The Rorschach - Detailed Review

Front 1

nomothetic

Back 1

is more the study of a cohort of individuals. Here the subject is seen as representing a class or population and their corresponding personality traits and behaviors. Usually, nomothetic approaches are quantitative, and idiographic approaches are qualitative,

Front 2

Lambda

Back 2

Compares frequency of F responses to all other answers in the record. Relates to issues of economizing the use of resources by how a person attends to experience and how open they are to their experience. Successful adaptation is fostered by a balanced focus of attention that is neither too narrow or broad. Avg range .30-.99

Front 3

High Lambda

Back 3

Lambda is counter intuitive. The higher the percentage, the less open one is to their experience. L> .99 identifies lack of adequate openness. Notice little more than the bare outlines of events and frequently overlook the subtle nuances of social & interpersonal situation. Tend to make decisions without much thought and to select courses of action without much emotional investment. Little tolerance for ambiguity or uncertianty. Feel most comfortable in clearly defined and well-structured situations. Favor simple solutions even to complex problems. Manage events in a detached, uninvolved and matter of fact way. Exner characterizes such people as having an "avoidant" style of dealing with experience.

Front 4

Low Lambda

Back 4

L< .30 Show excessive openness to experience characterized by an overly broad focus of attention. Usually highly sensitive to their experience and acutely aware of events. They welcome and even seek-out ambiguous and complex situations and they typically feel most comfortable in environment that are relatively unstructured. Can be precieved as interesting, lively and venturesome. Persons lacking personality strengths will find it difficult to achieve such social charm because they can't channel all the broad attention.

Front 5

Erlebnistypus (EB)

Back 5

The ratio is expressed as Sum M:The Weighted Sum Color (WsumC). Ideational contemplation:Emotional Expression. Researchers view the EB ratio as the extent to which a person is internally oriented as opposed to being more externally directed and behaviorally responsive to outside stimuli. Adaptive flexibility is indicated by a balanced EB style in which neither M nor WsumC is more than 2.5 times larger than the other. (Ideational (M) or Expressive (WsumC). Yet a sufficient preference is still maintained between an introversive or extratensive problem solving style. (diff btw M and WSumC greater than 1.5 or than 2.0 in records with an EA> 10).

Front 6

Introversive style

Back 6

M (left side) is 1.5x that of WSumC (Right side) of EB ratio (ie 6:4). Person prefers to think through problems. Approach problem-solving tasks by internalizing the situation and mentally reviewing possible alternatives, and engage in relatively few behaviors prior to reaching a solution. Attempts to exert greater control over feelings during thinking. Thinks more than acts. Relies more on ideation or fantasy for discharge of affect, which leads to ability to delay gratification.

Pathology – Obsessive-Compulsive, Depression, Dependent, Schizotypal

Front 7

Extratensive Style

Back 7

WSumC (right side) is 1.5x that of M (Right side) of EB ratio (ie 4:6) tend to use external interactions as the most important means of satisfying their needs. Are more intuitive and are prone to use their feelings more directly in decision making by merging them with their thinking. Characteristically direct their energy toward the outside world. Usually spontaneous and assertive, but also have difficulty delaying their responses. Acts more than thinks. (The better the form quality, the better the judgment in actions.) Likely to approach problem- solving situations by experimenting with different behaviors (external trial and error) prior to achieving solutions.

Pathology – Histrionic, Manic, Chronic/Deteriorated, Schizophrenia

Front 8

Ambitent style

Back 8

No clear problem solving preference. inconsistent coping efforts, unpredictable behavior, and an uncertain self image. Have difficulty making decisions because they vacillate at length between folliwng the dictates of their minds and the murmurings of their hearts. Solve problems neither by concerted efforts to conceptualize them nor by sustained trail and error experimentation but instead by a hodgepodge of both methods that typically process less efficient.

Pathology – Unusually high scores on both M and C suggest a manic condition.

