MEASURE OF PERSONALITY

Measure of Personality (Rorschach or TAT) and an Objective Measure of Personality (MMPI or Myers-Briggs)

Measure of Personality (Rorschach or TAT) and an Objective Measure of Personality (MMPI or Myers-Briggs)

Introduction

Psychologists use a number of methods to assess psy-chopathology and personality, including structured and unstructured interviews, brief self-rated and clinician-rated measures (such as the Beck Depression Inventory), projective techniques (e.g., the Rorschach Inkblot Technique), self-report personality inventories (e.g., the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2; MMPI-2), behavioral assessment methods (e.g., observational techniques and diary measures), outcome and treatment monitoring measures (e.g., the Outcome Questionnaire-45), and measures completed by peers or significant others (e.g., the Peer Inventory of Personality Disorders). (Exner, 2002)

Rorschach

Developed by the Swiss psychiatrist Hermann Rorschach in the 1920s, the Rorschach consists of 10 inkblots that are each printed on a separate card. During the first phase of the test (the response phase), the client is handed the cards one at a time and instructed to say what each blot resembles. In general, clients are allowed to give as many or as few responses as they wish. On average, clients make about 21 responses for the 10 cards. (Wood, Nezworski, Lilienfeld & Garb, 2003)

During the second phase (the inquiry phase), each response is reviewed as the psychologist asks questions to clarify the nature of each response. For example, the psychologist tries to determine the exact location of the perception, and whether it was affected by the color or shading of the card or by other factors. Currently, the most widely used system for administering, scoring, and interpreting the Rorschach is Exner's Comprehensive System (CS).

The controversy surrounding the Rorschach is complex and touches on a number of topics. Two of the most contentious topics are the adequacy of the normative data and evidence of the instrument's validity. Clinicians interpret test results for individual ...