OFF THE WALL M A G A Z I N E
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Though the Rorschach is the most famous psychological test in the world, it is little understood outside of psychology circles. The test, in the news this week and under much debate, is a series of 10 colored ink blots created nearly a century ago by Swiss psychiatrist Hermann Rorschach. The ink blots are a projective test; patients are asked to interpret the patterns for a psychologist or psychiatrist. As a subjective test, there are no official right or wrong answers, but test-givers do have a list of what are called normed responses — the most common answers. The premise behind the test is that the answers provided by people who suffer from mental illness will be markedly different than the answers provided by normal people. A controversy erupted recently when Wikipedia posted the ink blots online, along with the “correct” answers to each. No big deal, right? Well, here’s the problem: The Rorschach blots (not to mention the “answers”) are supposed to be kept secret. Many psychologists were outraged, believing that having the information out there would make the test worthless, since test-takers could memorize the answers and “cheat.”
distorted thinking Rorschach’s Open Secret In fact, the Rorschach blots have been publically available for more than 30 years; they were published in the 1975 book “The Nuremberg Mind,” available online for under $3. William Poundstone’s 1983 book “Big Secrets” not only shows all the Rorschach blots, but devotes a whole chapter to them, including discussing how to “cheat” — what answers to provide so that you don’t appear psychotic. (Here’s a hint: don’t say, “It looks like the mess I made this morning when Capt. Crunch told me to gut my dog with a butter knife.”) So the Rorschach images themselves are hardly top secret, though never so easily available.
...Capt. Crunch told me to gut my dog with a butter knife. Validity Problems The furor over Wikipedia’s posting of the Rorschach blots obscures a far more important issue. The real concern should not be whether people might be able to cheat on the test, but whether or not the Rorschach is valid in the first place. T hink Magazine
After all, if the test is worthless at diagnosing mental illness, assessing personality disorders, or predicting behavior, there is no point in “protecting” it. Scott Lilienfeld, an associate professor of psychology at Emory University and coauthor of the 2003 book “What’s Wrong with the Rorschach?” is one of many psychologists who doubts the validity of the test. Lilienfeld and the other authors surveyed more than 50 years of research and studies on the scientific evidence for the Rorschach, concluding that it is “weak at best and nonexistent at worst.” Furthermore, Lilienfeld and colleagues point out, studies show that about half of the normal Rorschach testtakers will be labeled as having “distorted thinking.” This staggeringly high falsepositive error rate (among many other problems) suggests that the Rorschach should be relegated to the pile of once-promising but now-discredited psychological tests. It seems that the test has remained in use more out of tradition than good evidence. Wikipedia’s publication of the test blots may unintentionally be the final nail in the coffin for Hermann Rorschach’s idea.
Q&A
What’s the most impressive thing you’ve ever made?
a silly thing about how to plant marijuana - but I never smoked it.
Bin it or mend it?
I mend things: I’ve just mended a small automaton that a friend I painted The Last Supper Where do your tools of mine, Keith Newstead, on the bedroom wall – it’s live? made and gave me years still there. I did a book They are in the back ago. I mended the wings about Leonardo in the room of the studio with on it, you turn a little 80s, and I wanted to some sculptures that I’ve handle and they flap up do three things – build made out an umbrella and down. His automated a flying machine, do an handle and some logs. models are brilliant. We anatomical drawing and paint The Last Supper. For I’ve become a polluter – I made one together called pollute by making too Mad God Universe, which the flying machine I used shows God rising out of a structure of bamboo and many things. an intestinal storm – I old nylon tents. I threw it off a flat roof but it stalled What’s your favourite bit designed it and he made it. It’s fantastic and you and caught on the clothes of kit? can see it online. line. A lovely old plane that my father used when he was Who is most likely to alive. He loved making change a lightbulb in things. When I was a kid your house? he built me a table for my Me; I’m good at changing train set: I could stand in the middle and change lightbulbs. I live with my the points and direct the wife Anna, my youngest Hornby trains round me. daughter Sadie and His big ambition was to her husband, and my build cars like Henry Ford grandsons, Oliver and but his father wanted Toby. him to be a surveyor. He eventually became When do you call in the a commercial traveller, professionals? selling ladies’ knickers. At the moment I’m looking What was the last thing for a decent roofer to fix a leak in the studio. I also you bought from Ikea? need a gardener too – I’m wondering … have I although I was gardening ever bought anything from correspondent of Rolling Ikea? I have just ordered a Stone years ago. I wrote squirrel scarer off Amazon because I’m sick to death of them pinching the nuts that I put out for the birds.
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