Ecology of life. Psychology: In the personality of each person, such qualities as introversion and extroversion are presented ...
Hermann Rorschach was born on November 8, 1884 in Zurich (Switzerland). He was the eldest son of an unsuccessful painter who was forced to earn his living by giving art lessons at school. From childhood, Herman was fascinated by color spots (in all likelihood, the result of the creative efforts of his father and the boy's own love for painting), and his school friends nicknamed him Blob.
When Herman was twelve, his mother died, and when the young man was eighteen, his father also died. After graduating with honors from high school, Rorschach decided to study medicine. In 1912, he received his doctorate in medicine from the University of Zurich, after which he worked in a number of psychiatric hospitals.
In 1911, while still at university, Rorschach conducted a series of curious experiments to test whether artistically gifted schoolchildren were more imaginative when interpreting ordinary inkblots. This study had a huge impact not only on the future career of a scientist, but also on the development of psychology as a science in general.
It must be said that Rorschach was not the first to use color spots in his research, but in his experiment they were first used as part of an analytical approach. The results of the scientist's first experiment were lost over time, but over the next ten years, Rorschach conducted a large-scale study and developed a systematic methodology that allows psychologists to determine people's personality types using ordinary inkblots. Thanks to his work in a psychiatric clinic, he had free access to her patients. Thus, Rorschach studied both mentally ill people and emotionally healthy people, which allowed him to develop a systematic test using inkblots, with which you can analyze the personal characteristics of a person, determine the type of his personality and, if necessary, correct it.
In 1921, Rorschach presented the results of his large-scale work to the world by publishing a book called Psychodiagnostics. In it, the author outlined his theory about the personal characteristics of people.
One of the main provisions is that in the personality of each person such qualities as introversion and extroversion are represented - in other words, that we are motivated by both external and internal factors. According to the scientist, the test with ink spots allows you to evaluate the relative ratio of these properties and identify any mental deviation or, on the contrary, the strengths of the personality. The first edition of Rorschach's book was largely ignored by the psychological scientific community, because at that time the opinion prevailed that it was impossible to measure or test what a person's personality consisted of.
However, over time, colleagues began to understand the benefits of the Rorschach test, and in 1922 the psychiatrist discussed the possibilities of improving his technique at a meeting of the Psychoanalytic Society. Unfortunately, on April 1, 1922, after suffering for a week with severe abdominal pain, Hermann Rorschach was hospitalized with suspected appendicitis, and on April 2 he died of peritonitis. He was only thirty-seven years old, and he never saw the huge success of the psychological tool he invented.
Rorschach ink blots
The Rorschach test uses ten inkblots: five black and white, two black and red and three color. The psychologist shows the cards in strict order, asking the patient the same question: “What does it look like?”. After the patient has seen all the pictures and given answers, the psychologist shows the cards again, again in strict order. The patient is asked to name everything that he sees on them, in which place of the picture he sees this or that image and what in it makes him give just such an answer.
Cards can be flipped, tilted, manipulated in any other way. The psychologist must accurately record everything the patient says and does during the test, as well as the timing of each response. The responses are then analyzed and scores are calculated. Then, by mathematical calculations, the result is displayed according to the test data, which is interpreted by a specialist.
If some ink spot does not evoke any associations in a person or he cannot describe what he sees on it, this may mean that the object depicted on the card is blocked in his mind, or that the image on it is associated in his subconscious with a topic that at the moment he would not like to discuss.
Card 1
On the first card we see a spot of black ink. It is shown first, and the answer to it allows the psychologist to suggest how this person performs new tasks for him - therefore, associated with a certain stress. Usually people say that the image reminds them of a bat, a moth, a butterfly, or the face of some animal, such as an elephant or a rabbit. The response reflects the respondent's personality type as a whole.
For some people, the image of a bat is associated with something unpleasant and even demonic; for others, it is a symbol of rebirth and the ability to navigate in the dark. Butterflies can symbolize transition and transformation, as well as the ability to grow, change, and overcome difficulties. The moth symbolizes a sense of abandonment and ugliness, as well as weakness and anxiety.
The face of an animal, in particular an elephant, often symbolizes the way we face adversity and the fear of inner problems. It can also mean "an elephant in a china shop", that is, to convey a feeling of discomfort, and indicate some kind of problem that a person is currently trying to get rid of.
Card 2
This card has a spot of red and black, and people often see something sexy in it. Parts of the red color are usually interpreted as blood, and the reaction to it reflects how a person manages his feelings and anger and how he copes with physical damage. Respondents most often say that this spot reminds them of an act of supplication, two people, a person looking in a mirror, or some kind of long-legged animal, such as a dog, a bear, or an elephant.
If a person sees two people in the spot, this can symbolize interdependence, an obsession with sex, an ambivalent attitude towards sexual contact, or a focus on connection and close relationships with others. If the spot resembles a person reflected in a mirror, this can symbolize self-centeredness or, on the contrary, a tendency to self-criticism.
In each of the two options, either a negative or a positive personality characteristic is expressed, depending on what feelings the image evokes in a person. If the respondent sees a dog in the spot, this may mean that he is a faithful and loving friend. If he perceives the stain as something negative, then he needs to face his fears face to face and recognize his inner feelings.
If the spot reminds a person of an elephant, this can symbolize a tendency to think, a developed intellect and a good memory; however, sometimes such a vision indicates a negative perception of one's own body.
The bear, imprinted in the spot, symbolizes aggression, rivalry, independence, disobedience. In the case of English-speaking patients, a play on words can play a role: bear (bear) and bare (bare), which means a feeling of insecurity, vulnerability, as well as the sincerity and honesty of the responder.
