The Rorschach inkblot test was developed in 1921 by Hermann Rorschach as a projective psychological test using inkblots. Over time, several scoring systems were developed including those by Beck, Klopfer, Rapaport, and Exner, with Exner's being the most extensive. Administration of the test involves introducing the subject to the technique, giving instructions, having them respond to each card and being questioned about their responses. Responses are then scored based on location, determinants, content, popularity, and form. Calculations are performed on the scores to obtain ratios and derive further scores which are then interpreted both qualitatively and quantitatively.

1. Rorschach Ink-blot Test
Niharika Thakkar
B.A, M.A, N.E.T, MBPsS,
Clinical Psychology

2. History
(1921) Hermann Rorschach
 Psychodiagnostik
 Original set contained 40 inkblots
 15 used regularly (eventually narrowed down to 10 due to printing
costs)
 Devised a set of codes
 Printing error led to use of shading

3. Systems
Focus on content analysis
David Levy (1926) brought plates to US
Samuel Beck (1927)
 standardization study of the inkblots
Bruno Klopfer (1922) - Germany
 studied under Carl Jung in Zurich
 immigrated to US in 1934
 Klopfer and his students developed a scoring system(1936)
 Beck scoring system (1937)
 David Rapaport - Psychological Diagnostic Testing (1946)
 clinical applications of 8 tests including the Rorschach
 Roy Schafer (1954)
 Psychoanalytic Interpretation in Rorschach Testing
 content analysis
 John Exner (1995-2003)
 Most extensive and well researched scoring system

4. Administration

5. Steps in administration
1. Introducing the subject to the
technique
2. Giving the test instructions
3. The Response Phase
4. The Inquiry Phase
5. Testing the limits

6. Introduction/Test Instructions
Sit side by side
Cards should not be made visible before
Appropriate order with Card I on top
Hand subject first card

7. Response sheet

8. Response Phase
Verbatim, no probing, Silence by examiner is the
rule
Position of card<,^,>, 0
“I don’t see anything there”
 Take your time, we’re in no hurry (everyone can find
something).”
 “If you take your time and look some more, I think you’ll
find something else too.”
Response time to be noted
Total time to be noted

9. Enquiry Phase
Conducted after all responses are given to all 10
cards
Gain information needed to score accurately
Nondirective questions
Complete location sheet
Not used to generate new information
 “ O.K., we’ve done them all. Now we are going to go back through
them. It won’t take long. I want you to help me see what you saw. I’m
going to read what you said, and then I want you to show me where in
the blot you saw it and what is there that makes it look like that, so I
can see it too. I’d like to see it just like you did, so help me now. Do you
understand?”

10. Enquiry (cont.)
“Focus on gaining information and asking questions on:
 Location (Where is it?)
 Determinants (What makes it look like that?)
 Content (What is it?)
Example
 Response:
Its a pretty flower
 Inquiry:
E: (Repeats response)
S: Yes that’s the stem & here are the petals
E: U mentioned that it is pretty

11. Location chart

12. Rorschach: Assumptions
“Perceptual sets” displayed through projective techniques
Ambiguous stimuli
Responses are scored along three categories:
 location
 determinants
 Content
 form

13. Scoring and Interpretation

14. Scoring
Location
Determinants
Content
Popularity
Form

15. Location
Where?
 Entire blot =W
 Common Detail= D
 Unusual detail =Dd and dD
 Use of white space =S

16. Determininants
Why?
 ex. shape, color, texture
 F= form
 C= colour
 FC= shape and colour
 CF= colour and shape
 M= Human movement
 FM= Animal movement
 Fc= texture response
 Fk= shading response
 Fm= Object movement

17. Content
 What?
 Human= H
 Animal= A
 Human anatomy= At
 Animal Anatomy= AAt
 Object= Obj
 Blood= Blood
 Fire= Fire
 Plant= Plants
 Clouds= Clouds
 Geographical= Geo
 Human like (ghost, cartoon)= (H)
 Animal like (dragon, cartoon)= (A)
 Human part (face, hands etc)= Hd
 Animal Part= Ad
 Food= Fd
 Sex= sex
 Abstract= Abs
 Force= m

18. Popular Responses
(P) frequently perceived responses
Average is 6.9 in non patient populations
5= Adequate
Most frequent on I, III, V, VIII

19. Popular Responses in the Comprehensive System
Card I. Bat or butterfly; always involves the whole blot.
Card II Animal forms, usually heads of dogs, bears, elephants, or lambs.
Card III. Two human figures, or representations thereof, such as dolls and caricatures.
Card IV. Human or human-like figure such as a giant, monster, science fiction creature,
etc.
Card V. Butterfly or bat, including the whole blot; the apex of the card upright or
inverted.
Card VI. Animal skin, hide, rug, or pelt.
Card VII. Human head or face, specifically identified as female, child, Indian, or with
gender not identified.
Card VIII. Whole animal figure. The content varies considerably, such as a bear, dog,
rodent, fox, wolf, and coyote.
Card IX. Human or human-like figures such as witches, giants, science fiction creatures,
monsters, etc.
Card X. Spider or crab with all appendages restricted to a specified area (Dl). Other
variations of multilegged animals are not coded as P (popular responses).

20. Scoring examples
Card Response Inquiry Coding
I < 1. If I turn it ths way ths E: (Rpts S’s resp)
part ll an evergreen tree S: Well, it certainly has the shape
of an evergreen, u kno sk of an
evergreen, like a spruce, very stately
looking

21. Interpretation
 Three steps:
1. Listing the sequence of codes or scores
2. Recording frequencies for each variable
3. Performing various calculations required to obtain
the ratios, percentages and derived scores

22. Calculations
Total responses
Popular Responses
Colour shock and shading shock
Form Quality
Qualitative analysis
Quantitative analysis
Psychogram

23. Testing the limits

24. Thank you