C' and depression

Research assessing the validity of the Rorschach hypothesis that achromatic responses (C') reflect depressiveness was reviewed. The conclusions drawn from these data are that the research does not support the hypothesis as stated and research is needed to clarify the relationship of depressiveness to the determinants or the psychological meaning of C'. Until such time as objective signs of depression and depressiveness can be discovered by research, clinicians should not interpret C' as signifying depressiveness. If the search is for assistance in discerning depressiveness from the analysis of Rorschach data, until a more objective and valid method of such assessment is developed, the presence of depressive content would appear to be a satisfactory method of assessing a person's depressiveness.