Rorschach

Inkblot Test

SRUTHIRAJ M K
FORENSIC PSYCHOLOGIST
MSc, MPhil (Forensic Psy)
PGD (Criminology & Forensic)
FACT
Introduction
◦The Rorschach Inkblot Test was developed in
1921 by a Swiss psychiatrist named Hermann
Rorschach (pronounced “ROAR-shock”).

◦Based on the idea of projection.

◦Ambigous & unstructured stimuli presented

in the form of inkblots.

◦The subject projects his/her own needs,

motives, conflicts and desires.

◦There are total 10 cards with ink blots.

◦5 cards are black/grey. Rest 5 have colors.

History
o History states that one of Hermann’s
favorite games when he was a child,
was called Klecksography, which
involved creating inkblots and
creating stories or poems about them.

o He thoroughly enjoyed the game so

much that his school friends
nicknamed him Klecks, the German word
for inkblot.
Klecksography
◦ Klecksography is the art of making images from
inkblots (German Tinten-Klecks).

◦ Justinus Kerner invented this technique when he

started accidentally dropping blots of ink onto
paper due to failing eyesight.

◦ Instead of throwing them away, he found that

intriguing shapes appeared if he unfolded the
papers.

◦ He elaborated these shapes into intricate cartoons

and used them to illustrate his poems.

◦ Kerner began a collection of klecksographs and

poetry in 1857 titled Klecksographien (and
reproduced in several later editions).
In 1896, a similar game was described
in the United States by Ruth
McEnery Stuart & Albert Bigelow
Paine in a book titled Gobolinks, or
Shadow-Pictures for Young & Old.

The book explained how to make

inkblot monsters ("gobolinks") and
use them as prompts for writing
imaginative verse.
Method
• Spots of ink are dropped onto a piece of paper
and the paper is folded in half, so that the
ink will smudge and form a mirror reflection
in the two halves.

• The piece of paper is then unfolded so that

the ink can dry, after which someone can guess
the resemblance of the print to other objects.

• The inkblots tend to resemble images because

of apophenia, the human tendency to see
patterns in nature.
Binet & Henri

As early as 1895, Alfred Binet & his associate Victor Henri

1st suggested that inkblots might be used in psychological
research, arguing that the interpretation of inkblots could
be used to study variations in ‘involuntary imagination’.

Rorschach

As a medical student, Rorschach studied under psychiatrist

Eugen Bleuler, who had taught Carl Jung.

In studying Freud's work on dream symbolism, Rorschach was

reminded of his youthful inkblot hobby.

He then created his Rorschach test to see if people's

reactions to inkblots could be used as a tool to uncover
unconscious desires.

The test is essentially a visual variation on Freud's verbal

technique.
• Hermann’s interest in perceptual operations
contributed to what people saw more in than in the
content of those judgments.

• He began working in a psychiatric hospital and

experimented with 40 or more inkblots for his
patients between 1917 & 1920.

• Hermann noticed that individuals with schizophrenia

responded to the blots differently from patients
with other diagnoses or disorders.

• This made him ponder if the inkblots could be used

to create profiles for different mental disorders.

• Therefore, he developed a systematic approach to

using inkblots as an assessment tool to evaluate
cognition & personality and to diagnose certain
psychological conditions, including schizophrenia.
• Ultimately, he selected 15 inkblots as the most
optimal for evoking and distinguishing
personality characteristics.

• From 1919 to 1920, Hermann was looking for a

publisher to release his findings with the 15
inkblot cards he regularly used.

• However, due to printing costs, it was

difficult to find a publisher to publish all 15
inkblots.

• Finally, he found a publisher in 1921 who was

willing to publish his inkblots, but only 10 of
them.

• Hermann reworked his manuscript and included

only 10 of the 15 inkblots.
• The reproduction of the 10 inkblots led to alteration in their

colors and in the degree of color saturation.

• He apparently begin several new research projects with the

multi-shaded inkblots; however, before his research was

completed, he died suddenly on April 2, 1922.

