Rorschach Inkblot psych methods PDF

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Rorschach Inkblot psych methods - for week 4...

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Chapter 12: Personality Assessment Methods

Example •

Rorschach Inkblot (Rorschach, 1921) –Ten symmetrical inkblots on cards –Inquiry and follow-up on perceived features –Adolescent and adults

Two Parts • Part 1 – “What might this be?” • Part 2: Investigation –Inquiry –Testing the limits

Exner scoring system • Norms • Location • Determinant • Content He found that some ink blots were better than others at eliciting strange perceptions that might be used clinically: “In the first place, the forms must be relatively simple; complicated pictures make the acquisitions of the factors of the experiment too difficult. Furthermore, the distribution of the blots on the plate must fulfil certain requirements of composition or they will not be suggestive, with the result that many subjects will reject them as ‘simply an ink blot’ without consideration of other possible interpretations.” He used symmetrical patterns: “It has a disadvantage in that it tends to make answers somewhat stereotyped. On the other hand, symmetry makes the conditions the same for right- and left-handed subjects; furthermore, it facilitates interpretation in certain inhibited and blocked subjects. Finally, symmetry makes possible the interpretation of whole scenes.” Some plates evoked responses to details, others to the whole pattern. Colours evoked kinaesthetic movement responses. Some blots were

‘harder’ than others, and for some ‘whole’ answers were almost impossible. He classified answers according to whether the subject saw a fixed form, movement or colour. The type of response was seen as important for psychological assessment and diagnosing mental illnesses. Most significant were the reported forms, seen most clearly by “pedants and depressives” (academics?): “Most interpretations are determined by the form of the blot alone, both in normal and abnormal subjects. The subject searches among his visual memories for that one which in form, especially in outline, most closely resembles the entire figure or one of its details. In accomplishing this, he does not visualize the object ‘seen’ as moving, but as a fixed form.” Animals were seen most frequently, and seeing oneself was most common in schizophrenics. Rorschach used just ten ink blots. This launched a major industry in clinical psychology that has only recently begun to decline. I am not competent to assess its reliability for assessing individuals; but I suggest that reversing the test — from kinds of people to kinds of patterns — might show what stimulates creativity. This is a clear experimental question: which kinds of pattern evoke the richest variety of perceptions and ideas? This Reversed Rorschach should reveal principles of creativity. For a start, one may think of realistic pictures as representing external objects, whereas ink blots and abstract paintings evoke internal creations. Which patterns or pictures are most evocative should tell us what switches us on most powerfully to create new perceptions and ideas. It should reveal the creative nature of mind, for generating perceptions

The administration for the Rorschach is an extensive process. The examiner must make sure that the test is administered as ambiguously as possible. Subjects may ask many questions to get a basic structure. The examiner must only give away basic instructions, such as “what might this be?” Examiners must not respond to the subjects responses verbally or nonverbally. This might led to the subjects attempting to please the examiner’s expectations. Also Exner recommended that the examiner sat next to the subject instead of the traditional position of face-to-face. This was to reduce the non-verbal cues from the examiner. There are two parts of the test. The first part is the free-association phase. The examiner may ask the subject what he/she might see in the first card. Each card is administered individually. The subject then tells what he/she sees on the inkblot card. If his/her answer is insufficient the examiner makes a remark for the subject to attempt to look for more on the card. It is important that the examiner write down everything the subject says and every noise the subject makes. Also the examiner must record the subject’s reaction time. The position that the card is in while the subject is examining it must be recording precisely. For example, the examiner would have to report that for card 3 the subject’s reaction time was 2 minutes and the card was sideways. The second part of the test is the inquiry phase. The cards are shown again individually to the respondent. There are five dimensions on which the subject’s response is scored on. The dimensions are location, form quality, content, and frequency of occurrence. The first dimension, location, is where on the inkblot the subject saw his/her perception. The scores for location are W, D, Dd, or DW. A score of W means the subject saw his/her perception using the whole blot. A score of D means the subject saw his/her perception using a common detail. A score of Dd means the subject saw his/her perception using an unusual detail. A score of DW means that the subject gave a confabulatory or over generalized response. For a normal subject there is usually a balance between W, D, and Dd responses. By calculating