The spot on this card is reminiscent of something sexual, and if the respondent sees it as a person praying, this may indicate an attitude towards sex in the context of religion. If at the same time the respondent sees blood in the stain, it means that he associates physical pain with religion or, experiencing complex emotions like anger, resorts to prayer, or associates anger with religion.
Card 3
The third card shows a spot of red and black ink, and its perception symbolizes the relationship of the patient to other people within the framework of social interaction. Most often, respondents see on it the image of two people looking in the mirror of a person, a butterfly or a moth.
If a person sees two people having lunch in a spot, this means that he leads an active social life. A stain that looks like two people washing their hands indicates insecurity, a feeling of impurity, or paranoid fear. If the respondent saw two people playing a game in the spot, this often indicates that he takes the position of a rival in social interactions. If the spot resembles a person looking at his reflection in the mirror, this may indicate self-centeredness, inattention to others and inability to understand people.
Card 4
Experts call the fourth card "father's". The spot on it is black, and some of its parts are fuzzy, blurry. Many people see something big and frightening in this picture - an image that is usually perceived not as feminine, but as masculine. The reaction to this stain makes it possible to reveal a person's attitude to authorities and the peculiarities of his upbringing. Most often, the spot reminds the respondents of a huge animal or monster, or the hole of some animal or its skin.
If the patient sees a large animal or monster in the spot, this may symbolize a sense of inferiority and admiration for authority, as well as an exaggerated fear of people in positions of power, including his own father. If the spot resembles the skin of an animal responding, this often symbolizes the strongest internal discomfort when discussing topics related to the father. However, this may also indicate that the problem of one's own inferiority or worship of authorities is irrelevant for this respondent.
Card 5
On this card, we again see a black spot. The association caused by him, like the image on the first card, reflects our true "I". Looking at this image, people usually do not feel threatened, and since the previous cards caused them completely different emotions, this time the person does not feel much tension or discomfort - therefore, a deeply personal reaction will be characteristic. If the image he sees is very different from the answer given when he saw the first card, this means that cards two through four most likely made a big impression on him. Most often, this image reminds people of a bat, butterfly or moth.
Card 6
The picture on this card is also monochrome, black; it is distinguished by the texture of the spot. This image evokes in a person associations with interpersonal intimacy, which is why it is called the “sex card”. Most often, people say that the stain reminds them of a hole or an animal skin, which may indicate a reluctance to enter into close relationships with other people and, as a result, a feeling of inner emptiness and isolation from society.
Card 7
The spot on this card is also black and is usually associated with the feminine. Since people most often see images of women and children in this spot, it is called "motherly". If a person has difficulty describing what is shown on the card, this may indicate that he has difficult relationships with women in his life. Respondents often say that the stain reminds them of the heads or faces of women or children; it can also evoke memories of a kiss.
If the spot looks like the heads of women, this symbolizes the feelings associated with the mother of the respondent, which also affect his attitude towards the female sex in general. If the spot resembles children's heads, this symbolizes the feelings associated with childhood and the need to take care of the child that lives in the soul of the respondent, or that the patient's relationship with the mother needs close attention and, possibly, correction. If a person sees two heads bowed for a kiss in a spot, this indicates his desire to be loved and reunite with his mother, or that he seeks to reproduce the once close relationship with his mother in other relationships, including romantic or social.
Card 8
This card has gray, and pink, and orange, and blue colors. Not only is this the first multi-colored card in the test, it is also particularly difficult to interpret. If it is precisely when demonstrating it or changing the pace of displaying pictures that the respondent experiences obvious discomfort, it is very likely that in life he has difficulty processing difficult situations or emotional stimuli. Most often, people say that they see a four-legged animal, a butterfly or a moth here.
Card 9
The spot on this card includes green, pink, and orange. It has a vague outline, so most people find it difficult to understand what this image reminds them of. For this reason, this card allows you to evaluate how well a person copes with the lack of a clear structure and uncertainty. Most often, patients see on it either the general outlines of a person, or some indefinite form of evil.
If the respondent sees a person, then the feelings experienced at the same time convey how successfully he copes with the disorganization of time and information. If the stain resembles some abstract image of evil, this may indicate that a person needs to have a clear routine in order to feel comfortable, and that he does not cope well with uncertainty.
Card 10
The last card of the Rorschach test has the most colors: there are orange, and yellow, and green, and pink, and gray, and blue. In form, it is somewhat similar to the eighth card, but in terms of complexity it is more similar to the ninth.
Many people experience quite pleasant feelings when they see this card, except for those who were very puzzled by the difficulty of identifying the image depicted on the previous card; when they look at this picture, they feel the same way. This may indicate that they have difficulty coping with similar, synchronous, or overlapping stimuli. Most often, people see crab, lobster, spider, rabbit head, snakes or caterpillars on this card.
The image of a crab symbolizes the respondent's tendency to become too attached to things and people, or such a quality as tolerance. If a person sees a lobster in a picture, this may indicate their strength, tolerance and ability to cope with minor problems, as well as the fear of harming themselves or being harmed by someone else. If the spot resembles a spider, it may be a symbol of fear, a feeling that a person has been dragged into a difficult situation by force or deceit. In addition, the image of a spider symbolizes an overprotective and caring mother and the power of a woman.
If a person sees the head of a rabbit, it can symbolize reproductive ability and a positive attitude towards life. Snakes reflect a sense of danger or a feeling that a person has been deceived, as well as a fear of the unknown. The snake is also often regarded as a phallic symbol and associated with unacceptable or forbidden sexual desires. Since this is the last card in the test, if the patient sees caterpillars on it, this indicates the prospects for his growth and the understanding that people are constantly changing and developing. published
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The Rorschach test or the Rorschach inkblot technique is one of the most famous psychodiagnostic tests. Each of us has seen at least one picture with blots that resemble ... And here, in fact, it begins, since the answer determines the individual properties and inclinations of a particular person. Recently, due to mass distribution in social networks, the Rorschach test is often presented in much simplified versions, but in fact it is a powerful psychological tool. In this article, we tried to talk about it without confusing scientific terminology and, moreover, we wrote an online test based on the inkblot technique, the passage of which will allow you to determine the properties of your personality.
