Generality
The Rorschach stains represent a tool widely used in the psychodiagnostic field.
More precisely, these are particular figures (ink spots) with an apparently meaningless form used to perform the so-called Rorschach test, in order to investigate the personality of an individual .
The Rorschach stains are named after their creator, the Swiss psychiatrist Hermann Rorschach who made them public in 1921 through the publication of his book "Psychodiagnostik".
The fields in which Rorschach stains are used to perform the above test range from psychology to psychiatry. Naturally, to guarantee the correct execution of the test, the stains must be used only by psychologists and psychiatrists specialized in this field.
Although still today the use of Rorschach stains is very widespread in the clinical setting, the reliability of the test performed with them is the subject of heated debates between supporters and skeptics.
Curiosity
The use of the interpretation of "ambiguous" images for the analysis of an individual's personality is not a concept proposed by Rorschach, nor by his successors; in fact, this idea seems to date back to Leonardo da Vinci.
What are
What are Rorschach Stains?
Rorschach stains are ink stains with different shapes - deliberately ambiguous - and different colors. In detail, ten different figures are used for the investigation of an individual's personality, of which five are monochromatic and black, two are red and black and three are polychromatic.
The Rorschach stains are all symmetrical and are subjected to the patient following a precise order and adopting certain rules, in such a way as to make the test as reliable as possible.
The Rorschach stains were created by the homonymous psychiatrist after years of research and attempts as a tool for the diagnosis of schizophrenia and not to determine the personality of an individual as, instead, happens today. In fact, the use of Rorschach stains as a tool for performing a projective personality test became widespread only in 1939, that is, seventeen years later, after the death of the Swiss psychiatrist (1922).
Did you know that ...
Apparently, the use of Rorschach stains to carry out an analysis of an individual's personality raised many doubts even in the Swiss doctor himself. Not surprisingly, Rorschach used his spots to diagnose schizophrenia in patients and not to investigate his personality.
However, after Rorschach's death, when the test began to be used for personality analysis, numerous psychologists and psychiatrists (such as, for example, John Exner, Bruno Klopfer and Samuel Beck) tried to improve the criteria used to interpret the test results, in order to make the personality analysis method as rigorous and reliable as possible.
Applications
In which areas are Rorschach stains used?
The Rorschach stains are used to perform the homonymous test in both psychological and psychiatric settings, in order to analyze the characteristics of a patient's personality. In detail, the test performed with the help of Rorschach stains is a projective psychological test in which the patient must provide information following specifically ambiguous visual stimuli; in this specific case, following the display of the Rorschach spots.
More specifically, the execution of the aforementioned test should provide information about the functioning of the patient 's thinking, allowing the identification of any internal problems or conflicts. Indeed, the interpretation given by the patient to the intentionally ambiguous images shown to him is the fruit of his own mind, therefore, it can be useful in providing indications about his personality and the presence or absence of pathological conditions not yet diagnosed. In the latter case, therefore, Rorschach spots could prove useful in establishing adequate psychological therapy.
Rorschach test
How to perform the Rorschach Stain Test?
The test carried out with Rorschach stains is very complex and requires following very precise rules in order to guarantee a correct execution and an outcome that is as reliable as possible. For this reason, Rorschach stains should be used only and exclusively by specialists with experience in this field and with adequate preparation on the subject.
The executor of the test (therefore, the psychologist or examining psychiatrist) must be seated next to the patient . This point is fundamental: in fact, the examiner must NEVER be positioned in front of the individual to avoid influencing - even involuntarily - the answers.
The test must be performed in one single session and without interruption . It is essentially divided into six different phases which will be described below.
Test administration
The Rorschach stains - shown on sheets with a white background (also called " boards ") - are placed on the patient one at a time, following a well-defined order determined by Rorschach himself at the time of their conception.
The doctor hands the first table into the patient's hands and asks him to describe what he sees in Rorschach's stain on it. It is very important that the table is NOT placed on the desk; if this happens, the doctor must take it and return it to the subject's hands. All that the patient says he sees in the tables shown to him is indicated, in medical jargon, by the term " production ".
There is no time frame to give an answer, but the doctor is still required to take note of the time taken by the patient.
The operation must be repeated for all ten Rorschach spots.
Curiosity
In order to perform the Rorschach stain test, the patient should never have seen these figures in his lifetime. In fact, the test is based on the instinctive response provided by the individual when he sees the spots for the first time; therefore, their previous visualization could compromise the validity of the test itself. Not by chance, according to the directives of the American Psychological Association and the National Order of Italian Psychologists, Rorschach stains should not be disclosed, in such a way as to preserve the reliability of the test carried out with them, thus guaranteeing the clinical reliability.
The confidentiality of Rorschach's spots, however, was interrupted for the first time several years ago - in 1983 - following the publication of the book "Big Secrets", written by William Poundstone.
