Does the Rorschach Performance Assessment System (R-PAS) Differ from the Comprehensive System (CS) on Variables Relevant to Interpretation?

We examined the impact of the changes in administration and coding introduced by the Rorschach Performance Assessment System (R-PAS) relative to the Comprehensive System (CS) on the Rorschach response process, as manifested in variables relevant to interpretation. We also examined the efficiency of each system to obtain protocols in an optimal range of responses (R) for interpretation. As hypothesized, when comparing 50 CS and 50 R-PAS nonpatient protocols, R-PAS produced many more protocols in the optimal R range (18-27) than the CS (78% vs. 24%) and it eliminated the need for re-administration, which was required for five CS protocols. As expected, R was less variable with R-PAS, as were two variables derived from it, R8910% and Complexity. In addition, as expected because of different Form Quality tables, R-PAS showed notably fewer and less variable perceptual distortions than the CS, and an increase in more conventional perceptions. The other 58 variables showed no reliable differences in means or standard deviations, though modest power precluded definitive inferences about equivalence. Overall, our results support previous findings about the benefit of R-PAS to obtain protocols in an optimal range for interpretation, while keeping the core manifestations of the response process unchanged.

Criterion Validity of the Rorschach Developmental Index With Children.

The Rorschach Developmental Index (DI) is a composite measure of psychological development. The aim of this study was to examine the criterion validity of the DI by investigating its relationship with age, nonverbal intelligence, and the impact of institutionalization in a sample of Brazilian children. The sample included 231 children, ages 7 to 11, who were either living with their families or in an institutionalized setting. The results indicated that the DI is strongly associated with nonverbal intelligence. Multiple regression analysis revealed that 71% of the variability in the DI was associated with nonverbal intelligence, whereas age explained only 2%. Moreover, the DI scores and nonverbal intelligence scores were significantly lower for children living in institutionalized settings. The DI appears to be effective in assessing various levels of psychological development, especially when expressed in cognitive ability. The DI was developed in the United States, and this study suggests that the DI can be adapted to diverse cultures, regions, or languages.

Reassessment (after 15 Years) of Non-Patient Adults by the Rorschach Method.

The investigation of personality using the Rorschach Method has been historically established, however, its proper use requires continuous study, especially in regard to reliability, validity and normative references. This study's objective was to verify stability indicators of Rorschach (French Approach) through a reassessment (after 15 years) of non-patient adults previously addressed in the normative study by Pasian (1998). A total of 88 adults, aged between 34 and 69 years old, of both sexes, with different socio-economic and educational levels, were reassessed in 2013 in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. The responses were independently rated by different judges, with adequate precision. The average results obtained collected in 1998 and 2013 were analyzed to determine if these two sets of data were significantly different from each other (Student's t test, p ≤ .05) and the following variables were compared: Productivity indices, Apprehension Modes/Location, Formal Quality, Determinants, Contents and Banality. The overall stability level in these variables is considerable (mean r = .28, ± SD = 0.21). We discuss the theoretical approach of the Rorschach method regarding structural aspects of personality and developmental issues in personality assessment.

Potential Projective Material on the Rorschach: Comparing Comprehensive System Protocols to Their Modeled R-Optimized Administration Counterparts.

Exner ( 1989 ) and Weiner ( 2003 ) identified 3 types of Rorschach codes that are most likely to contain personally relevant projective material: Distortions, Movement, and Embellishments. We examine how often these types of codes occur in normative data and whether their frequency changes for the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, or last response to a card. We also examine the impact on these variables of the Rorschach Performance Assessment System's (R-PAS) statistical modeling procedures that convert the distribution of responses (R) from Comprehensive System (CS) administered protocols to match the distribution of R found in protocols obtained using R-optimized administration guidelines. In 2 normative reference databases, the results indicated that about 40% of responses (M = 39.25) have 1 type of code, 15% have 2 types, and 1.5% have all 3 types, with frequencies not changing by response number. In addition, there were no mean differences in the original CS and R-optimized modeled records (M Cohen's d = -0.04 in both databases). When considered alongside findings showing minimal differences between the protocols of people randomly assigned to CS or R-optimized administration, the data suggest R-optimized administration should not alter the extent to which potential projective material is present in a Rorschach protocol.

The Impact of R-Optimized Administration Modeling Procedures on Brazilian Normative Reference Values for Rorschach Scores.