How the test was created
It is unequivocal to say how the Swiss psychiatrist and psychologist Hermann Rorschach came up with the idea of creating such a test is a very difficult task. PhD Jane Framingham, for example, believes that the children's game "Klecksographie" popular at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, charades based on ink spots, could have prompted such an idea. Blots as a psychological tool could be used by Rorschach's teacher and friend Konrad Goering.
The history of the test itself can be started from 1911, when E. Bleuler first introduced the term "schizophrenia" into scientific use, and G. Rorschach became interested in this disease and devoted his dissertation to its study. In the process of conducting the experimental part, he noticed that patients interpret spots from the Klecksographie game in different ways. But then he made only a small report on his observation.
Several years of practice followed, during which G. Rorschach actively tested the inkblot technique on his patients in order to determine personal behavioral factors. As a result, 40 cards with inkblots were created and theoretical material was collected to present the methodology. But there were difficulties with the publication. Now it's hard to believe, but not a single publishing house of that time wanted to take on the printing of Rorschach's book. And the reason for this was not the fantastic or anti-scientific nature of his ideas, but the banal technical complexity in printing so many blot drawings. As a result, they had to be reduced first to 15, and then to 10. Only after that one of the publishers agreed to release the book. It was published in 1921 under the title "Psychodiagnostik".
In it, in addition to introducing the concept of “psychodiagnostics” into science, the results of studies with inkblots and the test itself with explanations were presented. Rorschach's own scoring system (in other words, explaining how to interpret the results) focused on the classification of possible answers, and paid little attention to their content. The author of the test died the following year. Despite the weakness of certain aspects of the test (it is unclear to which category of the proposed classification all possible answers should be attributed due to the lack of their description in the work), its developments were highly valued for a long time and were the main diagnostic tools in clinical psychology (for 40-50 years). 1900s). In the 1960s, the Rorschach test was criticized, mainly due to the lack of a unified methodology for assessing answers (there are several of the most common scoring systems: Beck, Piotrovsky, Klopfer, etc.).
Tests that are used in world practice, with a detailed interpretation of their results for the needs of self-development, are collected. Take a course to understand yourself and your true motives.
But complete discrediting was avoided. Mainly thanks to the work of John Exner. He compared 5 dominant rating systems and created something like a unifying system (The Rorschach: A Comprehensive System). Today, many psychologists use the Rorschach test precisely within the Exner Integrative System. It is used for diagnosis in correctional facilities in the United States and some other countries, in forensic science, for the diagnosis of personality disorders in clinical psychology. Also, the test finds validity in understanding the personality and emotional state of a person in cases where the patient does not want or cannot (due to dementia, for example, as in the case of Charlie Gordon in "Flowers for Algernon") talk about it directly. Globally, based on the answers, one can judge a person, understand his past and predict future behavior.
Testing and results
Stimulus material for the Rorschach test - 10 cards with symmetrical images, which are created by ink spots that bear little resemblance to the outlines of anything specific. Half of the cards are in color, half are black and white. The task of the subject is to tell and detail what he sees in the picture. The test time is unlimited.
A person who is not familiar with the nuances of psychodiagnostics may assume that the process of describing the image is involved. In fact, our imagination only decorates the answer, but its very search is dictated by other mechanisms that are not related to fantasy. Rorschach was sure that the images that each person sees in inkblots are dictated by individual characteristics and personality traits. At first glance, it seems that seeing something in a blot is not a particularly difficult task - fantasize as much as you want. But our brain in this case does a rather complicated job.
Its starting point is the absence of even the slightest idea of what is shown on the card. This uncertainty triggers where the images that have arisen are only partially conscious. A series of such associations is combined into more complex images, and already on their basis, the imagination completes the formation of a complex representation. Such a chain of mental acts makes it possible to identify those psychological characteristics that determine the individuality of each person. This is the main difference between the Rorschach test and other projective tests (tests where hidden emotions or internal conflicts are determined through a reaction to ambiguous stimuli projected onto the participant during testing). His stimulus material is "pure" - the proposed pictures are formless and indefinite, which excludes any external orientation of associations.
After the subject completes the work with inkblots, his answers are evaluated in terms of two characteristics: formal and content. A formal assessment is made on the basis of the characteristics of the organization of perception. The analysis in this case can be based on the following aspects:
- Operating the image in space (all the spot or part is used);
- Selectivity of perception (strong reaction to color or predominantly reaction to color);
- Dynamism or immobility of images;
- Sequence of reactions.
The way in which even the most common responses for each of these two classes of assessments are processed and interpreted is a highly detailed and highly complex process. Therefore, if this topic interests you, you can get acquainted with the relevant material at the link.
Below we propose to pass our version of the Rorschach test with automatic interpretation, which, of course, is inferior to the interpretation of a real specialist in psychology and psychotherapy, but still will help you try to recognize yourself through the prism of the famous blots.