Front 9

EBper

Back 9

Indicates rigidity in coping style. EBPer greater than 2.5 identifies maladaptive lack of flexibility in coping style. "Adaptive flexibility is indicated in Rorschach data by a balanced EB stle in which neither M nor WSumC is more than 2.5 times larger than the other."
EBPer - introversive side (M side, left side of EB) respondents are failing to give the emotional side of their life its just due. Tend to be deep thinkers who have difficulty being doers as well. Contemplation comes easier than expression. Are more easily overwhelmed than most by intense emotional stimulation. They can become disorganized by emotional stimulation particularly when the WSumC is low.

Front 10

EA

Back 10

Experience Actual - Sum of Human Movement (Ideation)+ Weighted Sum Color (Affective) (Sum M + WSumC the two sides of EB). Mean = 8.66, with M>1 and WSumC>2.0 Normals range 6-10. Need at least 6.Low EA indicates deficit not conflict. EA is a combination of ideational and affective adaptive capacities. Measures several aspects of the amount and kind of adaptive resources on which people can draw in meeting their experienced demands. Capacities for using ideation effectively and modulating affect sufficiently and pleasurably capture the essential components of being psychologically competent and resourceful. Our main regulatory systems are thinking and feeling (regulation of our thoughts and emotions).

Front 11

FM+m

Back 11

Left side of eb (an index of a person's degree of disorganization and helplessness) ideation that is out of control. Becomes intrusive rather than M-type activity.

Front 12

SumShd

Back 12

Sum of Shading responses. Right side of eb. Emotions that make their presence felt despite a preference to aviod them. Unpleasant affect experience contrary to WSumC activity. Sumshd greater than Fm+m, DEPI criteria, indicates unusual amount of emotional stress. Maladaptive, unpleasurable affect. Repondents with this stress flag may not always be fully aware of their unpleasant affects, expeically if they are using intellectual defenses to blunt the impact of their emotions or mechanisms of denial to conceal the existence of these feelings. May not display negatively toned affect. However the emotional stress indicated impedes pleasurable modulation of affect.

Front 13

eb

Back 13

Fm+m: SumShd. Fm+m should not be greater than 6. SumShd (C'+Y+T+V) should be between 2 and 5. Avg in adults = 5 level of intrusive ideation and emotional stress. If eb is high, may compromise EA.

Front 14

EBPer - Pervasively extratensive

Back 14

WSumC exceeds M by a ratio of more that 2.5 indicates maladaptive preference for dealing with experience primarily through affective channels. Whereas suffivient WSumC reflects good adaptive resources, expeically when FC:CF+C is in normative balance, extratensive persons with EBPer typically give limited consideration of ideational side of their life. Tend to be highly expressive and action oriented. Rarely contemplate decisions. More likelyto rely on instincts than thought and planning. This curtails effectiveness of their problem solving, quality of decisions, and adequacy of adjustment. Particularly when they are notably lacking M they have difficulty imposing some delay between having feelings and acting on them.

Front 15

Adj es

Back 15

Ongoing demands without situational stress. Subtract all but 1 m and 1 Y (include YF and FY) from the es. Because es includes measures of current stimuli impinging on the person (m and Y), a different, adjusted es that excluded m and Y was developed. This adjusted es represents the more chronic (rather than fluctuating) condition of the person. Thus, persons scoring high are likely to feel chronically overstimulated (i.e., racing thoughts, insomnia) and have difficulties organizing their thoughts. However, the main purpose of calculating Adj es is to enable the calculation of the Adjusted D Score.

Front 16

D (D=0)

Back 16

A part of Weiner's heading "Minimizing Subjectively Felt Distress" D=0 indicates a modest difference of no more than 2.5 between EA and es. Defines normative range. They tend to be satisfied individuals with no particular need to change the way the are. Have at least average capacities to tolerate frustration an persevere through obstacles. However, people with high Lambda and low EA/es typically lead very restricted lives and avoid new challenges that would put psychological demands on them. In patient populations, D=0 can be a liability because it is likely to be associated with chronic and characterological conditions that are relatively resistant to change, rather than acute and symptomatic conditions that are relatively responsive to interventions.