• His death led to difficult in replicate and continue his work by

his colleagues.

• Everyone failed to follow an empirical approach to data

collection and were more interested in response content than in

the development of a systematic scoring system.

• In subsequent years several scoring systems were developed.

• Rorschach’s method was 1st empirically studied by Samuel Beck,

who regarded the inkblots as visual stimuli and Rorschach’s

interpretation as a manner of quantifying features of
perception.

• Beck had little interest in content interpretation or

qualitative impressions of the bot.

• Bruno Klopfer, a German psychologist,
is credited with first adding scores
to the existing inkblot system.

• At his students' request, Klopfer

taught a private seminar in the
administration and scoring of the
Rorschach over the span of several
semesters.

• In each of these seminars, possible

new scores for location designations
and shading features were discussed,
and over time these scores were added
to Rorschach's existing system
 • Thus, over a period of 20 years, five separate and
distinct Rorschach scoring systems had developed in
the USA.

• All of the systems incorporated at least some of the

original scores that Rorschach himself formulated
prior to his death; however, the similarities between
the five systems end there (Exner, 1974, 1993).

• While each of the five systems had individual points

of merit, there was no single uniform method for
administering, scoring, and analyzing the Rorschach.

• In fact, a single Rorschach protocol could potentially

lead an evaluator to five varied and irreconcilable
interpretations.

• Accordingly, there were many contemporary researchers

and clinicians who dismissed the use of the Rorschach
John E. Exner inkblots as highly subjective and ultimately invalid
(Exner, 1993).
Test Features
• The Rorschach consist of 10 bilaterally
symmetrical (ie, mirror-imaged if folded
in half) inkblots printed on a separate
cards.

• 5 inkblots are achromatic (ie, without

color/ black & white)

• 2 inkblots are black, white and red. The

remaining 3 inkblots are multi-coloured.

• The test comes with the cards only; there

is no test manual or any administration,
scoring or interpretation instructions.

• There is no rationale for why some of the

inkblots are achromatic and others are
chromatic (with color).
• This test contains 10 cards packaged
in a cardboard box, and only that.

• To fill the need for a test manual

and instructions for administration,
scoring and interpretation, a number
of manuals and handbooks set forth a
variety of methods.

• The system most widely used is the

“comprehensive system” devised by
Exner.
Psychometric Properties
• Many studies point to low reliability and a general lack of predictive validity

(Carslon, Kaula, & St. Laurent, 1997; Peterson, 1978; Lanyon, 1984).

• Although there is still considerable scholarly debate regarding the overall

efficacy and utility of the Rorschach Inkblot Method (Lillenfeld, Wood, & Garb,
2000; McGrath, 2008; Wood et al., 1996; Wood, Nezworkski, & Lillenfeld, 2003),
there have also been a myriad of studies supporting its construct, convergent,
and incremental validity (Acklin et al., 2000; Meyer et al., 2005; Viglione &
Taylor, 2003; Weiner, 1997).

• For example, Rorschach incremental and construct validity was demonstrated in a

series of meta-analytic reviews by Parker, Hanson, and Hunsley (1988). Subsequent
to Parker et al. (1988), the validity of the Rorschach System was also argued by
Stricker and Gold (1999), and Weiner (1997; 2000), among others.
• Hermann Rorschach developed what he called a "form interpretation

test" using inkblots as the forms to be interpreted.

• In 1921 he published his monograph on the technique,

Psychodiagnostics.

• In the last section of that monograph, Rorschach proposed

applications of his test to personality assessment.

• He provided 28 case studies employing normal subjects and people

with various psychiatric diagnoses (including neurosis, psychosis,
and manic-depressive illness) to illustrate his test.

• Rorschach died suddenly and unexpectedly at the age of 38, just a

year after his book was published.
Clinical Uses
• Used for personality description, differential diagnosis, treatment
planning, and behavioral prediction.

• The Rorschach Comprehensive System has shown to be a unique and valid

indicator for measuring the clinical constructs associated with psychotic
disorders, such as thought disorder and disturbances in reality testing.