Psychological Rorschach test (ink blots)Hermann Rorschach (1884-1922). Human personality and inkblots
Hermann Rorschach was born on November 8, 1884 in Zurich (Switzerland). He was the eldest son of an unsuccessful painter who was forced to earn his living by giving art lessons at school. From childhood, Herman was fascinated by color spots (in all likelihood, the result of the creative efforts of his father and the boy's own love for painting), and his school friends nicknamed him Blob. When Herman was twelve, his mother died, and when the young man was eighteen, his father also died. After graduating with honors from high school, Rorschach decided to study medicine. In 1912, he received his doctorate in medicine from the University of Zurich, after which he worked in a number of psychiatric hospitals. In 1911, while still at university, Rorschach conducted a series of curious experiments to test whether artistically gifted schoolchildren were more imaginative when interpreting ordinary inkblots. This study had a huge impact not only on the future career of a scientist, but also on the development of psychology as a science in general. It must be said that Rorschach was not the first to use color spots in his research, but in his experiment they were first used as part of an analytical approach. The results of the scientist's first experiment were lost over time, but over the next ten years, Rorschach conducted a large-scale study and developed a systematic methodology that allows psychologists to determine people's personality types using ordinary inkblots.
Thanks to her work in a psychiatric clinic, the researcher had free access to her patients. Thus, Rorschach studied both mentally ill people and emotionally healthy people, which allowed him to develop a systematic test using inkblots, with which you can analyze the personal characteristics of a person, determine the type of his personality and, if necessary, correct it.
In 1921, Rorschach presented the results of his large-scale work to the world by publishing a book called Psychodiagnostics. In it, the author outlined his theory about the personal characteristics of people. One of the main points is that in the personality of each person such qualities as introversion and extroversion are represented - in other words, that we are motivated by both external and internal factors. According to the scientist, the test with ink spots allows you to evaluate the relative ratio of these properties and identify any mental deviation or, on the contrary, the strengths of the personality. The first edition of Rorschach's book was largely ignored by the psychological scientific community, because at that time the opinion prevailed that it was impossible to measure or test what a person's personality consisted of. However, over time, colleagues began to understand the benefits of the Rorschach test, and in 1922 the psychiatrist discussed the possibilities of improving his technique at a meeting of the Psychoanalytic Society. Unfortunately, on April 1, 1922, after suffering for a week with severe abdominal pain, Hermann Rorschach was hospitalized with suspected appendicitis, and on April 2 he died of peritonitis. He was only thirty-seven years old, and he never saw the huge success of the psychological tool he invented.
Rorschach ink blots
The Rorschach test uses ten inkblots: five black and white, two black and red, and three colored. The psychologist shows the cards in strict order, asking the patient the same question: “What does it look like?”. After the patient has seen all the pictures and given answers, the psychologist shows the cards again, again in strict order. The patient is asked to name everything that he sees on them, in which place of the picture he sees this or that image and what in it makes him give just such an answer. Cards can be flipped, tilted, manipulated in any other way. The psychologist must accurately record everything the patient says and does during the test, as well as the timing of each response. The responses are then analyzed and scores are calculated. Then, by mathematical calculations, the result is displayed according to the test data, which is interpreted by a specialist. If some ink spot does not evoke any associations in a person or he cannot describe what he sees on it, this may mean that the object depicted on the card is blocked in his mind, or that the image on it is associated in his subconscious with a topic that at the moment he would not like to discuss.
Card 1
On the first card we see a spot of black ink. It is shown first, and the answer to it allows the psychologist to suggest how this person performs new tasks for him - therefore, associated with a certain stress. Usually people say that the image reminds them of a bat, a moth, a butterfly, or the face of some animal, such as an elephant or a rabbit. The response reflects the respondent's personality type as a whole.
For some people, the image of a bat is associated with something unpleasant and even demonic; for others, it is a symbol of rebirth and the ability to navigate in the dark. Butterflies can symbolize transition and transformation, as well as the ability to grow, change, and overcome difficulties. The moth symbolizes a sense of abandonment and ugliness, as well as weakness and anxiety. The face of an animal, in particular an elephant, often symbolizes the way we face adversity and the fear of inner problems. It can also mean "an elephant in a china shop", that is, to convey a feeling of discomfort, and indicate some kind of problem that a person is currently trying to get rid of.
Card 2
This card has a spot of red and black, and people often see something sexy in it. Parts of the red color are usually interpreted as blood, and the reaction to it reflects how a person manages his feelings and anger and how he copes with physical damage. Respondents most often say that this spot reminds them of an act of supplication, two people, a person looking in a mirror, or some kind of long-legged animal, such as a dog, a bear, or an elephant.
If a person sees two people in the spot, this can symbolize interdependence, an obsession with sex, an ambivalent attitude towards sexual contact, or a focus on connection and close relationships with others. If the spot resembles a person reflected in a mirror, this can symbolize self-centeredness or, on the contrary, a tendency to self-criticism. In each of the two options, either a negative or a positive personality characteristic is expressed, depending on what feelings the image evokes in a person. If the respondent sees a dog in the spot, this may mean that he is a faithful and loving friend. If he perceives the stain as something negative, then he needs to face his fears and recognize his inner feelings. If the spot reminds a person of an elephant, this can symbolize a tendency to think, a developed intellect and a good memory; however, sometimes such a vision indicates a negative perception of one's own body. The bear, imprinted in the spot, symbolizes aggression, rivalry, independence, disobedience. In the case of English-speaking patients, a play on words can play a role: bear (bear) and bare (bare), which means a feeling of insecurity, vulnerability, as well as the sincerity and honesty of the responder. The spot on this card is reminiscent of something sexual, and if the respondent sees it as a person praying, this may indicate an attitude towards sex in the context of religion. If at the same time the respondent sees blood in the stain, it means that he associates physical pain with religion or, experiencing complex emotions like anger, resorts to prayer, or associates anger with religion.
Card 3
The third card shows a spot of red and black ink, and its perception symbolizes the relationship of the patient to other people within the framework of social interaction. Most often, respondents see on it the image of two people looking in the mirror of a person, a butterfly or a moth.
