Ink Blot Testing

Ink blot testing is a projective technique personality test. Ink blots look like blobs of ink on paper however ink blots tell psychologist's a lot of information about the personality of a patient.

History

• The ink blot test was developed in 1921 by Hermann Rorschach, a Swiss psychologist. Rorschach was an advocate of psychoanalysis which is a study of the unconscious mind.

Function

• The ink blot test is performed to determine a person's concept of the world around them. This test analyzes emotions, understanding, interpersonal relationships, self perception and the capability of handling stress.

Types

• There are three established ink blot tests with the first being the Rorschach. The Holtzman Inkblot technique (HIT) was later developed by Wayne Holtzman to surmount some of the limitations of the Rorschach and The Somatic Inkblot Series (SIS) was developed by Wilfred A. Cassell which is a recent addition to the traditional Rorschach test.

Methods

• Patients are shown ten ink blots one at a time and they are to state the first thing that comes to mind. The patient is then shown the same ten ink blots for a second time with instructions to study them and then list everything they see.

Significance

• Ink blot testing assesses the private world of a person's ideas, wishes and fears which allows a psychologist to assess the behavior of a person's personality. Ink blots are commonly used to test mental patients in psychiatric hospitals.