What Are Ink Blots?

The Rorschach Personality Test, or the "Inkblot" test, is a projective test used by psychologists to determine the unconscious themes of an individual's personality structure. The test was developed by Swiss psychoanalyst Hermann Rorschach in 1921 and is widely used to determine the personality structure, emotional operations and interpersonal sense of "self" of a patient.

Hermann Rorschach and the Development of the Ink Blot Test

• Born in Zurich, Switzerland, in 1884, Hermann Rorschach, the son of an artist, was known for his childhood explorations of blotted ink on paper -- known in Switzerland as "Klecksography." After his study of medicine he began practicing as a Freudian psychoanalyst. Based on Sigmund Freud's theory of "unconscious projection," Rorschach found that individuals who were asked to describe what they saw in a random inkblot would reveal certain patterns in thinking and understanding (of themselves and their world) that were not realized on the "conscious" level of awareness.

Projective Tests

• Similarly to a video projector projecting something from inside onto a screen, psychoanalysts believe that we project our innermost secrets onto a random inkblot.

  The theoretical basis of the Rorschach is the concept of "projection." "Projection" is the Freudian concept that states: we see in ambiguous objects that which we do not see in ourselves. In this way, when we speculate about an indeterminate pattern, such as random splashes of ink on paper, we are actually seeing unknown aspects of ourselves in the inkblot. In this way, subjectivity, according to psychoanalytic theory, is not mere personal opinion, but rather, a depiction of the unconscious aspects of our personality that determine how we understand ourselves and the world we live in.

  When we speculate on what we "see in the inkblot," we are describing a reflection of ourselves in that inkblot (note that "speculate" is from the Latin root "speculum" meaning "mirror").

Administration of the Rorschach

• The Rorschach Test consists of 10 unique cards, 18-by-24 cm in size. The first six cards are black, or black and red, ink on a white background. The final four cards are multicolored on a white background.

  The test is administered in two phases: the "response phase" and the "inquiry phase." At the outset of the response phase the administrator sits to the side of the patient and asks, "What might this be?" The administrator allows the patient to interact with the cards, called plates, in any way the patient chooses, always responding to the patient's request for guidance with, "It's up to you."

  After all 10 plates have been presented to the patient, the administrator begins the inquiry phase. During the inquiry phase the administrator goes back through each of the 10 inkblots, asking the patient for a more detailed explanation of his responses.

Interpretation of the Rorschach

• The traditional interpretation of the Rorschach Test is based on the analysis of recurrent themes in the interpretation of the cards and a distinction between "typical" and "atypical" responses to a card. For example, a patient may report seeing monsters, watchful eyes or fearful images in the inkblots. Reports of this sort could indicate a general feeling of persecution or danger, or a "paranoid type" personality.

  The administrator not only analyzes the themes that the patient describes in the cards but also notes the way in which the patient interacts with the cards. For example, an individual who takes the card from the administrator and examines it at different angles could be understood as having the character traits of open-mindedness, initiative and creativity.

  The administrator will also take note of what aspect of the card a patient chooses to focus on. A general reaction to a card, such as "Happy" or "Colorful," versus a more detailed description of a small area of the card can provide the administrator with a great deal of information regarding the patient's worldview. For instance, actors tend to have a more general impression of an inkblot, such as, "Wow, exciting!" whereas accountants or statisticians often respond to some detailed aspect of the inkblot.