What’s Wrong with the Rorschach?

Psychologists continue to believe in the Rorschach [ink blot test] for the same reasons that Tarot card readers believe in Tarot cards, that palm readers believe in palm reading, and that astrologers believe in astrology: the well-known cognitive illusions that foster false belief.


What’s Wrong with the Rorschach?

"The answer to the question asked in the title of the book under review here is simple: Pretty much everything that can be wrong with a test. Anyone who has even cursorily followed the Rorschach debate over the past years would be aware that the test is neither reliable nor valid. What readers of this excellent and comprehensive review of the history of (and literature on) this famous test will be surprised to learn is how truly terrible the Rorschach is and how shoddy the evidence is for its continued use. . . .

"It was noted above that the great majority of scores generated by a Rorschach are invalid. This does not necessarily mean that the test simply generates random results. In fact, one of the most serious problems with the Rorschach, especially with Exner’s system of scoring, is that it significantly overpathologizes—it classifies as psychologically disordered a large percentage of individuals who are normal. Since the test has been and continues to be widely used in such vital decisions as which parent gets custody of a child, whether a child has been sexually abused, whether a prisoner should be allowed out on parole, etc., it is hard to overemphasize the seriousness of this characteristic of the test. Specifically, "Research suggests that the Comprehensive System misidentifies about 75 percent of normal individuals as emotionally disturbed" (259). This is an absolutely horrendous result. Imagine a test for some type of cancer that classified 75 percent of people who were cancer free as having cancer. No ethical practitioner would even consider using such a test, let alone publicly advocating its continued use. In fact, Gregory Meyer, a proponent of the Comprehensive System, actually claims that it can "predict the occurrence of cancer" (244).

"One important question is why, given the overwhelming evidence that the Rorschach is essentially useless, some psychologists continue to believe so strongly that it reveals important aspects of personality. Wood et al. discuss this issue at some length, and the answer will not be surprising to Skeptical Inquirer readers. Psychologists continue to believe in the Rorschach for the same reasons that Tarot card readers believe in Tarot cards, that palm readers believe in palm reading, and that astrologers believe in astrology: the well-known cognitive illusions that foster false belief. These include reliance on anecdotal evidence, selective memory for seeming successes, and reinforcement from colleagues. So, again, the parallel between the Rorschach and other pseudoscientific and paranormal beliefs is clear. There is also a financial interest at work here. If the proponents can convince others that the Rorschach is a legitimate psychological tool, then third-party payers will pay for Rorschach interpretation. This is not a trivial sum; given the time involved, the charge would be around $350"

(excerpted from the Skeptical Inquirer, Vol. 27, No. 5, pp. 53-56)