If a person sees two people having lunch in a spot, this means that he leads an active social life. A stain that looks like two people washing their hands indicates insecurity, a feeling of impurity, or paranoid fear. If the respondent saw two people playing a game in the spot, this often indicates that he takes the position of a rival in social interactions. If the spot resembles a person looking at his reflection in the mirror, this may indicate self-centeredness, inattention to others and inability to understand people.
Card 4
Experts call the fourth card "father's". The spot on it is black, and some of its parts are fuzzy, blurry. Many people see something big and frightening in this picture - an image that is usually perceived not as feminine, but as masculine. The reaction to this stain makes it possible to reveal a person's attitude to authorities and the peculiarities of his upbringing. Most often, the spot reminds the respondents of a huge animal or monster, or the hole of some animal or its skin.
If the patient sees a large animal or monster in the spot, this may symbolize a sense of inferiority and admiration for authority, as well as an exaggerated fear of people in positions of power, including his own father. If the spot resembles the skin of an animal responding, this often symbolizes the strongest internal discomfort when discussing topics related to the father. However, this may also indicate that the problem of one's own inferiority or worship of authorities is irrelevant for this respondent.
Card 5
On this card, we again see a black spot. The association caused by him, like the image on the first card, reflects our true "I". Looking at this image, people usually do not feel threatened, and since the previous cards caused them very different emotions, this time the person does not feel much tension or discomfort - therefore, a deeply personal reaction will be characteristic. If the image he sees is very different from the answer given when he saw the first card, this means that cards two through four most likely made a big impression on him. Most often, this image reminds people of a bat, butterfly or moth.
Card 6
The picture on this card is also monochrome, black; it is distinguished by the texture of the spot. This image evokes in a person associations with interpersonal intimacy, which is why it is called the “sex card”. Most often, people say that the stain reminds them of a hole or an animal skin, which may indicate a reluctance to enter into close relationships with other people and, as a result, a feeling of inner emptiness and isolation from society.
Card 7
The spot on this card is also black and is usually associated with the feminine. Since people most often see images of women and children in this spot, it is called "motherly". If a person has difficulty describing what is shown on the card, this may indicate that he has difficult relationships with women in his life. Respondents often say that the stain reminds them of the heads or faces of women or children; it can also evoke memories of a kiss.
If the spot looks like the heads of women, this symbolizes the feelings associated with the mother of the respondent, which also affect his attitude towards the female sex in general. If the spot resembles children's heads, this symbolizes the feelings associated with childhood and the need to take care of the child that lives in the soul of the respondent, or that the patient's relationship with the mother needs close attention and, possibly, correction. If a person sees two heads bowed for a kiss in a spot, this indicates his desire to be loved and reunite with his mother, or that he seeks to reproduce the once close relationship with his mother in other relationships, including romantic or social.
Card 8
This card has gray, and pink, and orange, and blue colors. Not only is this the first multi-colored card in the test, it is also particularly difficult to interpret. If it is precisely when the respondent experiences obvious discomfort during its demonstration or a change in the pace of displaying pictures, it is very likely that in life he has difficulties with processing difficult situations or emotional stimuli. Most often, people say that they see a four-legged animal, a butterfly or a moth here.
Card 9
The spot on this card includes green, pink, and orange. It has a vague outline, so most people find it difficult to understand what this image reminds them of. For this reason, this card allows you to evaluate how well a person copes with the lack of a clear structure and uncertainty. Most often, patients see on it either the general outlines of a person, or some indefinite form of evil.
If the respondent sees a person, then the feelings experienced at the same time convey how successfully he copes with the disorganization of time and information. If the stain resembles some abstract image of evil, this may indicate that a person needs to have a clear routine in order to feel comfortable, and that he does not cope well with uncertainty.
Card 10
The last card of the Rorschach test has the most colors: there are orange, and yellow, and green, and pink, and gray, and blue. In form, it is somewhat similar to the eighth card, but in terms of complexity it is more similar to the ninth. Many people experience quite pleasant feelings when they see this card, except for those who were very puzzled by the difficulty of identifying the image depicted on the previous card; when they look at this picture, they feel the same way. This may indicate that they have difficulty coping with similar, synchronous, or overlapping stimuli. Most often, people see crab, lobster, spider, rabbit head, snakes or caterpillars on this card.
The image of a crab symbolizes the respondent's tendency to become too attached to things and people, or such a quality as tolerance. If a person sees a lobster in a picture, this may indicate their strength, tolerance and ability to cope with minor problems, as well as the fear of harming themselves or being harmed by someone else. If the spot resembles a spider, it may be a symbol of fear, a feeling that a person has been dragged into a difficult situation by force or deceit. In addition, the image of a spider symbolizes an overprotective and caring mother and the power of a woman. If a person sees the head of a rabbit, it can symbolize reproductive ability and a positive attitude towards life. Snakes reflect a sense of danger or a feeling that a person has been deceived, as well as a fear of the unknown. The snake is also often regarded as a phallic symbol and associated with unacceptable or forbidden sexual desires. Since this is the last card in the test, if the patient sees caterpillars on it, this indicates the prospects for his growth and the understanding that people are constantly changing and developing.
An excerpt from Paul Kleinman's book Psychology. People, concepts, experiments"
A series of messages "Psychological tests":
Part 1 - Psychological Rorschach test (ink blots)
The Rorschach test or the Rorschach inkblot technique is one of the most famous psychodiagnostic personality tests. Each of us has seen at least one picture with blots that resemble ... And here, in fact, the test begins, since the answer determines the individual properties and inclinations of a particular person. Recently, due to mass distribution in social networks, the Rorschach test is often presented in much simplified versions, but in fact it is a powerful psychological tool.
