A sample of 61 subjects from an introductory psychology class was administered a battery of psychological tests, among them the Rorschach and the MMPI. The purpose was to determine the behavioral correlates, if any, of the two Rorschach variables, Mean Reaction Time, and Fluctuation in Time of First Response. This was accomplished by using multivariate statistical techniques, i.e. a factor analysis followed by a stepwise multiple regression. The results were ambiguous. While not statistically significant, they suggest that the MMPI variables of Social Introversion and Psychopathic Deviant are more closely related to the two dependent variables than previous literature would suggest. One variable, anxiety, which has been shown by previous research to be associated with Mean Reaction Time, was found to be not associated by the present investigation. Explanations and suggestions for further research were discussed.

<p>Rationally selected Comprehensive System (CS; Exner, 1991, 1993, 2003) Rorschach variables and suitability for psychodynamic psychotherapy were investigated in four studies with different designs. The participants comprised three clinical samples (n = 52, 25, and 69) of patients applying for and/or selected for dynamic psychotherapy. With few exceptions the CS variables were the same in the studies, and in all the studies the Rorschach was independent of clinical ratings/assessments and/or selection of patients for treatment. The first study dealt with the relation between 17 rationally selected CS variables and suitability for psychotherapy as represented by ratings of Dynamic Capacity and Ego Strength and by selection of therapy applicants for psychotherapy. The second and third studies concerned CS score differences between groups of patients differing in suitability for dynamic psychotherapy. In the second study, differences for CS variables were predicted for three groups of dynamic psychotherapy patients with mixed diagnoses. In the third study, CS score differences between two groups, differing in suitability but similar in comprising personality disordered patients, were predicted and tested. In the fourth study, correlations were predicted between 18 pre-therapy CS variables and patient post-therapy satisfaction with therapy and also with therapist post-therapy ratings of their patients’ suitability for dynamic therapy. </p><p>For the four studies taken together, positive results were obtained for EA, FC, the D Score, Blends, Zf, F%, MQo, and AG. The results for m, SumT, WSUM6, X-%, S, and FrrF were negative, whereas the results for YFY, FD, COP, and PER were too weak to permit interpretation. </p><p>The main limitation of the research in this thesis is the lack of psychometric data concerning the clinical ratings whereas the strength is the ecological validity. The results are positive for some of the CS variables selected, mainly concerning control and cognition but also touching upon emotional integration and interpersonal forcefulness. The usefulness of the CS in psychotherapy assessment may be enhanced if only those CS variables that are found valid for the purpose are used and general personality descriptions are avoided. </p>

Rationally selected Comprehensive System (CS; Exner, 1991, 1993, 2003) Rorschach variables and suitability for psychodynamic psychotherapy were investigated in four studies with different designs. The participants comprised three clinical samples (n = 52, 25, and 69) of patients applying for and/or selected for dynamic psychotherapy. With few exceptions the CS variables were the same in the studies, and in all the studies the Rorschach was independent of clinical ratings/assessments and/or selection of patients for treatment. The first study dealt with the relation between 17 rationally selected CS variables and suitability for psychotherapy as represented by ratings of Dynamic Capacity and Ego Strength and by selection of therapy applicants for psychotherapy. The second and third studies concerned CS score differences between groups of patients differing in suitability for dynamic psychotherapy. In the second study, differences for CS variables were predicted for three groups of dynamic psychotherapy patients with mixed diagnoses. In the third study, CS score differences between two groups, differing in suitability but similar in comprising personality disordered patients, were predicted and tested. In the fourth study, correlations were predicted between 18 pre-therapy CS variables and patient post-therapy satisfaction with therapy and also with therapist post-therapy ratings of their patients’ suitability for dynamic therapy. For the four studies taken together, positive results were obtained for EA, FC, the D Score, Blends, Zf, F%, MQo, and AG. The results for m, SumT, WSUM6, X-%, S, and FrrF were negative, whereas the results for YFY, FD, COP, and PER were too weak to permit interpretation. The main limitation of the research in this thesis is the lack of psychometric data concerning the clinical ratings whereas the strength is the ecological validity. The results are positive for some of the CS variables selected, mainly concerning control and cognition but also touching upon emotional integration and interpersonal forcefulness. The usefulness of the CS in psychotherapy assessment may be enhanced if only those CS variables that are found valid for the purpose are used and general personality descriptions are avoided.