Additional tests
After obtaining the answers for all ten Rorschach spots, the patient undergoes additional tests, called " pinacoteca " and " seriazione ".
In the "pinacoteca" test the ten images are shown again (one at a time) to the patient, who is asked to give a title to each of them, as if they were paintings exhibited in an art gallery.
In the "serious" test, instead, the patient is asked to draw up a ranking of the images, starting from the one he liked the most, up to the one he liked least.
Investigation
During this phase, the examining doctor will ask the patient for specific information about what he saw in the Rorschach patches. For example, the patient may be asked to indicate which part or detail of the spot gave rise to the production, as well as more detailed details on what was seen (for example, if an animal was seen, which type animal) and why it was seen.
For the entire duration of the test, the examiner is required to note ALL the actions performed and ALL the answers provided by the patient - even if they may seem trivial - just as he must note the reaction he had after seeing each spot (eg surprise, anger, joy, fear, etc.) and the tendency to rotate the table to try to better understand what is represented on it.
Marking
The marking consists essentially in the categorization of the answers given by the patient following the rules provided by standard protocols in line with the interpretative method chosen by the examiner. In this regard, we recall that over the years various methods have been developed that can be followed to interpret the results of the test, with the aim of making it the most reliable and objective as possible.
Among the different methods currently used, we recall:
- The Passi-Tognazzo method, also known as the Swiss-Italian method.
- The Exner method - also known as the Rorschach Comprehensive System (RCS) - is the standard method for interpreting the Rorschach test and is particularly common in America.
- The Rorschach Performance Assessment System (R-PAS), a sort of "update" of the aforementioned Exner method, based on empirical data and - according to its supporters - simpler to use.
- The Klopfer method, presented for the first time in 1942, this method was a great success and spread rapidly.
These are complex methods that require great preparation on the part of the psychologist or psychiatrist who puts them into practice.
General Data Count
In this phase, the examiner must create a summary scheme in which the test results must be reported in the form of reports and indexes .
Interpretation
Last phase of the test is given by the interpretation of the data, reports and indexes obtained from the previous phases, thanks to which it is possible to draw up a first profile of the personality of the patient subjected to the Rorschach stain test.
Result
Rorschach Test Result
The result of the test carried out with Rorschach stains is obtained once all the phases described above have been completed. In this regard, we recall again that the interpretation of the test and the consequent production of a result are very complicated processes that require profound knowledge of the subject.
The variables taken into consideration to provide a correct interpretation and result of the test are many and may be different depending on the interpretative method adopted.
In fact, the outcome of the test is not formulated based simply on what the patient sees in the Rorschach spots, but is formulated on the basis of many factors that may vary depending on the method used.
However, among these numerous factors we recall a few:
- The content identified by the patient (ie what is seen in the Rorschach spots shown);
- The time taken to respond;
- Any comments made during the test;
- The area of stain taken into consideration to give the answer (for example, the entire stain, or the upper part, the lower part, the central portion, the right side, the left side, the colored areas, the white areas, etc. .);
- The non-verbal language assumed by the patient during the test;
- The tendency to rotate the image.
Criticisms
Disputes and criticisms related to the Rorschach Test
The Rorschach stains and the test carried out with them are the subject of numerous disputes and controversies among experts in the field. In fact, there are several specialists who have many doubts about the validity and reliability of the test carried out using the Rorschach stains.
Basically, the criticisms made against the spots and the test in question concern the following points:
- Role of the examining doctor : the examiner could interpret the answers given by the patient in a subjective and non-objective manner as, instead, it should happen. The classic example is that of the bra: according to many skeptics, if a patient claims to see a bra in a Rorschach stain, this response could be attributed to the sexual sphere by a male specialist; on the contrary, a female specialist could interpret the head of underwear mentioned by the patient simply as a garment.
- Result and reliability of the test : numerous criticisms have also been made regarding the validity of the test and the validity of the result obtained, since there have been cases in which two different specialists have provided different profiles for the same patient.
- Validity of the test : another heavy criticism of the Rorschach stain test regards its validity in analyzing and describing the personality of an individual. Rorschach himself had doubts about this application of the stains that it used mainly as a diagnostic tool for schizophrenia.
Although the aforementioned criticisms can be moved with good reason, the methods of interpretation of the Rorschach test developed over the years (see "Siglatura") were conceived precisely in an attempt to make the test as standardized and objective as possible. On the other hand, it is true that the success of the test depends on numerous factors, including the preparation of the specialist who performs it and its ability to strictly adhere to the rules provided by the interpretation method chosen by it.
Curiosity
Although many psychologists are skeptical about the reliability of the Rorschach test as a tool for personality analysis, some of them tend to use homonymous spots as a means of stimulating self-reflection in their patients.
In any case, despite the criticisms, controversies and skepticisms, the Rorschach spots represent an instrument still widely used today to investigate the personality of individuals.