Front 17

es

Back 17

Combined total of animal and inanimate movement responses and the shading and achromatic color responses (left and right sides of eb). Current emotional and cognitive stress levels. Average is 8. Normals = 5 to 11. Captures psychological experiences that operate outside of a person's conscious control and consequently impose stresses that require being managed. Thus, the es sum is an index of a person's degree of disorganization and helplessness. Persons scoring high on es have a low frustration tolerance, and it is difficult for them to be persistent, even in meaningful tasks. If it's high than the person is overwhelmed.

Front 18

D (D<0)

Back 18

the extent to which people are likely feeling anxious, tense, nervous and irritable. Typically associated with limited tolerance for frustration, concerns about losing self control, and resulting proclivity for impulsiveness. Identifies episodic losses of self-control that are both unpleasant and unwelcome. D=-1 identifes a mild degree of subjective distress but doesn't not seriously compromise adaptation. In fairly structured, predictable circumstances they tend to function in a reasonably untroubled fashion.

Front 19

D(D>0)

Back 19

D-plus pattern indicates particular resistance to change. Display impressive stress tolerance and ability to remain calm in dangerous or troubling circumstances.

Front 20

Adj D

Back 20

Distinguishes between relatively situational experienced stress and persistant stress. (es is composed of Fm,T,C',V, m &Y. m and Y are highly unstable over time. test retest reliability of m & Y over 1yr show correlations of only .26 and .31 respectively. Whereas Fm,T,C' and V show coefficients of .77, .81, & .73 respectively). AdjD is the result of es minus any amount of m or Y over one. Indicates stress a person feels beyond that attributable to situational stress. Adj D<0 implies persistent stress overload related to long standing inabilty to must sufficient coping resources and minimize subjective distress. Good therapy candidates as well as those with D<0 but Adj D = 0 as long as stress is felt as out of their control

Front 21

SumC'

Back 21

when greater than 0, painful internalized affect. Restricted affect. Avg=1

Front 22

CDI

Back 22

If 4 or 5 and Adj D=0 suggest difficulty coping with requirements of everyday living. Combines several variables associated with difficulties in coping adequately with stress, affect, and interpersonal relationships. Not significant indication of anything less than3

Front 23

Sum V

Back 23

Negative self introspection. V responses occur, on average, 0.26 per record. Depressed inpatients average 1.09, and schizophrenics and character disordered persons average 0.60 and 0.24, respectively. Vista responses relate to introspective behavior – a propensity for self-inspection, but the process causes very negative emotions to occur. This introspection usually involves depression and a sense of interiority. However, if the V responses are dominated by form, introspection is still suggested but the process is unlikely to be emotionally painful. This is in contrast to the negative type of self examination associated with pure V. Usually, the vista variable is considered to be related to stable, trait-like phenomena. In some instances, however, the value for SumV may reflect a situational or state-like phenomenon. Therefore, it is necessary to review the SumV value to determine if it is higher than expected and if so, to review the history to ascertain if the higher score may be related to situational circumstances.

Front 24

Sum T

Back 24

Need for closeness. Avg of 1. The presence of a single T response suggests that the person probably acknowledges and expresses needs for closeness in ways similar to most people. Texture responses represent painful emotional experiences combined with needs for supportive interpersonal relationships. Usually, the texture variable is considered to be related to stable, trait-like phenomena. Elevations of 2 or more show greater needs for closeness, appear to feel lonely, stronger needs to be dependent on others. Elevations can sometimes reflect the emotional impact of a recent loss (confirm through history), should be factored into hypotheses regarding current versus chronic capacities for control. No T in record – more guarded and/or distant in interpersonal contacts. More concerned with issues of personal space.

Front 25

Sum Y

Back 25

Overloaded painful affect related to anxiety. Indicative of inability to respond, “absence of action,” anxiety/passivity. Represents form of anxiety of a magnitude that supersedes other need states in directing behavior. Elevations in m and Y convey some sense of stress-related helplessness, or situational stress. The SumY variable is associated with feelings that are prompted by a sense of helplessness or an inability to make a response. When these feelings intensify, they usually manifest as apprehension, anxiety, or sadness and can be very disruptive. Because m and Y assess similar constructs, they should be considered together.