• It has been suggested that the Rorschach may be utilized within a

neuropsychological battery for population such as individuals with
Alzheimer's disease.
Merits Demerits
• Lack of standardized procedures • Lacks a universally accepted
is a historical accident that can
standard of administration,
be corrected.
scoring, and interpretation.
• Test interpretation is an art,
not a science; all test • Evaluations of data are subjective
interpretation involves a
• Results are unstable over time
subjective component.

• A new look at the data reveals • Is unscientific

that the Rorschach is much more
• Is inadequate by all traditional
stable than is widely believed.
standards
• Has a large empirical base.
• Available evidence is biased and
poorly controlled and has
therefore failed to provide a fair
evaluation
Administration
Materials Required
1. Rorschach Plates: The standard set of 10 Rorschach plates.

2. Location Chart: A printed single sheet of paper containing 10 Rorschach Images.

These are available separately from the test supplier.

3. Response Sheet: A specially designed full scape plain sheet of paper with
defined columns. The meanings of acronyms used are provided at appropriate place
in the administration section.

4. Colored Ink Pen Set: You could take a set of 6 colored ink pen set may be sketch
pen or gel pen. You will need them to mark blot areas on the location chart.

5. Digital Stop Watch: You could use a stop watch. The wrist watch is not
recommended. You will need to record timings during administration of the
Rorschach Test.

6. Rorschach Test Manual

During administration, the
examiner will sit next to you.
This helps them see what you
see.

The test involves certain

steps:

1. Presenting the inkblots

2. Recording the Responses

3. Inquiry Phase

4. Testing the Limit

I. Presenting the inkblots
• The cards are initially presented to the respondent one at a time
in numbered order from 1-10.

• Instructed to tell what is on each card with a question such as,

“what might this be?”

• Respondent free to interpret the ambiguous image however they

want.
II. Recording the Responses
• No time limit.

• No limit to the number of responses the respondent wants to make.

• They can hold the cards in any position, whether it is upside down or
sideways.

• Examiner record everything the respondent say, no matter how trivial.

• Examiner also keeps a record time taken for each response, the position
of holding the card, the emotional expression & non-verbal behavior of
the respondent.

This is 1st phase or the Free Association Phase.

  The examiner does not engage in
any discussion concerning the
respondent’s responses during the
initial administration of the cards.

 Every effort made to provide the

respondent with the opportunity
to project, free from any
outside distractions.
III. Inquiry Phase
Once all cards have been presented and the
responses noted, a 2nd administration (the 2nd
phase), called inquiry, is begins where the test
administrator goes through the set again, now
asking what determined the response.

 The goal of this is not to get new information

but help the examiner to determine what
features of the inkblot played a role in
formulating the respondent’s perception of an
image.
 Examiner ask to identify where the
respondent see what originally saw and
what features make it look like that.

 Questions such as “what made it look

like?” & “How do you see?” are asked to
attempt clarify what was seen and which
aspects of the inkblot were most
influential in forming the perception.
The inquiry provides information
that is useful in scoring &
interpreting the responses.
The examiner also learns whether
the respondent remembers earlier
responses, whether the original
percept is still seen, and whether
any new responses are now
perceived..
On average, it takes about
1.5 hours to administer &
score the test.
IV. Testing The Limits
A 3rd component of administration, called testing the
limit, may also be included.

It enables the examiner to restructure the situation

by asking specific questions that provide additional
information concerning personality functioning.

For example, if the respondent has utilized the

entire inkblot when forming percepts throughout the
test, the examiner might want to determine if details
within the inkblot could be elaborated on.

 Under those conditions, the examiner might say,

“sometimes people use a part of the blot to see
something.”

