The effect of administration method: a comparison of the Rapaport and Exner Rorschach systems

Area of Science:

• Psychological assessment
• Personality testing
• Psychometrics

Background:

• The Rorschach test is a widely used projective psychological assessment.
• Standardized administration protocols are crucial for reliable and valid results.
• Previous research has explored variations in Rorschach administration, but direct comparisons of major systems are ongoing.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the outcomes of two prominent Rorschach administration methods: Rapaport and Exner.
• To investigate inter-system differences in response variables.
• To examine the impact of administration order on test results.

Main Methods:

• A within-subjects, counter-balanced design was employed.
• Twenty female participants were randomly assigned to receive either the Rapaport or Exner Rorschach administration first.
• Key test variables were analyzed across both administration methods.

Main Results:

• The Exner administration produced significantly more Color (C), Shading (Shd), and Blend (B) responses than the Rapaport administration.
• These inter-system differences were most prominent on the initial presentation of each Rorschach administration.
• The first Exner administration yielded significantly more C, Shd, and B responses compared to the first Rapaport administration.

Conclusions:

• The choice of Rorschach administration method can significantly influence the types of responses obtained.
• The Exner system appears to elicit more responses related to emotional and affective content.
• Further research is needed to refine experimental designs and understand the clinical implications of these administration differences.