Front 26

m, FM, M

Back 26

m is diffuse emotion with no words – greater than 2 is a problem. Mean = 1.28
FM is intrusive ideation but not action – average is 3-5 but greater than six means unmet needs
M is good ideation turning feelings to action and expression
Patients in long-term psychotherapy average nearly two m and about one Y at beginning of treatment. The number of inanimate movement responses provides an index of the extent to which persons are experiencing drives or life events that are beyond their ability to control. The drives reflected by m threaten people's adjustment in that they are helpless to effectively deal with them. This helplessness is usually related to interpersonal activities. The m variable relates to forms of intrusive ideation not in the person’s focus of attention. When such thinking increases it tends to interfere with attention and concentration and can cloud judgment.

Front 27

Col-Shd Blds

Back 27

Even one such response suggests dysphoric tendencies associated with ambivalent emotionality. People with more than 0 col-shdbld’s tend to be confused and uncertain about how they fell and often imbue people and events in their lives with both positive(the color) and negative (the shading) emotional characteristics at the same time. Consequently, they have difficulty soothing out their feelings and their proclivity to attach both pleasant and unpleasant connotation to experiences in their lives limits their chances for being able to enjoy themselves. Their pleasurable moments are made bittersweet by anticipations that the other shoe will drop. (Are counted in the list of blends, not the same as Blend/R)

Front 28

Blends/R

Back 28

Are blends of any kind, animal and color, movement & shading, etc. To create a blend response, the person must appreciate the complexity of the inkblot, which requires both analysis and synthesis. As stresses, needs, and conflicts become modest or even minimal, complexity will decrease to some extent but as the experience of stresses, needs, conflicts, etc. increases, so too does the level of complexity. Usually, there will be one or more blends in a person’s protocol. A complete absence of blends suggests narrowness and constriction. This is consistent with the finding that blends are less frequent in the protocols of depressives and persons with below-average intelligence. In contrast, an extremely high number of blends (eight or more) suggests an unusual amount of complexity, to the extent that the person may be overly burdened. Individuals of higher intelligence usually obtain at least 25% blends. ver 20% blends may indicate the kind of cognitive disorganization that often occurs prior to a psychotic break. If more than two blends contain T, m, Y: Index of psychological complexity caused by stress. Subtract all but one m and y from total blends: If blends fall below average, then current stress is contributing to disorganization.If less than 2 blends in an average protocol, this is an indication of repressive processes. Shading Blends signal depression.

Front 29

Zd

Back 29

Organizing information Efficiently - the adaptive balance between the amount of information people take in and their capacities to process it. The amount taken in is a function of how carefully they pay attention to objs and events. More able to keep track of bits of info and sorting through them and how they relate the more apt they are at processing. Normative rage - 3.0 to +3.0 Within this range are absorbing about as much as possible and processing adequately. Likely to form conclusions, solve problems and complete tasks in an efficient manner and with a degree of success consistent with their abilities.

Front 30

Zd (high)

Back 30

Processing Efficiency - Exceeding +3.0 are respondents who overincorporate. They take in more information than they can organize efficiently and tend to examine their experience more thoroughly than necessary. Seek out more information than most in order to make a decision. They revise and redo their work more than most in order to feel satisfied. Often successful when work hinges on being careful and thorough but suffers when rapid turnaround is required. They suffer greatly when faced with the decision to compromise their commitment to thoroughness in order to meet someone else's schedule. Time pressure causes them to complete tasks in a state of anxiety and dissatisfaction, or to fail to complete them at all. Excessive intake of info may contribute to underachievement.

Front 31

Zd (Low)

Back 31

Underincorporators less than -3.0 take in too little info and consequently tend to examine their experience less thoroughly. Come to conclusions hastily; instead of applying themselves to tasks conscientiously, they tend to work carelessly and feel satisfied with final products that do not reflect the full measure of their ability. Over incorporations promotes rapid decision making and speedy completion of tasks but often at the expense of ill-considered conclusions.