 Alternatively, the examiner might point to a

specific area of the card and ask, “what does it
look like?”
 #1
n t i n g t he
Prese When seeing card 1, subjects

inkblots often ask how to proceed, and

what they are allowed to do
with the card (e.g. turning
it).
It can provide clues about
how subjects tackle a new and
stressful task.
It is an easy card to begin
with.
Most common responses: bat,
butterfly, moth.
 mon R es ponses
Com
#2
#3
#4
#5
#6
#7
#8
#9
#10
Scoring
Using Exner scoring system
Scoring of Rorschach Inkblot Test
The scoring categories include:

+ Location

+ Developmental Quality (DQ)

+ Determinants

+ Content

+ Form Quality (FQ)

+ Popularity

+ Organizational Activity (Z Score)

+ Special Scores
• Refers to how much of the inkblot was used
1. Location
to answer the question.

• Addressing the location of the subject’s

response – how much of the inkblot the
subject used to depict an image.

• Individuals may use the entire inkblot, a

large section, a small section, a minute
detail, or white spaces
+ Whole (W): The response involves the whole
inkblot.

+ Common Detail (D): The response involves a

commonly identified part of the inkblot.

+ Unusual Detail (Dd): The response involves an

unusual part of the inkblot.

+ Space (S): The response involves white space

(white background area) within the inkblot.

⁻ Scored only with another location symbol, as in

WS (Whole + White Space), DS (Common detail +
White Space), DdS (unusual detail + White Space)

(Remember that White Background Area (S) is never

scored as standalone. It is an addition and hence
suffixed to Whole, Common detail or Uncommon
detail, whatever is the case.)
• To facilitate determine the location, a small
picture of each card known as Location Chart is
provided.

• If necessary, on rare occasions, examiner may give

a pencil & ask the subject to outline the
perception on the location chart.

• In scoring for location, the examiner notes whether

the subject used the whole blot (W), a common
detail (D), or an unusual detail (Dd).

• If the client uses the white space area of the

card, we scored (S).

• Normal subjects typically produce a balance of W, D

& Dd responses.

• When the subject’s pattern deviates from the

typical balance, the examiner begins to suspect
problems.
• However, no one has been able to demonstrate
that a particular deviation is linked to a
specific problem.

• A substantial deviation from what is

typical, or average suggest different
possibilities:

 The subject may have a perceptual problem

associated with certain types of brain damage
or severe emotional problems.
 The subject may be unconventional & thus fail
to respond according to the typical pattern.
 The protocol may be invalid.

 The relative proportion of W, D, Dd responses

varies with maturational development.
Developmental Quality (DQ)
• Assesses the complexity & integration of percepts in a response (measures how
complex and well-put-together someone's responses are).

• It shows how sophisticated their thinking is when they describe what they see
in the inkblots.

• The location codes W, D, & Dd do not provide information that differentiates

the variations in the quality & specificity of the answers

• Thus a 2nd coding is required to note this.

• There are 4 DQ codes - +, o, v/+, v

Symbol Definition Example

Synthesized Response Combining multiple elements into

(separate but related, at one clear idea.
+ least one of the object E.g. "Two people dancing.”, “aero
have a specific form) plane flying through some clouds”

Identifying one clear object

O Ordinary Response E.g. “Two birds”, "A dog.“, “a
fire tree”

Responses that are distorted or

V/+ Synthesized Response don't make sense.
(separate but related, E.g. "A flying car that looks like a
none of the object have no smudge.“, “clouds coming together”,
specific form) “a rock & some dirt around it”

Responses that are unclear or not

V Vague specific.
E.g. "A shape.“ “A cloud”, “the sky”,
“the colours of sunset”
 2. Determinant
• The examiner must then determine what it was
about the inkblot that led the subject to see
that particular percept, known as DETERMINANT.

• This is where the examiner consider the reasons

why the subject see what they see.

• Here we learn what inkblot features helped the

test taker determine their response and how.

• One or more at least 4 properties of an inkblot

may determine or lead to a response: its Form
or shape, its perceived Movement, its Colour,
and its Shading.

One of the most complex aspect of scoring the

Rorschach test.
1.Form (F): The shape or outline of
the blot determines the response. If
the subject uses only the form of the
blot to determine a response, then
the response is scored F and is
called pure form or response.
2.Movement (M): The perception involves movement (the
verb talking is probably is the best benchmark).

