Behavioral signs of trauma on the Rorschach: Development of the Trauma Experience Index

The present study describes and tests the validity of a new Rorschach index called the Trauma Experience Index (TEI) designed to assess the perceptual, emotional, and behavioral characteristics of trauma reexperiencing more directly than existing Rorschach measures, including trauma-specific (Trauma Content Index [TCI], Critical Contents) and broader trauma-related measures (Morbid [MOR], Inanimate Movement). Using a predictive processing framework (PPF), we describe the strengths of the Rorschach method of assessment in evaluating trauma reexperiencing. The TEI scoring contains two components: (a) distressing or trauma-related recollections and (b) aversive emotional reactions that may include behavioral attempts of avoidance, each with two levels of severity.

Sixty adult cisgendered heterosexual female-identifying outpatients (M_age = 39.1; 85% European American ethnicity) were administered the Rorschach and rated on an interview-based measure of intimate partner violence severity (IPVS).

The TEI and IPVS measure were highly correlated (r = .494, p < .001), to which each TEI component contributed significantly. The IPVS measure's associations with the other Rorschach variables were not statistically significant-ranging from r = .16 (MOR) to .25 (TCI), although the TCI's association trended toward significance (p = .052). In a hierarchical regression analysis, the TEI predicted a significant portion of the variance beyond that accounted for by the best of the other four Rorschach variables (i.e., the TCI).

The TEI is a promising new Rorschach-based method of assessing psychological processes associated with trauma reexperiencing. For future studies, we recommend more diverse samples and various trauma-specific criterion variables. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).