at a time and ask you, “W…
Scoring
- 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.
Interpretation
- Interpreting a Rorschach record is a complex process. It requires a wealth of knowledge concerning personality dynamics generally as well as considerable experience with the Rorschach method specifically. In addition to formal scores, Rorschach interpretation is also based on behaviors expressed during the testing, patterns of scores across responses, unique or consiste…
Criticisms
- Despite its popularity, the Rorschach is a controversial test. Many of the criticisms center on how the test is scored and whether the results have any diagnostic value.2
Is The Rorschach Still used?
- Today, some psychologists dismiss the Rorschach as merely a relic of psychology's past, a pseudoscience on par with phrenology. However, though the inkblot test may not be a perfect tool, it continues to be used widely, particularly for diagnosing schizophrenia—which was Rorschach's original intent for the test.6The test is used in a variety of set...