Front 32

Zf

Back 32

Z frequency - the number of times a z response occurred Normals range 9-14.The frequency of the number of responses to which a Z score has been assigned provides a rather crude estimate of processing effort. The estimate is crude because a Z score may be assigned for any of three types of answers.

Front 33

Zf (high)

Back 33

Zf > 13 – High scores indicate that the degree of effort expended to process information is more extensive than required or expected. Thus, these persons may have a high level of intellectual striving in which they carefully and precisely work with their perceptions. May reflect success level of achievement. High drive and initiative.

Front 34

Zf (low)

Back 34

Zf <9 – With scores of less than 9, it would be expected that the client expends less effort than needed or required to adequately process information. Limited cognitive ability or feigning limited ability. Possible depression.

Front 35

W:D:Dd

Back 35

Locations people choose for their answers is a good index of whether thy pay attention to events in a conventional way. Normal (W)1/2 of R: (D)1/3-1/2 of R: (Dd)1/6 of R

Front 36

W:D:Dd - Predominance of D

Back 36

A marked predominance of D at the expense of relatively few W or Dd indicates excessively conventional examination of situations. Tend to me inordinately attentive to ordinary aspects of what they encounter but insufficiently attuned to how events relate to each other or to unusual features. Overly narrow focus. Tend to function best in relatively limited and undemanding circumstances in which routine is the order of the day and neither careful analysis nor high concept formation is required.

Front 37

W:D:Dd - Predominance of either W or Dd

Back 37

indicates inordinate attention to global or unusual aspects of experience rather than what is ordinary. May lead to creative formulations but carried to excess can preclude attention to mundane but important matters. Excessive focus on what is unusual cause people to overlook what is obvious. Individual idiosyncracies may then contribute to a person's being viewed by others as eccentric and strange. Dd>3 usually indicates a maladaptive preoccupation with unusual aspects of experience and serves as a criterion variable for OBS Index

Front 38

W:M

Back 38

Aspirational Ratio (Wishes to Means) Reasonable expectations vs. functional capacities. Normals at 1.5:1 up to 2.5:1

Equal to or higher than 3:1 indicates high aspirations but these aspirations but these aspirations likely exceed capabilities.

Either 1:1 or 0:1 indicates that aspirations are lower than functioning level or capabilities.

The W:M ratio provides less direct information about processing effort than the Zf or W:D:Dd ratio in that it seems to relate more broadly to the achievement orientation of the individual. The interpretive rationale is based on the premise that the processing effort should be consistent with the person's available resources.

Front 39

PSV

Back 39

Perseverations. Inability to shift thinking. Avg 0, Need 3 for neuropsychological evaluation

Front 40

DQ+

Back 40

Developmental quality scores relate to a person’s relative ability to analyze and synthesize information. It is a measure of “cognitive sophistication” or cognitive development . A high DQ+ (above 9 or 10) is consistent with more intelligent, complex, and sophisticated persons. However, this greater complexity does not necessarily mean that the person is well adjusted or even that his or her cognitions are accurate

Front 41

High DQ of + and o

Back 41

High DQ may suggest flexibility and higher maturation (if confirmed elsewhere in record). Tends to occur with brighter, better-adjusted subjects. If Zf is elevated and the frequency of DQ+ is high, the subject is not only working hard at the task, but also doing so with a complex and sophisticated cognitive effort. Caution: Many symptom patterns evolve from very elaborate cognitive operations, i.e., a systematized delusional system.

Front 42

DQv

Back 42

v occurs more often with children, disturbed, organically impaired or limited subjects. Low DQ may reflect concrete, rigid and immature cognitive processes. Catatonic/hebephrenic schizophrenics often have low DQ. DQv’s are unusual for adults. More than 2 suggests a lock of commitment to the response they give. v almost always means a distancing from the task.