frequencies of these responses, quantitative data is available to work with. Location alone is not enough to determine a specific mental problem. The second dimension is determinant, which is what determined response. There are four properties that can make up a response, form or shape, perceived movement, color, and shading. The score is determined off of which property the subject utilizes to develop a response. For example if the subject’s response was just based of the perceived form it would be a pure form response. There are also subdivisions within the properties. Perceived movement can be further divided into human (M), animal (FM), or inanimate (m) movements. The determinant is the most difficult to score because administration instructions are so vague. Also a major part of scoring determinant is the examiner’s interpretation of the inkblot. It would be best if the examiner had intense experience, but this is not very likely. Determinant scoring stirs up controversy. Many experts believe that scoring perceived movement does not measure psychological issues. Perceived movement may measure motor activity and impulses in the brain. It was believed that subjects that gave two cooperative movement responses were easy to interact with. Research studies illustrates that this theory wrong. The third property, form quality, is the measure of how well the subject’s response equates with the stimulus properties of the inkblot. If the examiner is able to see the subject’s perception then there is adequate form quality. If the examiner is unable to see the subject’s perception then there is poor form quality. This is not a reliable measure due to the dependence on the state of the examiner. Exner designed a comprehensive system to increase reliability of scoring. The fourth property, content, is what the perception was. This is simple to score. The perception must fall into three categories: human (H), animal (A), or nature (N).

The Inkblot Test Rorschach developed his approach after studying more than 400 subjects, including over 300 mental patients and 100 control subjects. His 1921 book Psychodiagnostik presented ten inkblots that he selected as having high diagnostic value. The book also detailed his approach to scoring responses to the test. His intention when creating the test was not to develop a general use projective personality test. His goal was to create a test that could be used in the diagnosis of schizophrenia. Rorschach's book found little success, and he died suddenly at age 37 just one year after the text's publication. Following the publication of the book, however, a wide variety of scoring systems emerged. The test has grown to be one of the most popularly used psychological tests. How the Test Works In order to understand how the inkblot tests work, it is important to understand how what it consists of and how it is administered. •

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The Rorschach test consists of 10 inkblot images, some of which are black, white, or gray, and some of which are color. A psychologist or psychiatrist who has been trained in the use, scoring, and interpretation of the test shows each of the ten cards to the respondent. During the test, the subject is provided with each of the ten cards, one by one. The subject is then asked to describe what he or she thinks the card looks like.

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Test-takers are allowed to hold the cards in any position they may want, whether it is upside down or sideways. The respondents are free to interpret the ambiguous image however they want. They may also respond in any way that they want. They may say that they see one thing, several different things, or even nothing at all. Test-takers can focus on the image as a whole, on certain aspects of the image, or even on the white space that surrounds the image. Once the subject has provided a response, the psychologist will then ask additional questions to get the subject to further elaborate on his or her initial impressions. The psychologist also rates the reactions on a large number of variables such as whether the subject looked at the whole image. These observations are then interpreted and compiled into a profile of the individual.

How Inkblots Work 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. Some of the things that interpreters are looking at include: •

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How respondents describe the image. Certain responses are common on each card, so scorers include a code that identifies such responses. How long they take to respond. Taking a very long time before offering a response might indicate that the respondent is "shocked" by what they see. Factors are known as determinants, which can include location, form, color, and shading, that generate a response. Extra or unrelated comments. Any additional comments that are made that are no part of the main response.

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The popularity or originality of the responses given. Some responses are quite common, while others may be much more unique. Highly atypical responses are notable since they might indicate disturbances in thought patterns.