+ Human Movement (M): Movement by a human figure

or an anthropomorphic figure.

(E.g. two people hugging)

+ Animal Movement (FM): Movement by an animal

figure.

(E.g. two elephant playing)

+ Inanimate Movement (m): Movement by an inanimate

object.

(E.g sparks flying)

3.Chromatic Colour (C): The perception is
influenced by the color of the blot. (E.g. “a brown
bear”, “pink clouds”)

+ Pure Color (C): Response is based solely on

color. No form is involved.

+ Color-Form (CF): Both color & shape influence the

response, but color is dominant.

+ Form-Color (FC): Both color & shape influence the

response, but shape is dominant.

+ Color naming (Cn): the colors of the blot are

identified by name as a response.

4.Ahromatic Colour (C’): The perception is influenced by
the achromatic color of the blot. (E.g. “white cloud”,
“grey bear”)

+ Pure Achromatic Color (C’): Response is based solely

on gray, black or white colors. No form involved.

+ Achromatic Color-Form (C’F): Black, gray& white

color and shape influence the response, but color is

dominant.

+ Form-Achromatic Color (FC’): Black, gray & white

color and shape influence the response, but shape is

dominant.
5.Shading (T, V, Y): The perception is
influenced by the shading of the blot.
(e.g. “a furry bear because of the
shading”)

+ Texture (T): Shading conveys a sense

of texture. (T, TF, FT)

+ Vista (V): Shading gives a sense of

depth or dimensionality. (V, VF, FV)

+ Diffuse Shading (Y): Shading not

easily categorized as texture or
depth. (Y, YF, FY)
6.Form Dimension (FD): responses based on depth, distance, or dimension.

7. Pairs & Reflection: response based on the symmetry of the blot to

specify 2 identical objects.

Pairs (2) – Often reported as “There are two…”, plural of the object may

be used as in bears, dogs, people etc.

Reflection (Fr, rF) – symmetrical must be involved & the objects

identical, but the person also reports the object as being reflected or

as a mirror image.

E.g. someone looking in the mirror, animal seeing its reflection in the

lake, being reflected in the water etc.

Blend
• Most responses have more than one determinants. This is the Blend
(Multiple determinants).

• Each determinants in the coding separated by a dot (.) or Blend sign.

+ E.g. M.FC.Fr (notes that the response contain human movement, a form dominanted
color feature, and a reflection).

• Theoretically, there is no limit to the number of determinants

combinations.

• Most blends include two determinants, many have three. More than three is
unusual.

• Blends should be coded in the order that the determinants have appeared in
the response.
4. Form quality (FQ)
• Very important feature in the coding of Rorschach
response.

• It provides information about the “fit” of the response.

• I.e., does the area of the blot being used really

conform to the form requirements of the object
specified?

• It has 4 codes to differentiate levels of form adequacy.

• 3 codes represent answers in which form is used

appropriately.

• The 4th code represents those answers in which the form

use has been inappropriate or distorted.
Symbol Definition Criterion

Ordinary – Elaborated The unusually detailed

+ (form details are used & articulation of form in
specified) responses.
Common response used general
O Ordinary form features to identify an
object.
A low frequency response in
u Unusual which basic contours involved
(uncommon answers) are appropriate for the
response.
The distorted, arbitrary,
unrealistic use of form in
- Minus creating a response (line/
contours will be created where
none exist).
 3. Content
• Scoring content is relatively simple.

• Refers to the name or class of objects used in the

responses.

• Most content categories list such as Human (H), Animal

(A), & Nature (N)

• An inquiry generally not necessary to determine

content.

• Some responses are quite common while others may be

much more unique.

• Highly atypical responses are notable since they might

indicate disturbances in thought pattern.

• Each Rorschach system uses different lists of content

categories, although they all agree on basic contents
such as human, human detail & animal.
Human (H): Human figures.

