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Rorschach Test

What is the Rorschach Test?

The Rorschach test is a psychological exam in which subjects´ perceptions of

inkblots are recorder and analysed using psychological interpretation, complex

algorithms, or both.

Some psychologists use this test to examine a person´s personality characteristics

and emotional functioning (stress and emotional coping).

The test has been used to detect underlying thought disorder, especially in cases

where patients are reluctant to describe their thinking openly.

What is the history behind this Test?

The Rorschach test was invented by the Swiss Psychiatrist

and psychoanalyst Hermann Rorschach (8 November

1884- 1 April 1922).

Using interpretation of "ambiguous designs” to assess and

individual´s personality is an idea that goes back to

Leonardo Da Vinci and Botticelli.

Method

The Rorschach test is appropriate for subjects from the age

of five to adulthood. The administrator and subject typically

sit next to each other at a table, with the administrator

slightly behind the subject. Side-by-side seating of the

examiner and the subject is used to reduce any effects of

inadvertent cues (pistas involuntárias) from the examiner to

the subject. In other words, side-by-side seating mitigates

the possibility that the examiner will accidentally influence

the subject's responses.

This is to facilitate a "relaxed but controlled atmosphere".

There are ten official inkblots, each printed on a separate white card, approximately 18 by 24

cm in size.

The primary goal of this test is to provide data about cognition and personality variables such

as motivations, response tendencies, cognitive operations, affectivity, and

personal/interpersonal perceptions.

This test is used to detect if a patient may have schizophrenia due to their perceptions and

thought disorder, Hermann Rorschach developed this test as a tool for schizophrenia.

It wasn't until 1939 that the test was used as a projective test of personality. Rorschach

himself had always been sceptical about this.

This controversy about the reliability and validity of the Rorschach has been present since its

conception. Today, many - probably most - psychologists in the UK think the Rorschach is

nonsense.

There are 3 critics about this method:

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Rorschach Test

What is the Rorschach Test?  The Rorschach test is a psychological exam in which subjects´ perceptions of inkblots are recorder and analysed using psychological interpretation, complex algorithms, or both.  Some psychologists use this test to examine a person´s personality characteristics and emotional functioning (stress and emotional coping).  The test has been used to detect underlying thought disorder, especially in cases where patients are reluctant to describe their thinking openly. What is the history behind this Test? The Rorschach test was invented by the Swiss Psychiatrist and psychoanalyst Hermann Rorschach ( 8 November 1884- 1 April 1922). Using interpretation of "ambiguous designs” to assess and individual´s personality is an idea that goes back to Leonardo Da Vinci and Botticelli.

Method

The Rorschach test is appropriate for subjects from the age of five to adulthood. The administrator and subject typically sit next to each other at a table, with the administrator slightly behind the subject. Side-by-side seating of the examiner and the subject is used to reduce any effects of inadvertent cues (pistas involuntárias) from the examiner to the subject. In other words, side-by-side seating mitigates the possibility that the examiner will accidentally influence the subject's responses. This is to facilitate a "relaxed but controlled atmosphere". There are ten official inkblots, each printed on a separate white card, approximately 18 by 24 cm in size. The primary goal of this test is to provide data about cognition and personality variables such as motivations, response tendencies, cognitive operations, affectivity, and personal/interpersonal perceptions. This test is used to detect if a patient may have schizophrenia due to their perceptions and thought disorder, Hermann Rorschach developed this test as a tool for schizophrenia. It wasn't until 1939 that the test was used as a projective test of personality. Rorschach himself had always been sceptical about this. This controversy about the reliability and validity of the Rorschach has been present since its conception. Today, many - probably most - psychologists in the UK think the Rorschach is nonsense. There are 3 critics about this method:

 Some psychologists have argued that the testing psychologist also projects his or her unconscious world on to the inkblots when interpreting responses  For example, if the person being tested sees a bra, a male psychologist might classify as a sexual response, whereas (enquanto que) a female psychologist may classify it as clothing.  The Rorschach has also been criticised for its validity. In other words, is it measuring what it says it is measuring? Rorschach was clear that his test measured disordered thinking (As found in schizophrenia) and this has never been disputed. But whether it accurately measures personality as well is up for debate.  Critics have suggested that the Rorschach lacks reliability. Two different testers might come up with two different personality profiles for the same person Legend: Inkblots from the Rorschach test

The development of the BDI reflect these problems in its structure, with items such as “I lost all the interest in other people” to reflect the world, “I feel discouraged about the future” to reflect about the future, and “I blame myself for everything bad that happens” to reflect the self.

Limitations

BDI suffers the same problem as other inventory or self-reporting scales, in which the results can be easily exaggerated or minimized by the individual who completes them. Like the other questionnaires, the way in which the instrument is administered can have an effect on the final result. If a patient is asked to complete the scale in front of others in a clinical setting, for example, social expectations may arouse a different response when compared to administration through the post office. In respondents with associated physical conditions, the weight of BDI in physical symptoms such as fatigue, for example, can artificially inflate results due to physical symptoms of diseases, rather than depressive ones. In an attempt to address this problem, Beck and colleagues developed the Beck Depression Inventory for Primary Care (BDI-PC), a short screening scale consisting of seven BDI-II items considered independent of physical function. Unlike BDI, BDI-PC produces only the binary result of "no depression" or "depressed" for patients who score above 4. Although designed as a screening tool and not as a diagnostic tool, BDI can occasionally be used by healthcare professionals to obtain a rapid diagnosis.

patterns). The information provided by the EDI-3SC aids in determining whether the patient meets the diagnostic criteria as set forth in the Diagnostic and Statical Manual of Mental Disorders IV-TR (DSM-IV) for an eating disorder. EDI-3RF The Eating Disorder Referral Form (EDI-3RF) is an abbreviated form of the EDI-3 for use in non- clinical settings such as the allied health professions. It contains 25 questions from the EDI-3 that are specific to eating disorder risk. It also includes questions specific to the behavioural patterns of someone with or at risk of developing an eating disorder. The EDI-3RF utilizes referral indexes based on Body Mass Index (BMI) in identifying at risk patients. Sample of EDI

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Rorschach Test

Method

Limitations