Front 43

3r+2/R

Back 43

Egocentricity Index - Maintaining Adequate Self Esteem (Weiner) Mean of .40

Whether people think well or poorly of themselves is determined not so much by the quality of their attributes and accomplishments as by whether they perceive their attributes and accomplishments accurately and regard themselves as having made respectable use of their endowments and opportunities. Adequate self esteem promotes self acceptance, self respect and self confidence based on realistic appraisal of one's capabilities. People with adequate self-esteem can typically stricke and adaptive balance between two poles; preoccupation with themselves at the expense of adequate attention to the needs and interests of others; and total absorption in what other people want and enjoy at the cost of sufficient regard for their own preferences and individuality.

Front 44

High 3r+2/R

Back 44

Greater than .44 Usually present with reflection responses. Unusual degree of preoccupation with oneself and high level of self esteem. W/o presence of Relections indicates individual is not taking any special pleasure in their self focus.

suggest that the person has an over-inflated sense of self-worth, which reflects underlying dissatisfaction. This may be expressed in part by neglect of aspects of the external world. Excessive self-concern. Unusual focus on self that may be detrimental in interpersonal arena. May contribute to reality distortion especially in interpersonal sphere.

Front 45

Low 3r+2/R

Back 45

Less than .33 - are usually not paying sufficient attention to themselves and may even purposefully be avoiding self-focus. Tend to compare themselves unfavorably to other people whom they regard as being more able, attractive and talented. Usually a chronic low self esteem dating back to childhood that shows little situational fluctuation.

Front 46

MOR

Back 46

MOR>3 indicates significant difficulty maintaining an adaptive level of self-regard, particularly as a consequence of viewing their body as damaged or dysfunctional. When combined with a personal reference or some other obvious indication of aggression, the person identifies with both the victim of being damaged and the perpetrator.

Front 47

FD

Back 47

Form Dimension Avg of 2. FD>2 indicates unusual degree of self-consciousness and soul searching. FD<2 indicates maladaptive disinterest in or incapacity for being introspective. Adequate introspective people tend to be cognizant of how best to meet their own needs, sensitve to how their behavior affects other people and relatively amenable to reconsidering their image and impression of themselves. Such capacity indicates effective participation and positive personality change in psychotherapy.

Excessive investment in introspection cause lend to self-consciousness to a falt. Constantly examining themselves and ever alert to how they seem to others. Lakc of self awareness leads to risk for difficulties in understanding themselves and appreciation of their impact on other people. Limited capacity to examine themselves in a critical fashion and modify behavior accordingly.

Front 48

FC:CF+C

Back 48

Balance identifies adaptive repertoire of styles for experiencing and expressing affect. FC responses are associated with relatively well modulated and reserved processing of emotion in which feelings emerge and dissipate slowly and are deeply felt but mild to moderate in their intensity.

CF and C responses are associated with relatively unmodulated and spontaneous processing of emotion in which feelings come and go quickly and tend to be superficial but often quite intense while they last.

A balance is desired as some situations call for one or the other.

Respondents with CF+C>FC +1 or FC>(CF+C)+3 are likely having difficulty modulating their affect at an adaptive level of moderation

Front 49

CF+C disproportion

Back 49

Tend to be emotionally immature. Quick to anger and forgive. Quick to develop strong feelings and equally let them pass. Emotionally reactive. Likely to have wide circle of acquaintances than close friends. Seen as lively and engaging but liability is that they are seen as overly exitable and childishly naive in their willingness to expose their feelings to people they hardly know. Unlikely or disingenuous participants in serious conversation

Front 50

FC disproportion

Back 50

Emotionally reserved. Affects run deep and long but they typically experience and feelings in a very low key. Only over an extended period of time and for good reason do they become angry, happy, sad, friendly or loving. Once formed however, their emotions are deeply felt and highly stable. May find displeasure difficult to dispel. Those who gain their love often continue to receive it indefinitely. Also value a small number of close friendships over a large circle of casual acquaintances.

Excessive PF creates risk of adjustment difficulties. Experience and express affect with too much reserve. Have limited capacity to relax emotionally, show their feelings and relate to others on a casual informal basis.

Consequently others may view them as cold, remote, disinterested, difficult to get to know and not much fun to be around. Their emotional calm may be welcome in serious situations but their inability to replace sobriety with some exuberance in light-hearted situation often results in their being regarded as stuffy, full and emotionally inhibited.