Interpreting the results correctly in the Rorschach test
Have you ever taken a Rorschach test? What is that? And do you have the opportunity to interpret the results yourself? Various aspects are used for the evaluation.
What is a Rorschach test?
- Hermann Rorschach developed the test over 100 years ago. This test consists of blobs.
- It has become a very common test in psychology. Ten different boards with blobs of ink are presented to the test person. It is also called projective method. This means that the subject's perception is tested.
- The Rorschach test is intended to provide conclusions about the personality structure of the individual. But psychological disorders and possible conflicts should also be recorded.
- When the test person is shown the ten boards with ink blots - mostly black, but also colored - he is asked what comes to mind first. The boards are usually shown in a certain order. There are no wrong answers.
- Then the test person is given each board individually. You can now take a closer look.
- For example, the psychologist asks the following questions: To which part of the blob is the reaction related? How does the test person explain the reaction?
- During the time in which the test person examines the blobs in detail, the psychologist records exactly the reaction of the test person, how he holds the cards and also the reaction times.
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- It is noted whether special phenomena emanate from the test person, such as a so-called stupor (solidification).
The test is somewhat controversial because it is difficult to relate the evaluation to the entire personality structure. There is a risk that the test will be interpreted incorrectly. Critics assume that the psychiatrist or psychologist can influence the test through their own interpretation. The test would be more subjective.
Can you check your personality yourself?
- It is very difficult to grasp the interpretation of the Rorschach test itself. There are no set criteria for the evaluation. As a rule, these are the following aspects: The behavior of the test person is carefully checked (does he still ask questions himself, is he unsure or suspicious)? How does the test person see the content (does he recognize people or animals, does he appear hostile, for example)? Is the shape of the blob abstract or is it more concretely recorded?
- Some psychologists warn against the interpretation because they cannot imagine that on the basis of blotch images a whole personality structure can be represented and consequently no mental disorders or Diseases.
- A request log should therefore be available for the interpretation and the response times must be taken into account. This means that the psychologist has to ask a lot of questions outside of the test and also have to include body language, for example.
- The Rorschach test should therefore only be carried out by specialists who are appropriately competent and qualified for an interpretation. It is shown quite often in films, but you shouldn't pay attention to this, as it is almost always shown incorrectly.