To generate normative reference data for the Rorschach Performance Assessment System (R-PAS), modeling procedures were developed to convert the distribution of responses (R) in protocols obtained using Comprehensive System (CS; Exner 2003 ) administration guidelines to match the distribution of R in protocols obtained using R-Optimized Administration (Meyer, Viglione, Mihura, Erard, & Erdberg, 2011 ). This study replicates the R-PAS study, examining the impact of modeling R-Optimized Administration on Brazilian normative reference values by comparing a sample of 746 CS administered protocols to its counterpart sample of 343 records modeled to match R-Optimized Administration. The results were strongly consistent with the R-PAS findings, showing the modeled records had a slightly higher mean R and, secondarily, slightly higher means for Complexity and V-Comp, as well as smaller standard deviations for R, Complexity, and R8910%. We also observed 5 other small differences not observed in the R-PAS study. However, when comparing effect sizes for the differences in means and standard deviations observed in this study to the differences found in the R-PAS study, the results were virtually identical. These findings suggest that using R-Optimized Administration in Brazil might produce normative results that are similar to traditional CS norms for Brazil and similar to the international norms used in R-PAS.

Addressing Issues in the Development and Use of the Composite International Reference Values as Rorschach Norms for Adults.

This article describes 3 studies evaluating normative reference data for the Rorschach Comprehensive System (CS; Exner, 2003, 2007), with a particular focus on the viability of the Composite International Reference Values (CIRVs) that were compiled from 21 adult studies by Meyer, Erdberg, and Shaffer (2007). Study 1 documented how the CIRV norms are virtually identical when organized into 3 groups differentiated by the quality of their data collection effort, including an optimal group of 4 samples that relied on multiple experienced examiners and provided ongoing quality control over administration and coding. Analyses also showed that relative to the group of more optimal samples, the group of less optimal samples did not produce more variability in summary scores within or across samples or lower interrater reliability for coding. Study 2 used the existing CS reference norms to generate T scores for the CIRV means and documented how the CS norms make other samples of healthy nonpatients look psychologically impaired in multiple domains. Study 3 documented with examples from 4 different countries how 2 sets of within-country local norms produced notably different results on some variables, which compromises the ability of local norms to be used instead of the CIRVs. Taken together, the 3 studies provide support for the use of CIRVs in clinical practice as norms that are generalizable across samples, settings, languages, and cultures and that account for the natural variability that is present when clinicians and researchers contend with the ambiguity contained in the standard CS reference materials concerning the proper ways to administer and code. We conclude by urging CS users to rely on the CIRVs when making clinical inferences and to adopt alternative methods of ensuring they are following cohesively standardized administration and coding guidelines.

Estudio comparativo entre un anciano normal y otro con demencia presenil mediante el psicodiagnóstico de Rorschach / Comparative study between normal and elderly with senile dementia by Rorschach psychodiagnostic

Se hace un estudio comparativo —con fines didácticos— entre un protocolo de un anciano normal, que se presta de forma voluntaria para la aplicación de la prueba, y otro protocolo de un anciano con una demencia senil, que es llevado a consulta para su estudio y valoración diagnóstica. Se hace el cómputo de los valores clasificados y se explica de qué forma se utilizan para hacer el informe y el diagnóstico mediante este sistema de análisis. Se dan los indicadores de normalidad así como los indicadores de la demencia senil y en cada protocolo se va explicando de dónde se saca cada valoración diagnóstica o de rasgo de la personalidad se explica su uso(AU)

Psicodiagnóstico de Rorschach: su aporte al conocimiento del binomio personalidad-cultura / Psycodiagnosis of Rorschach. Its contribution to the knowledge of the personality-culture relationship

En este artículo, se establece la relación dinámica y funcional entre Rorschach, Personalidad y Cultura, con base en el hecho de que el Psicodiagnóstico de Rorschach es el instrumento psicológico idóneo, para conocer y desentrañar la relación hombre-cultura, y el único capaz de captar el mecanismo intrapsíquico que intervincula las tres grandes esferas (cognoscitiva, afectiva y conativa) que configuran la personalidad humana(AU)

In this article, the dynamic and functional relationship between Rorschach, personality and culture is established based on the fact that the psycodiagnosis of Rorschach is the ideal psychological instrument to know and reveal the man-culture relationship, and the only one able to catch the intrapsychic mechanism interrelating the three main spheres (cognoscitive, affective and conative) that conform the human personality(AU)