I often glimpsed these pictures and heard about this test, but I didn’t have to take it myself, and even more so I didn’t quite understand the methodology and specifics of this test. Let's all find out about it together now, and at the same time remember about its author and the history of the creation of the Rorschach test
HERMANN RORSCHACH WAS BORN ON NOVEMBER 8, 1884 IN ZURICH (SWITZERLAND). He was the eldest son of an unsuccessful painter who was forced to earn his living by giving art lessons at school. From childhood, Herman was fascinated by color spots (in all likelihood, the result of the creative efforts of his father and the boy's own love for painting), and his school friends nicknamed him Blob. When Herman was twelve, his mother died, and when the young man was eighteen, his father also died. After graduating with honors from high school, Rorschach decided to study medicine. In 1912, he received his doctorate in medicine from the University of Zurich, after which he worked in a number of psychiatric hospitals. In 1911, while still at university, Rorschach conducted a series of curious experiments to test whether artistically gifted schoolchildren were more imaginative when interpreting ordinary inkblots. This study had a huge impact not only on the future career of a scientist, but also on the development of psychology as a science in general. It must be said that Rorschach was not the first to use color spots in his research.
It is unequivocal to say how the Swiss psychiatrist and psychologist Hermann Rorschach came up with the idea of creating such a test is a very difficult task. PhD Jane Framingham, for example, believes that the children's game "Klecksographie" popular at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, charades based on ink spots, could have prompted such an idea. Blots as a psychological tool could be used by Rorschach's teacher and friend Konrad Goering.
The history of the test itself can be started from 1911, when E. Bleuler first introduced the term "schizophrenia" into scientific use, and G. Rorschach became interested in this disease and devoted his dissertation to its study. In the process of conducting the experimental part, he noticed that patients interpret spots from the Klecksographie game in different ways. But then he made only a small report on his observation.
Several years of practice followed, during which G. Rorschach actively tested the inkblot technique on his patients in order to determine personal behavioral factors. As a result, 40 cards with inkblots were created and theoretical material was collected to present the methodology. But there were difficulties with the publication. Now it's hard to believe, but not a single publishing house of that time wanted to take on the printing of Rorschach's book. And the reason for this was not the fantastic or anti-scientific nature of his ideas, but the banal technical complexity in printing so many blot drawings. As a result, they had to be reduced first to 15, and then to 10. Only after that one of the publishers agreed to release the book. It was published in 1921 under the title "Psychodiagnostik". In it, the author outlined his theory about the personal characteristics of people. One of the main provisions is that in the personality of each person such qualities as introversion and extroversion are represented - in other words, that we are motivated by both external and internal factors. According to the scientist, the test with ink spots allows you to evaluate the relative ratio of these properties and identify any mental deviation or, on the contrary, the strengths of the personality. The first edition of Rorschach's book was largely ignored by the psychological scientific community, because at that time the opinion prevailed that it was impossible to measure or test what a person's personality consisted of. However, over time, colleagues began to understand the benefits of the Rorschach test, and in 1922 the psychiatrist discussed the possibilities of improving his technique at a meeting of the Psychoanalytic Society. Unfortunately, on April 1, 1922, after suffering for a week with severe abdominal pain, Hermann Rorschach was hospitalized with suspected appendicitis, and on April 2 he died of peritonitis. He was only thirty-seven years old, and he never saw the huge success of the psychological tool he invented.
In it, in addition to introducing the concept of “psychodiagnostics” into science, the results of studies with inkblots and the test itself with explanations were presented. Rorschach's own scoring system (in other words, explaining how to interpret the results) focused on the classification of possible answers, and paid little attention to their content. The author of the test died the following year. Despite the weakness of certain aspects of the test (it is unclear to which category of the proposed classification all possible answers should be attributed due to the lack of their description in the work), its developments were highly valued for a long time and were the main diagnostic tools in clinical psychology (for 40-50 years). 1900s). In the 1960s, the Rorschach test was criticized, mainly due to the lack of a unified methodology for assessing answers (there are several of the most common scoring systems: Beck, Piotrovsky, Klopfer, etc.).
But complete discrediting was avoided. Mainly thanks to the work of John Exner. He compared 5 dominant rating systems and created something like a unifying system (The Rorschach: A Comprehensive System). Today, many psychologists use the Rorschach test precisely within the Exner Integrative System. It is used for diagnosis in correctional facilities in the United States and some other countries, in forensic science, for the diagnosis of personality disorders in clinical psychology. Also, the test finds validity in understanding the personality and emotional state of a person in cases where the patient does not want or cannot (due to dementia, for example, as in the case of Charlie Gordon in "Flowers for Algernon") talk about it directly. Globally, based on the answers, one can judge the psychology of a person, understand his past and predict future behavior.
Rorschach ink blots
The Rorschach test uses ten inkblots: five black and white, two black and red, and three colored. The psychologist shows the cards in strict order, asking the patient the same question: “What does it look like?”. After the patient has seen all the pictures and given answers, the psychologist shows the cards again, again in strict order. The patient is asked to name everything that he sees on them, in which place of the picture he sees this or that image and what in it makes him give just such an answer. Cards can be flipped, tilted, manipulated in any other way. The psychologist must accurately record everything the patient says and does during the test, as well as the timing of each response. The responses are then analyzed and scores are calculated. Then, by mathematical calculations, the result is displayed according to the test data, which is interpreted by a specialist. If some ink spot does not evoke any associations in a person or he cannot describe what he sees on it, this may mean that the object depicted on the card is blocked in his mind, or that the image on it is associated in his subconscious with a topic that at the moment he would not like to discuss.
CARD 1
ON THE FIRST CARD WE SEE A SPOT OF BLACK INK. It is shown first, and the answer to it allows the psychologist to suggest how this person performs new tasks for him - therefore, associated with a certain stress. Usually people say that the image reminds them of a bat, a moth, a butterfly, or the face of some animal, such as an elephant or a rabbit. The response reflects the respondent's personality type as a whole.