+ Whole Human (H): Complete human figure.

+ Human Detail (Hd): Part of a human figure (e.g. a

leg) or a whole form without a body part (e.g. a
person without a head) or an incomplete fictional or
mythological human figure (e.g. wings of an angel)

+ Human Experience (Hx): Human activity or experience.

Animal (A) : Animal figures.

+ Whole Animal (A): Complete animal figure.

+ Animal Detail (Ad): Part of an animal figure (e.g.

cats head, claw of a crab).
+ Anatomy (An): Body parts or internal organs.

+ Art (Art): Artistic objects.

+ Blood (Bl): Blood.

+ Clothing (Cg): Clothes.

+ Food (Fd): Food items.

+ Nature (Na): Natural objects (trees, mountains,

etc.).

+ Sexual (Sx): Sexual content.

+ Land scape (Ls): mountain, river, island etc

+ Anatomy (An): skeleton, muscles, scull, brain

etc.

+ Science (Sc): cars, motors, weapons etc.

+ Other categories: Various other categories as

per the Comprehensive System manual.
 4. Popularity
• Some responses are common &
frequently given by many individuals.

• These are noted and given special

consideration.

• Rorschach popular responses (P)

refers to the presence of frequently
perceived responses (Popular
Responses/Frequency of Occurrence).
Organizational Activity (Z score)
• Responses in which organization occurs are assigned a numerical value, called a Z score.

• It has no interpretive value but, the frequency with which they occur (Zf) & the sum of
the values (ZSum) provide the information about the person tends to organize new stimulus
fields.

• In most of the Rorschach figures, it is easier to create a response to a common detail

area of the blot than to deliver a W answer.

• This is because most of the common detail areas are readily identifiable as one or more
possible objects.

• Thus, when the person chooses to give a W answer, some more extensive organization of the
field is required.
+ E.g. Many people report the D1 area of Card VIII that the animal(s) are climbing a tree or mountain
or turn the card and report that the animal is walking across some rocks. These represent higher
levels of cognitive activity that organize the stimulus field at a more sophisticated level, and
are denoted by Z score.
A Z score is assigned to any response that includes form and meets at least
one of the following criteria:

1. ZW. Is a Whole response that has a DQ coding of +, o, or v/+ (answers

that have a DQ coding of v are never assigned a Z score).

2. ZA. Is a response in which two or more separate objects, identified in

adjacent detail areas of the blot (areas that touch), are reported in a
meaningful relation.

3. ZD. Is a response in which two or more separate objects, identified in

non- adjacent (distant) detail areas of the blot (areas that do not
touch), are reported in a meaningful relationship.

4. ZS. Is a response in which white space is integrated with other areas

of the blot in forming a response. Responses using only white space are
not assigned a Z score.
5. Special Scores
Special scores are given for responses indicating unusual or significant
aspects, such as:

+ Deviant Verbalizations (DV): Unusual or incorrect use of words.

+ Deviant Responses (DR): Responses that are tangential or irrelevant.

+ Incongruous Combinations (INCOM): Combining elements that are not

typically associated together.

+ Fabulized Combinations (FABCOM): Imaginative or fantastical elements

that are unusual.

+ Contaminations (CONTAM): Combining two percepts into an illogical

whole.
Interpretation
◦ Rorschach Projective Tests take into consideration a number of different factors

when being analyzed by a psychologist:

◦ Response Speed: If a patient takes a long time to respond it can indicate that

they are hiding their true response (and suppressing a specific feeling or

emotion)

◦ Number of Responses: More varied responses can indicate a high intelligence

◦ Patterns of Responses: If a patient responds quickly to all inkblots except one

(hesitance toward a specific topic or emotion) or responds in a similar way to

all inkblots (i.e. if all elicit a fear response a patient may be struggling

with suppressed fear) can often be more telling than a specific response.
Quantitative Analysis
• Response Frequency (R): Total number of responses. A low R can indicate
reluctance or defensiveness, while a high R might suggest over-
inclusiveness.