Elementos indicativos de abuso sexual na infância obtidos pelo método Rorschach / Evaluation of childhood sexual abuse using responses of a Rorschach method

Objetivo: Determinar indicativos de abuso sexual infantil através do Método Rorschach em crianças atendidas pela Equipe de Proteção à Criança do Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre no período entre 2002 e 2003. Métodos: Estudo retrospectivo qualitativo e quantitativo de nove crianças, com idades entre quatro anos e seis meses e onze anos, abusadas sexualmente, cuja ocorrência do fato foi verbalizada pelas próprias ou por seus responsáveis. Todas tiveram confirmação por médicos pediatras da própria instituição do abuso sexual sofrido. Todos os pacientes foram testados pelo método Rorschach com resultados supervisionados por profissional do Serviço de Psicologia da instituição. A partir do laudo e das respostas encontradas nos protocolos foram criadas categorias para o estudo. Para a codificação das respostas foi utilizado o sistema de classificação de Klopfer. Resultados: O Método Rorschach forneceu indicativos de abuso sexual nas nove crianças estudadas. Depressão, ansiedade, impulsividade, dificuldades nos relacionamentos, foram características de personalidade que apareceram com maior freqüência. Na análise dos protocolos surgiram conteúdos traumáticos, tais como sangue, sexo, morbidez, medo e movimento agressivo. Conclusões: Este trabalho mostrou que o Método Rorschach pode fornecer indicativos de abuso sexual. Pela análise dos laudos se observou que as crianças estudadas apresentaram dificuldades relativas à estruturação de uma personalidade saudável

Objective: To determine indicatives of childhood sexual abuse using the Rorschach Method in children assisted by Equipe de Proteção à Criança do Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre during the years of 2002 and 2003. Methods: Retrospective, qualitative and quantitative study of nine children, aged four years and six months to eleven years, sexually abused. The occurrence of the fact was verbalized by the children themselves or their caregivers. All had pediatric medical confirmation of the sexual abuse. All patients were tested by Rorschach Method and the results were reviewed by the professional team of Serviço de Psicologia. Based on the answers of the protocols the results were classified. The answers were coded using the Klopfer classification system. Results: The Rorscharch Method indicated sexual abuse in all nine children studied. Depression, anxiety, impulsiveness, relationship difficulties were personality characteristics that appeared with higher frequency. In the protocols analysis traumatic contents emerged, such as blood, sex, morbidity, fear and aggressive movement. Conclusion: The results showed that the Rorscharch Method can indicate childhood sexual abuse. Analyzing the protocols it was observed that all studied children showed difficulties related to structuring a healthy personality

Psicodiagnóstico de Rorschach: su aporte al conocimiento del binomio personalidad-cultura / Psycodiagnosis of Rorschach. Its contribution to the knowledge of the personality-culture relationship

En este artículo, se establece la relación dinámica y funcional entre Rorschach, Personalidad y Cultura, con base en el hecho de que el Psicodiagnóstico de Rorschach es el instrumento psicológico idóneo, para conocer y desentrañar la relación hombre-cultura, y el único capaz de captar el mecanismo intrapsíquico que intervincula las tres grandes esferas (cognoscitiva, afectiva y conativa) que configuran la personalidad humana.

In this article, the dynamic and functional relationship between Rorschach, personality and culture is established based on the fact that the psycodiagnosis of Rorschach is the ideal psychological instrument to know and reveal the man-culture relationship, and the only one able to catch the intrapsychic mechanism interrelating the three main spheres (cognoscitive, affective and conative) that conform the human personality.

Importancia del psicodiagnostico de Rorschach para la antropologia sociocultural: su actualidad en Cuba (1)

Se hace un analisis del uso que ha tenido el Rorschach para el estudio de las relaciones entre lo psicologico y lo cultural a traves de las distintas etapas en que este instrumento fue utilizado para aplicarlo a grupos etnicos en estudios transculturales o cross culturales, hasta el presente en Cuba. Tambien se aborda y expone el concepto de Personalidad Basica de Kardiner, surgido en el seno de la corriente de la Antropologia Cultural Cultura y Personalidad, exponiendose la importancia que para esta y para el Psicoanalisis Cultural tuvo este concepto, que constotuye una proyeccion cultural-social para enriquecer el enfoque freudiano, asi como su actual vigencia (AU)