For some people, the image of a bat is associated with something unpleasant and even demonic; for others, it is a symbol of rebirth and the ability to navigate in the dark. Butterflies can symbolize transition and transformation, as well as the ability to grow, change, and overcome difficulties. The moth symbolizes a sense of abandonment and ugliness, as well as weakness and anxiety. The face of an animal, in particular an elephant, often symbolizes the way we face adversity and the fear of inner problems. It can also mean "an elephant in a china shop", that is, to convey a feeling of discomfort, and indicate some kind of problem that a person is currently trying to get rid of.
CARD 2
THIS CARD SHOWS A RED AND BLACK SPOT, and people often see something sexy in it. Parts of the red color are usually interpreted as blood, and the reaction to it reflects how a person manages his feelings and anger and how he copes with physical damage. Respondents most often say that this spot reminds them of an act of supplication, two people, a person looking in a mirror, or some kind of long-legged animal, such as a dog, a bear, or an elephant.
If a person sees two people in the spot, this can symbolize interdependence, an obsession with sex, an ambivalent attitude towards sexual contact, or a focus on connection and close relationships with others. If the spot resembles a person reflected in a mirror, this can symbolize self-centeredness or, on the contrary, a tendency to self-criticism. In each of the two options, either a negative or a positive personality characteristic is expressed, depending on what feelings the image evokes in a person. If the respondent sees a dog in the spot, this may mean that he is a faithful and loving friend. If he perceives the stain as something negative, then he needs to face his fears face to face and recognize his inner feelings. If the spot reminds a person of an elephant, this can symbolize a tendency to think, a developed intellect and a good memory; however, sometimes such a vision indicates a negative perception of one's own body. The bear, imprinted in the spot, symbolizes aggression, rivalry, independence, disobedience. In the case of English-speaking patients, a play on words can play a role: bear (bear) and bare (bare), which means a feeling of insecurity, vulnerability, as well as the sincerity and honesty of the responder. The spot on this card is reminiscent of something sexual, and if the respondent sees it as a person praying, this may indicate an attitude towards sex in the context of religion. If at the same time the respondent sees blood in the stain, it means that he associates physical pain with religion or, experiencing complex emotions like anger, resorts to prayer, or associates anger with religion.
CARD 3
THE THIRD CARD SHOWS A SPOT OF RED AND BLACK INK, and its perception symbolizes the patient's relationship to other people within the framework of social interaction. Most often, respondents see on it the image of two people looking in the mirror of a person, a butterfly or a moth.
If a person sees two people having lunch in a spot, this means that he leads an active social life. A stain that looks like two people washing their hands indicates insecurity, a feeling of impurity, or paranoid fear. If the respondent saw two people playing a game in the spot, this often indicates that he takes the position of a rival in social interactions. If the spot resembles a person looking at his reflection in the mirror, this may indicate self-centeredness, inattention to others and inability to understand people.
CARD 4
THE SPECIALISTS CALL THE FOURTH CARD "FATHER'S". The spot on it is black, and some of its parts are fuzzy, blurry. Many people see something big and frightening in this picture - an image that is usually perceived not as feminine, but as masculine. The reaction to this stain makes it possible to reveal a person's attitude to authorities and the peculiarities of his upbringing. Most often, the spot reminds the respondents of a huge animal or monster, or the hole of some animal or its skin.
If the patient sees a large animal or monster in the spot, this may symbolize a sense of inferiority and admiration for authority, as well as an exaggerated fear of people in positions of power, including his own father. If the spot resembles the skin of an animal responding, this often symbolizes the strongest internal discomfort when discussing topics related to the father. However, this may also indicate that the problem of one's own inferiority or worship of authorities is irrelevant for this respondent.
CARD 5
ON THIS CARD WE SEE THE BLACK SPOT AGAIN. The association caused by him, like the image on the first card, reflects our true "I". Looking at this image, people usually do not feel threatened, and since the previous cards caused them completely different emotions, this time the person does not feel much tension or discomfort - therefore, a deeply personal reaction will be characteristic. If the image he sees is very different from the answer given when he saw the first card, this means that cards two through four most likely made a big impression on him. Most often, this image reminds people of a bat, butterfly or moth.
CARD 6
THE PICTURE ON THIS CARD IS ALSO SINGLE COLOR, BLACK; it is distinguished by the texture of the spot. This image evokes in a person associations with interpersonal intimacy, which is why it is called the “sex card”. Most often, people say that the stain reminds them of a hole or an animal skin, which may indicate a reluctance to enter into close relationships with other people and, as a result, a feeling of inner emptiness and isolation from society.
CARD 7
THE SPOT ON THIS CARD IS ALSO BLACK and is usually associated with the feminine. Since people most often see images of women and children in this spot, it is called "motherly". If a person has difficulty describing what is shown on the card, this may indicate that he has difficult relationships with women in his life. Respondents often say that the stain reminds them of the heads or faces of women or children; it can also evoke memories of a kiss.
If the spot looks like the heads of women, this symbolizes the feelings associated with the mother of the respondent, which also affect his attitude towards the female sex in general. If the spot resembles children's heads, this symbolizes the feelings associated with childhood and the need to take care of the child that lives in the soul of the respondent, or that the patient's relationship with the mother needs close attention and, possibly, correction. If a person sees two heads bowed for a kiss in a spot, this indicates his desire to be loved and reunite with his mother, or that he seeks to reproduce the once close relationship with his mother in other relationships, including romantic or social.
CARD 8
THIS CARD IS IN GREY AND PINK AND ORANGE AND BLUE COLORS. Not only is this the first multi-color card in the test, it is also particularly difficult to interpret. If it is precisely when demonstrating it or changing the pace of displaying pictures that the respondent experiences obvious discomfort, it is very likely that in life he has difficulty processing difficult situations or emotional stimuli. Most often, people say that they see a four-legged animal, a butterfly or a moth here.