Interpretating Inkblots The first card in the Rorschach test is a black and white symmetrical image that respondents frequently describe as a bat, butterfly, or moth. Seeing animal or human shapes is a common response to each of the 10 cards. The third inkblot, for example, is often described as being two human figures engaged in some type of interaction. Responses to this card are thought to provide information about how the individual interacts with other people. A relatively fast response might indicate being at ease with others and comfortable with social relationships. A delayed response, however, might reveal that the individual struggles with social interactions. Certain inkblots contain the color red, which is sometimes perceived as blood. Responses to such cards can be an indication of how people cope with threats of harm or how they deal with anger. Sexual imagery is also often seen in many of the cards. Use as a Diagnostic Tool While the Rorschach has long been a popular psychological test, its value has also been heavily questioned. Surveys have suggested that between 43 and 77 percent of clinical psychologists use the Rorschach as an assessment tool. However, one review concluded that the Rorschach test had little validity as a diagnostic instrument. onceptions for art and perhaps also science.

Limitations • Assumptions are flawed • Interpretation may vary by interviewer • Situational variables • Psychometric Properties –Lack of standardization –Low reliability –Poor cross-validation

Examples • Roberts Apperception Test for Children (RATC) McArthur & Roberts, 1982) • Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) Morgan & Murray, 1935 –Tell a story - beginning, middle, and end TAT • 31 Cards –1 is blank –Black and white •

Scoring System • Defense Mechanisms Manual DMM –Denial, Projection, Identification • Social Cognition and Object Relations –Complexity –Affect-Tone –Emotional Investment –Social Causality Scoring • Need

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Press Thema

Word Associations • Free association –Test taker gives first word they think of in response to stimulus word –Interpretation is based on unusualness of association • Sentence Completion –Rotter Incomplete Sentences Blank –40 items –Scored in terms of attitudes and character • family, social, sexual • Examples • I enjoy __________________________. • What annoys me __________________. • I would be much happier if __________. • Going to school ___________________. Behavioral Assessment Approaches • Behavioral Observation –3rd party or observed person • Types –Recordings or rating scales • Self-monitoring –Analogue studies • similar variables or situations –Situational performance measures • Role Playing • Psychophysiological methods –Biofeedback –Polygraph –Plethysmograph • Unobtrusive measures –Physical trace

Behavioral Assessment Issues • Reliability • Contrast Effects • Composite Judgment

Personality tests provide measures of such characteristics as feelings and emotional states, preoccupations, motivations, attitudes, and approaches to interpersonal relations. There is a diversity of approaches to personality assessment, and controversy surrounds many aspects of the widely used methods and techniques. These include such assessments as the interview, rating scales, self-reports, personality inventories, projective techniques, and behavioral observation. The interview In an interview the individual under assessment must be given considerable latitude in “telling his story.” Interviews have both verbal and nonverbal (e.g., gestural) components. The aim of the interview is to gather information, and the adequacy of the data gathered depends in large part on the questions asked by the interviewer. In an employment interview the focus of the interviewer is generally on the job candidate’s work experiences, general and specific attitudes, and occupational goals. In a diagnostic medical or psychiatric interview considerable attention would be paid to the patient’s physical health and to any symptoms of behavioral disorder that may have occurred over the years. Two broad types of interview may be delineated. In the interview designed for use in research, face-to-face contact between an interviewer and interviewee is directed toward eliciting information that may be relevant to particular practical applications under general study or to those personality theories (or hypotheses) being investigated. Another type, the clinical interview, is focused on assessing the status of a particular individual (e.g., a psychiatric patient); such an interview is

action-oriented (i.e., it may indicate appropriate treatment). Both research and clinical interviews frequently may be conducted to obtain an individual’s life history and biographical information (e.g., identifying facts, family relationships), but they differ in the uses to which the information is put.

Reference https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-the-rorschach-inkblot-test2795806 https://www.britannica.com/science/personality-assessment/Assessmentmethods https://www.ukessays.com/essays/psychology/rorschach-ink-blot.php...