• Location Ratios: Proportion of responses to whole blots (W), common

details (D), and unusual details (Dd). High Dd responses can indicate
idiosyncratic or unusual thinking.

• Determinant Ratios: Ratios of form, color, and movement responses. For

example, a high number of color responses (C) might indicate emotional
reactivity.

• Form Quality Ratios: Percentage of FQo, FQ+, FQu, and FQ-. A high
proportion of FQ- can indicate poor reality testing.
• Number of W is more than the number of d or D – mature, intelligent,
ability to synthesis

• More colour responses – extrovert

• Dominance of shading responses – anxiety, low attitude & feelings

• Dominance of movement responses – imaginative life

Interpretation of Rorschach is complex involving both objective and

subjective measures.
Inkblot #1: The Fear
Card
◦ This card is meant to be determine a person’s
subconscious paranoia level and feelings about
body image.

◦ If someone sees a “bat, butterfly, moth or a

female figure,” they are said to be
normal/average, and there is no problem
indicated.

◦ If a person sees a “Jack-o-lantern, mask or the

face of an animal,” then their response may
indicate a sense of paranoia.

◦ Finally, if someone sees anything derogatory or

insulting about the female physique, his/her
response indicates that he/she has negative
feelings about his or her own body image.
#Card1
• If you saw something scary or aggressive- You may have anxiety issues or
you may be a “worrier”

• If you saw sexual imagery- You may be insecure with your own body image
(female) or with your sexual attractiveness (male or female)

Response Time:

+ If you answered quickly, it indicates that you cope well with new
situations

+ If you answered slowly, it indicates that you struggle to cope with new
situations

+ Common Interpretations: Wolf Face, Halloween Mask, Elephant, Hairy

Spider, Bat, Butterfly, Moth, Female figure or female bust.
Inkblot #2: The Blood• This card determines an individual's proclivity
toward violence, interpersonal communication,
Card and domination.
• If a person sees something similar to a
"butterfly or moth" then that person is said to
be normal/average.
• If the individual indicates that he/she
believes the red areas of the inkblot have
something to do with "blood" then that person
may have difficulty controlling his or her
anger.
• If a person sees something related to "two
people" then he/she may have trouble
communicating with others.
• Finally, if a person sees an "animal" then that
person may have a strong desired to dominate
others.
Inkblot #3: The Human ◦ If you saw human figures cooperating- You have

interaction Card generally positive relationships.

◦ If you saw human figures fighting- You have

generally negative relationships with others.

◦ If you did not see human figures at all- You

have fear/anxiety about human interaction.

◦ Some say this inkblot can determine sexual

preferences: (Seeing 2 males=heterosexual
Seeing 2 females=androgynous or homosexual).

◦ Response Time:

◦ If you answered quickly, it indicates you are

comfortable with your social skills.

◦ If you answered slowly, it indicates that you

may have an unusal response to human
interactions.
Inkblot #4: The “daddy”
or “Father” card
◦ This card known as the Father card, can give an
indication of how a person relates to authority.

◦ If an individual simply sees a standing figure

like a “bear, gorilla, or a man” then they are
said to be a confident person.

◦ If a person sees a “menacing male” figure, then

the individual likely has feelings of inferiority
and issues with authority.

◦ If someone sees a “menacing female” figure, then

that individual may have issues with his/her
mother or other female authority figures.
 Inkblot #5: The
Aggression card
◦ If you saw something scary or
aggressive- You may have unresolved
anger/aggression issues

◦ If you saw scissors or any type of

cutting device- You may have a
“castration” complex or fear

◦ If you see a bat or butterfly- This

is the normal/ “typical” response

◦ If you saw moving figures or

multiple different figures- This
could be a sign of schizophrenia
Inkblot #6: The Sex • This card, often called the "sex card," is designed to
card reveal peoples' subconscious sexual associations.

• If an individual sees anything related to an "animal

hide" then that person may have a particular inclination
toward tactile sensations, possibly even to the point of
fetish.

