How does the Rorschach inkblot test work? - Damion Searls

What are the origins of the Rorschach test and how does it work? Explore the inkblot tool psychologists use to test a subject’s perceptions and mental health.

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For nearly a century, ten inkblots have been used as an almost mystical personality test. Long kept confidential for psychologists and their patients, the mysterious images were said to draw out the workings of a person’s mind. But what can inkblots really tell us, and how does this test work? Damion Searls details how the Rorschach Test can help us understand the patterns of our perceptions.

Lesson by Damion Searls, directed by Kozmonot Animation Studio.

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[MFTQ]

What happened to the Rorschach test is a good example of how dangerous pop-psychology is, making people either doubt a useful tool or think it was the greatest test of all time that could find out everything.

[nitroptics]

Doctor: what does this look like?
Me: a Rorschach test

[vanessajazp]

I was married to a psychologist who specialized in the Rorschach test. She used to spend hours at a time per patient deciphering and discerning meaning from their responses.
There was a famous pop-culture psychologist in the 70’s and 80’s who actually showed some of the ink blots on national television on a talk show. Her license was suspended and APA had to “decommission” the ink blots she revealed.
One of the most important aspects of getting a valid interpretation is exposing people to something they haven’t seen before. Hence, the “secrecy” behind it.

[AmeliaMastervally]

I remember taking this test while in a mental hospital, I had to try my hardest not to laugh because it made me think of those horror movie asylums with totally unethical patient care. I never understood why I needed to take it, or how it was a reasonable basis to adjust my medication, but I felt much better afterwards. It'd be fun to go find the copy of my results after watching this video.

[salaltschul]

"A bat."
"A bat."
"A bat."
"My mother killing my father with a bat."

[orestmarkheva]

P: "What do you see?"
R: "Beautiful flower"
P: "And on this one?"
R: (continues to see dogs that fighting for the leftover of kidnapped little girl) " a butterfly"

[sweetea]

what i think is that it helps show how people perceive different things compared to others, like someone might see humans playing with each other and other see humans fighting or even try to kill each other

but a big problem is that someone might answer differently than what they actually see and mess up the results

[captaincrabcake]

My psychologist got upset with me because I couldn’t name “enough things I saw in each image”. I thought there was supposed to be no right or wrong answer, and yet I still failed the test.

[LeanPrimal]

All of them kinda look like *BUTTERFLY* to me

[bla]

I work in the medical field.
Years ago a psychologist told me that she uses the inkblot test because it helps to get patients initially to talk

[yourstarweapon]

Inkblots, house-tree-person test, draw a person test, sentence completion test, tell me a story test and other *projective personality test* are really fascinating.

I remembered when we tried administrating this test... just a classroom activities since only a Psychologist can administer projective tests on a clinical setting, it is quite hard to interpret these tests even if you have manuals. The reason is because it is subjective.

[alexangell]

Doctor: What does this look like?

Me: I’m not locked in here with you, you’re locked in here with me!!!

[inanjarif]

Can we just appreciate the animation for a moment?...




Thanks.

[mqbitsko]

Emo Phillips: "The school psychiatrist showed me an ink blot and asked what it was. Is said, 'Oh, kind of embarrassing.' He said, 'Don't be shy. There are no wrong answers.' I said, to me it looks Image #12 in the Rorschach Series to test for obsessive-compulsiveness.'"

[elishamarie]

I took a Rorschach test with a licensed psychologist and the results were amazing. Well worth the cost to have it done correctly.

[JuanSanchez]

I just love that they used the two bears high fiving that nv refused to give us

[AquaMarino]

I always interpret them as pelvic bones.

[ShadowDABSS]

Not having the option to choose "Two Bears High-Fiving" in Fallout: New Vegas still bugs me to this day...

[dekajung]

As the inventor (or discoverer) of this test as well as an amateur artist, Rorchach must be proud of this visualization

[jonathanjollimore]

They worked by seeing what neural connections are activated 1st by an abstract image and what your mind makes of it. Essentially it's a way of seeing what's on your mind