CARD 9
THE SPOT ON THIS CARD INCLUDES GREEN, PINK AND ORANGE. It has a vague outline, so most people find it difficult to understand what this image reminds them of. For this reason, this card allows you to evaluate how well a person copes with the lack of a clear structure and uncertainty. Most often, patients see on it either the general outlines of a person, or some indefinite form of evil.
If the respondent sees a person, then the feelings experienced at the same time convey how successfully he copes with the disorganization of time and information. If the stain resembles some abstract image of evil, this may indicate that a person needs to have a clear routine in order to feel comfortable, and that he does not cope well with uncertainty.
CARD 10
THE LAST RORSCHACH TEST CARD HAS THE MOST COLORS: there are orange, and yellow, and green, and pink, and gray, and blue. In form, it is somewhat similar to the eighth card, but in terms of complexity it is more similar to the ninth. Many people experience quite pleasant feelings when they see this card, except for those who were very puzzled by the difficulty of identifying the image depicted on the previous card; when they look at this picture, they feel the same way. This may indicate that they have difficulty coping with similar, synchronous, or overlapping stimuli. Most often, people see crab, lobster, spider, rabbit head, snakes or caterpillars on this card.
The image of a crab symbolizes the respondent's tendency to become too attached to things and people, or such a quality as tolerance. If a person sees a lobster in a picture, this may indicate their strength, tolerance and ability to cope with minor problems, as well as the fear of harming themselves or being harmed by someone else. If the spot resembles a spider, it may be a symbol of fear, a feeling that a person has been dragged into a difficult situation by force or deceit. In addition, the image of a spider symbolizes an overprotective and caring mother and the power of a woman. If a person sees the head of a rabbit, it can symbolize reproductive ability and a positive attitude towards life. Snakes reflect a sense of danger or a feeling that a person has been deceived, as well as a fear of the unknown. The snake is also often regarded as a phallic symbol and associated with unacceptable or forbidden sexual desires. Since this is the last card in the test, if the patient sees caterpillars on it, this indicates the prospects for his growth and the understanding that people are constantly changing and developing.
Below are ten Rorschach test inkblots printed in the publication Rorschach test - Psychodiagnostic methods indicating the most common responses for the entire image or the most prominent details according to various authors. This material has been in the public domain in Switzerland, the birthplace of Hermann Rorschach, since at least 1992 (70 years after the death of the author or 50 years after the cut-off date of 1942), under Swiss copyright law. They are also in the public domain under United States copyright law, which states: "All works published before 1923 are considered to be in the public domain."
All pictures are clickable
Table I :
Popular answers:
Piotrowski: bat (53%) , butterfly (29%)
Dana (France): butterfly (39%)
Comment: Getting for consideration table I, subjects often ask how they should act, and questions about what they can do with the table (for example, rotate) are not very significant. Being the first table, it may contain information about how the subject solves new, stressful tasks. This does not mean, however, that tables, which are usually difficult for the subject to handle, have popular answers available.
Table II :
Popular answers:
Beck: two people
Piotrowski: quadruped (34%, gray parts)
Dana (France): animal: dog, elephant, bear (50%, grey)
Comment: red details table II often seen as blood and are the most distinguishing feature. Responses may contain indications of how the subject may manage feelings of anger or aggression. This table can evoke a variety of sexual responses.
Table III :
Popular answers:
Beck: two people (gray)
Piotrowski: human figures (72%, grey)
Dana (France): human (76%, grey)
Comment: Table III usually perceived as two people participating in an interaction, and can provide information about the relationship and connections of the subject with other people (in particular, a delay in response can reveal difficulties in interpersonal, social interaction).
Table IV :
Popular answers:
Piotrowski: animal skin, skin carpet (41%)
Comment: Table IV characterized by dark color and shading (which creates difficulty for depressed, depressed subjects), and is often perceived as a large, and sometimes threatening, figure. Aggravated by the general impression of the subject, who, being in a subordinate position ("Looking up") at the table, serves to reveal a sense of authority. The vision of a person or animal in the table is almost always classified as masculine rather than feminine, and these qualities expressed by the subject may indicate attitudes towards men and authorities.
Table V :
Popular answers:
Beck: bat, butterfly, moth
Piotrowski: butterfly (48%), bat (40%)
Dana (France): butterfly (48%), bat (46%)
Comment: Table V is easy to detail, and is not perceived as threatening. Provokes to "change of pace" in the test, after the previous more difficult tables. There are several features contained here that cause concern or complicate development. This is the easiest spot to get a good quality response.
Table VI :
Popular answers:
Beck: animal skin, fur, carpet
Piotrowski: animal skin, fur, carpet (41%)
Dana (France): animal hide (46%)
Comment: Texture is the dominant characteristic table VI, which often causes associations associated with close interpersonal interaction; The table is defined as a "sex spot", and probable sexual perceptions are reported on this table more frequently than on any other. Although other tables have a greater variety of pattern recognition of sexual content.
Table VII :
Popular answers:
Beck: human heads and faces (top)
Piotrowski: heads of women and children (27%, top)
Dana (France): human head (46%, top)
Comment: Table VII may be associated with femininity (the human figures recognizable in it are often described as women and children), and has a function as a "Mother Table", where the difficulty in dealing with it may be due to a preoccupation with problems with female figures in the subject's life. The central detail is relatively often (although not the most popular answer) recognized as a vagina, which makes this table particularly related to the topic of female sexuality.
Table VIII :
Popular answers:
Beck: animal, not cat and dog (pink)
Piotrowski: quadruped (94%, pink)
Dana (France): quadruped (93%, pink)
