This session aims to provide some insight into the test and the training so that people can decide whether they wish to pursue it. Use of the Rorschach requires further training.

This is a session for those that might be interested in finding out more about this fascinating assessment tool.

Responses can also undergo content analysis to reveal themes that might be important to the young person’s unique experience.

Responses are scored and combined into indices which can be compared to a normative sample (how the average young person would respond). The Rorschach follows a standardised method of administration. The way in which the respondent organises their responses to the ‘ink blots’ provides a picture of how perceptions, thoughts and feelings are structured and processed. The Rorschach Comprehensive System, published by Exner in the 1960’s, can be used with children 5 years of age and above. It is an information-processing, problem solving task. It is a standardized, performance-based measure that is not dependent on self-report and it does not require any reading and writing.

There is a large body of evidence that supports its reliability, validity and utility (Bornstein, 2012 Tracy, 2002 Viglione & Hilsenroth, 2001) and there was a recent UK normative study for the Rorschach Comprehensive system (Carstiars et al., 2018). The Rorschach is commonly used among school psychologists in America (Miller and Nickerson, 2006). Whilst in the UK, the Rorschach is met with criticism, it might be surprising to learn that it is one of the most widely used tests across the world, including Argentina, the Czech Republic, Japan, Mexico and Turkey.

Ink blot tests