Rorschachiana

Editorial.
While editing the articles contained in this issue of Rorschachiana, the author was reminded of some contributions that have previously appeared in this journal. Acklin (2024) offers a novel perspective on the life of H. Rorschach, of his thinking and ideas developed around the time that he created his inkblots, hence complementing the historical part of the answer to “Why does the Rorschach work?” Acklin’s work called to mind a research thread that has recently regenerated interest in the test’s origins aiming to reconstruct the original view that H. Rorschach had of his creation. In this framework, Andronikof (2023) described the perceptual decision-making process as the basic function triggered by the test. This, in turn, reminded the author of two other recent articles on the everlasting question about the nature of the test. Recently Meyer and Friston (2022) advanced a novel perspective according to which the brain functioning captured by the Rorschach mirrors the perceptual and meaning-making processes usually displayed in real-life contexts, while Bornstein (2022) stressed the uniqueness of the Rorschach in describing implicit aspects of the personality that – by their nature – evade other types of tests. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)
Seeing eye-to-eye: Internal consistencies of eye-tracking variables during Rorschach administration.
Considering the continuing interest in the use of eye-tracking technology for study of the Rorschach response process, the present study examines the internal consistencies for several eye-tracking indices during Rorschach administration. Many experimental psychologists have recently maintained that researchers should be interested in and report the internal consistency statistics of performance measures, including eye tracking in order to improve effect size, the power of hypothesis testing, and the replicability of findings. In the current study, eye-tracking variables more relevant to understanding top–down (goal-driven) processes showed good-to-excellent internal consistencies, while variables largely affected by bottom–up (stimulus-driven) processes showed questionable or poor internal consistency. The current findings provide support for recent research strategies of utilizing protocol-level eye-tracking averages to link to Rorschach coding variables. In addition, the current study found differences across cards for the eye-tracking variables, showing medium-to-large effect sizes, which provides evidence for the stimulus pull of the cards for visual search strategies, including variables not previously used in Rorschach research. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)
Exploring the utility of the Rorschach test in predicting weight loss after bariatric surgery.
Bariatric surgery (BS) is an effective approach to treat severe obesity, which should include multidisciplinary care. Prior to surgery, candidates for BS usually undergo a psychological assessment based mostly on self-report of clinical symptoms. However, the results of this assessment are not always sufficient to predict outcomes. Therefore, this study examined the potential of a multimethod approach to assessing patients seeking BS using both self-report and performance-based measures of cognitive and affective functioning. A sample of 50 women who had applied for surgery at a public facility in Brazil were assessed with the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS), the Rorschach Performance Assessment System (R-PAS), and the Trail Making Test (TMT). Patients who dropped out before treatment (n = 27) had higher initial body mass index and poorer performance on cognitive flexibility at baseline. In the remaining 23 patients who underwent surgery, indicators of emotional and cognitive functioning from all measures were associated with weight loss (WL) at 6 and 12 months after surgery. However, only R-PAS variables regarding psychological resources were associated with WL 18 months after surgery. We discuss the usefulness of the Rorschach as a source of information for patients seeking BS and the implications for current assessment practices in the field. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)
Persistence and cessation of nonsuicidal self-injury under psychotherapy.
This study examines factors associated with recovery from nonsuicidal self-injury, comparing the characteristics of nonsuicidal self-injury behavior, clinical history, and psychological features of one group of patients who recovered from nonsuicidal self-injury within 12 months of psychotherapy and one group of patients who did not. Both groups received three components of treatment: feedback on psychological assessment results, psychoeducation on stress and emotional control, and acquisition of stress-coping skills. The Rorschach Comprehensive System was used for the measurement of participants’ psychological characteristics. Results indicated that the nonrecovery group (N = 14) remembered significantly fewer self-harm episodes than the recovery group (N = 16). The Rorschach showed differences in variables indicative of thinking and cognitive problems: PTI positivity and X-% were significantly higher in the nonrecovery group, while X+%, XA%, and WDA% were significantly lower in the nonrecovery group. Results suggest that the recovery group interrupted self-injury behaviors in a relatively short period by acquiring self-understanding and coping skills. Additional treatment for thinking, cognitive deficits, and dissociation may be necessary for the nonrecovery group. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)
The processometric consensus Rorschach Test (pCRT-II) – An improved evaluation system: A new method for investigating the functioning of couple relationships.
The processometric Consensus Rorschach Test is a method for analyzing the dynamics of couple communication in negotiation-based interactions. We present the development and first psychometric evaluation of the processometric Consensus Rorschach Test II (pCRT-II), which introduces several innovations to previous coding systems. Using the pCRT-II, couple communication can be assessed on dimensions of dominance, constructiveness, and emotional closeness. Intercoder reliability was demonstrated using intraclass correlations in three coders’ 15 pCRT-II protocols. Results showed that trained coders can code the three pCRT-II dimensions reliably. Moreover, we assessed the interactions of 155 heterosexual couples using the pCRT-II. Internal consistency tests of the scores of the three dimensions of the pCRT-II on the 10 Rorschach cards separately aggregated by gender indicated that the reliability of the scales is adequate. We also administered the Dyadic Coping Inventory (DCI) and the Relationship Assessment Scale (RAS) to a subsample of 134 couples and tested the associations of the scales with the pCRT-II dimensions using the actor–partner interdependence model (APIM). Results demonstrated that pCRT-II has adequate concurrent validity. Based on the findings, the coding system is promising in that it can be used to gain new insights into the functioning of couples by examining their communication processes in detail. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)
The parallel series—The Behn–Rorschach Inkblot Test.
This article examines the historical background of the Behn-Rorschach Test based on new document translations, including the dissertation (Psychische Schüleruntersuchngen mit dem Formdeutversuch) conducted by H. Behn-Eschenburg under Hermann Rorschach’s direct supervision and published in 1921. The Behn-Eschenburg dissertation was published at the same time and is a companion piece to Psychodiagnostics. The dissertation project applied Rorschach’s clinical theory and coding scheme to a duplicate set of inkblots (“the parallel series”) in a sample of 209 13–15-year-olds. The article reviews the newly translated correspondence between Rorschach, Behn-Eschenburg, and other colleagues in the development of the parallel series that was not published until 1940. Psychodiagnostics describes Hermann Rorschach’s rationale and prerequisites for development of the parallel series, and the dissertation is an early extension into new territory beyond Psychodiagnostics. Various investigators in the 1950s and 1960s critically examined Rorschach’s claims that the parallel series is equivalent to the original inkblots. The Behn-Eschenburg dissertation, published concurrently with Psychodiagnostics, illuminates the earliest development of Rorschach’s psychology on the eve of his untimely demise. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)

Rorschachiana - Vol 45, Iss 1