La tesi fornisce un inquadramento teorico e metodologico sull'uso del test di Rorschach di coppia, passando in seguito ad esaminare l'affidabilità della siglatura nei protocolli individuali e congiunti, la loro validità discriminante e accuratezza per concludersi con un esame più approfondito del significato relazionale di alcune specifiche combinazioni di indicatori. / This dissertation covers theoretical and methodological issues in couple Rorschach assessment, the scoring reliability and validity of individual and conjoint records. Finally, the diagnostic accuracy and the clinical meaning of composite Rorschach indicator are considered.

Thèse de doctorat : Psychologie : Nancy 2 : 2005. / Bibliographie. Glossaire.

This study will investigate the effect of instructional material on constellations of personality functioning measurable by the Rorschach using a sample of parents from the community. Repeated measures ANOVA and qualitative techniques will be used to analyze the data. It is expected that reading online material will result in more defensive Rorschach protocols, but will not affect variables noted in the literature to be important aspects of parenting capacity. The results will be of interest to psychologists concerned about the proliferation of testing material on the Internet and practitioners conducting forensic evaluations. / text

The proposed study has one central purpose, to determine if the Comprehensive System (CS), an empirically valid system for scoring and interpreting the Rorschach Inkblot Test, can effectively discriminate between individuals diagnosed with borderline personality disorder (BPD) and those diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Previously conducted, peer-reviewed studies since 1985 have uncovered CS variables that were statistically significant in BPD and in bipolar groups when examined separately. However, there have been relatively few such investigations, making the body of research with CS variables small in this area. It would be valuable to know whether or not the CS is a useful tool in distinguishing between these two disorders. A second goal of the current study is to uncover variables that help diagnose both bipolar disorder and BPD as separate entities. Some CS variables have not been previously studied with regard bipolar disorder or BPD. Additional research with variables known to be useful in identifying these disorders will cross-validate findings that already exist. Moreover, if the Rorschach could help classify individuals with these disorders and uncover distinct differences between them in their test results, these data would also lend support for the idea that these are indeed two different disorders, a tertiary goal of the current study. / text

Inpatient aggression has been increasingly problematic in psychiatric facilities across the United States and around the world. Psychological assessment measures, such as the Rorschach Inkblot Method, are often used in psychiatric facilities to clarify a patient's diagnostic issues and assist in treatment planning. An assessment measure that could provide information about the type, intensity, and direction of a patient's aggressive impulses would therefore be clinically useful. The current method for scoring aggression on the Rorschach provides limited information about a patient's aggressive drives; Gacono & Meloy have proposed a broader system for scoring Rorschach aggressive content. Thus far, research on this new aggression scoring system has neglected to examine patients with Axis I disorders. The purpose of this dissertation was to explore the differences between the types and frequencies of these newer aggression variables, as well as the utility of these scores in predicting aggression in an inpatient sample of depressed and paranoid patients. This sample was chosen based on psychoanalytic conceptualization of aggressive dynamics in these patients. Results of Poisson and negative binomial regressions indicated that there were no differences between the depressed and paranoid groups in terms of the types or frequencies of Rorschach aggressive content. Kruskal-Wallis tests indicated that there were some differences between the groups in terms of the type and severity of behavioral manifestations of aggression. Finally, a logistic binomial regression showed that Rorschach variables did not add significantly to the prediction of the presence of aggressive behavior in this population. Clinical implications, limitations of the study, and directions for future research are examined. / text

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