Monday, February 13

An Actual Article

Click To Enlarge
You need to read/skim it.

I'm positive that since Izzy was soliciting, he or she would not mind me posting that screenshot.  The images are either mine (submissions) or public domain (Hermann's cards). Here is the article that Izzy produced:

Rorschach Tests: Tainted Testing Tool or Ingenious Inkblot Interrogations?


The Rorschach Test has fallen victim to a lot of slating over the years. Numerous experts in the field of mental health have said the test has little or no validity. Although a report from 2003 admits it has some usefulness, it is not exactly praised either: “Though falling woefully short of the claims made by proponents, [the test] nevertheless possesses validity greater than chance.”
So the question is – is Rorschach a bunch of phoney baloney or does it really work?


Cold Reading


Part of the controversy surrounding the test is the idea that during a session the tester may actually be conducting a form of cold reading. Awareness of cold reading has grown over recent years, with a number of celebrity magicians and illusionists demonstrating their ability to use this technique to mimic the readings offered by psychics and mediums. An experienced cold reader can discover a significant amount of information by studying their subjects body language, speech characteristics, gender, age, religious beliefs, etc. By analysing  someone in this way, a cold reader can reflect back to the person details which give the impression that the reader has mind reading abilities, or that they are able to communicate with dead loved ones. However, these are also things which a skilled therapist would be able to pick up on easily in their clients.


You say Tomato…


Another criticism is that the therapists subjective judgement and interpretation of a patients responses makes the results unreliable. For example, when someone has seen the image of a bra in an inkblot, male psychologists have considered this response as a ‘sex’ response, whereas female psychologists would class it as a ‘clothing’ response. Such varying interpretations mean that patients seeing the same picture will be analysed differently depending on who is doing the testing. And this doesn’t even take into account the natural cultural differences in responses to images.


Yet despite the criticisms, the test is still widely considered an accurate method of evaluation by many. Among clinical psychologists involved in assessment services it is used 80% of the time. Its uses range from detecting personality disorders to evaluating patients that might need alcohol intervention programs. But with so many arguments against it – including its inability to diagnose a wide range of psychological disorders and the difficulty in producing a test ‘norm’ – what has the Rorschach actually got going for it?


Brain Biology


Research has found that one particular inkblot, card III of the 10 original images created by Hermann Rorschach in 1921, shows that people with larger amygdala’s give more unique responses. If you’re not familiar with your amygdala, it’s the part of the brain which processes and stores memories of emotional events. It’s both a useful and pesky piece of biological engineering, both helping us learn how to deal with situations and creating fear programming.  As researchers have found a higher frequency of unique responses from artistic types, this suggests that enlarged amygdala’s might be related to creativity. The test is also widely accepted as a valuable tool in assessing thought disorders in schizophrenics.


What’s in a word?


The test has also been useful in highlighting the variety of thinking patterns found from culture to culture. For example, Japanese participants will often see a ‘musical instrument’ in card VI, whereas other cultures will see an animal hide. Even when patients see a similar creature in the image, the word they choose to describe the creature is unique to their language. Scandinavian’s might see a ‘troll’ where the French will see an ‘ogre’. Whilst at first glance it might be tempting to think these words mean the same thing, each word carries its own connotations. On the one hand, this language difference could be used as an example of the tests vulnerability to interpretation, but it also serves as vital evidence of how the language we grow up using can determine how we process ideas. 


The Ironic Conclusion


Ironically the validity of the Rorschach test is in itself determined by interpretation. This isn’t rare in psychology. Many evaluation tests have both fans and critics alike, as do various types of therapies and theories. The definitions of mental illnesses themselves, and ideas about what creates mental wellness, differ depending on who you speak to. The answer to the question of whether Rorschach is a tainted testing tool or ingenious inkblot interrogation is much like the nature of the ink blobs  - it’s in the eye of the beholder. 

27 comments:

  1. I'm thoroughly entertained through these kinds of articles. I've always pondered the validity of this type of test and how viable the treatment options were that resulted from such assessment.

    ReplyDelete
  2. This is so pro.. it's a change. Nice read actually, especially for someone who knows very little on them. Also, why don't I get random emails from successful 29 year old women who want to help out? In this case I'd decline but.. still!

    ReplyDelete
  3. It explained a lot to me, I got an email from Gadaffi's wife the other day....

    ReplyDelete
  4. I want to get me a email from Gadaffis wife! Maybe she'll let me have his glasses.
    It's not like he needs them anymore. lol.

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  5. Dude I saw you streaming Paranormal Activity a while back. Didn't stick there for too long, but your commentary was hilarious!

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  6. So strange. All that work just so they can get a single back link.

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  7. I only get emails from Nigerians who need help unlocking millions in off-shore accounts.

    Well written and interesting article...but it's really all about the artwork

    ReplyDelete
  8. That's the first thing I thought about, D4. Why don't people email me asking to help with pictures of random animals or crap? I could use the help....

    I only get emails about pE nIS pIll S

    ReplyDelete
  9. Rorschach, my oldest friend in the sphere. I'm near tears with bewilderment, how could have I gone for so long without your company? Without flowing my infinite branches of gorgeous questions across the screen, and to be inspired by the drive and possibilities such fine friends offer when in good company. I wrote again, and it felt great. I'm reading up on your past and future now, and it bristles my senses with excitement for you. To make a long story short, and half that story saved for later, I've been under this buzzing haze of indecision and self doubt for reasons that are too personal and tragic to etch down in immortal text right now.

    More to the point, the lack of drive and delight doesn't suit this Janus Kane, your words inspire him and moved him to write again! Before, you said you sensed a comeback. Well I type furiously away to you, my ancient comrade of the bloggosphere, fingers racing to keep up with the dizzying array of emotions I want to capture at this very moment(mavis beacon comes to mind), to tell you that I have returned! That your words reached out across the infitnite bed of blazing stars and bottomless black pits of swirling possibilities, and through super novae giving birth to unlimited worlds of life and love and learning, so help me they reached out and I am back my friend! Back and emblazoned with a thirst for knowledge like never before. Let's set off, dear Rorscharch, to the limitless beyond.

    -Your companion in the quest to live in the digital age,

    Janus Kane

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