• If the person sees a "boat, submarine or person with

pronounced features (e.g. long beard or big nose)" it
indicates that that individual is sexually dominant, and
possibly takes a very active role in his or her sexual
pursuits.

• If the individual sees anything related to a "rug" then

that person probably finds it necessary to be in a
relationship at all times, and likely finds it hard to
be alone.

• Interestingly if a person sees a "mushroom or mushroom

cloud" it indicates that individua might have been high
when he or she looked at the card.
• This card, known as the Mother Card, determines an Inkblot #7: The
individual's feelings about female figures in his/her
life.
“Mother” Card
• If a person has difficulty determining a definite object,
it may indicate that that person has difficulty relating
to females (especially with regard to his or her mother).
• A person who sees "female figures, children or faces"
probably does not have significant mother issues.
• If an individual sees anything related to women or girls
"fighting, gossiping" or any other negatively associated
activity, then that person likely has serious
relationship issues with the women in his or her life
(this sometimes originates from a strain in the
relationship with that individual's mother).
• An individual who sees anything along the lines of
"thunder clouds might feel anxiety when dealing with
females. Some schizophrenics have seen an "oil lamp" in
the whitespace between the blots, so if a person sees an
oil lamp, they may be at risk for schizophrenia.
Inkblot #8: The “Complex”
card
• This card can be unsettling as it is the
first colored card in the series.

◦ If a person sees a "four-legged animal"

then he or she is said to be normal or
average.

◦ However, if an individual cannot pick out a

four-legged animal, it may indicate that he
or she finds emotions distressing or
difficult to handle.

◦ If a person finds this card unsettling or

has difficulty recognizing an image, it may
be an indication that they have cognitive
problems processing complex situations.
Inkblot #9: The “Difficulty”
• Most people have difficulty distinguishing a
distinct object from the chaos portrayed in
card this card.
• Many people will see an "explosion, fire,
smoke" or anything with "blooming" features.
• A person who has trouble defining anything at
all most likely has an extreme aversion to
unstructured data, random information, or
randomness in general.
• Anything lacking structure tends to throw
these types of people off balance.
• Seeing a "cloud" on the middle line is often
an indication of paranoia.
• Likewise, if a person sees "monsters or
fighting" then they may have problems with
social interaction.
Inkblot #10: The • This card is meant to determine a person's
“Traumatic” card feelings about their present situation in life
and can also indicate whether oral fixation is
present.
• If a person sees a "crab, lobster, rabbit's
head, spider" or other similar objects, then
that person is relatively satisfied with
his/her present situation.
• Seeing "caterpillars, worms, or snakes"
indicates that an individual feels as though
he or she is losing control over his or her
life.
• A person who feels an instinctive sense of
dislike towards this card likely has trouble
dealing with many simultaneous stimuli.
• Seeing "faces blowing bubbles or smoking" can
indicate that a person has an oral fixation.
Other details: Interpreting Rorschach tests

If you only see 1 image per card- You like

things clear cut (not very imaginative)
How many images? If you see multiple images- You are creative
and imaginative

How often do you see the If you consistently see the same
images/themes- You are obsessing and possibly
same image (or themes in suffering from severe psychological harm from
that theme (aggression, sexual imagery,
images) ? relationships)

If you try and turn/flip the image- You are

resourceful, self-sufficient and a good
Did you try and turn/flip problem solver. You may be rebellious

the image? If you don’t try and turn/flip the image- You
take things at face value and tend to be
obedient.
Reference
• Exner, J. E. (2002). The Rorschach: Basic foundations and principles of
interpretation (Vol. 1). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.

• Piotrowski, Z. A. (1987). Perceptanalysis: The Rorschach method

fundamentally reworked, expanded and systematized. London, UK: Routledge.

• Rorschach, H. (1921). Psychodiagnostik. Bern: Bircher (Hans Huber Verlag,

Trans., 1942).

• Weiner, I. B. (2003). Principles of Rorschach interpretation. Mahwah,

N.J.: Lawrence Erlbaum.