Viglione, Donald J; Meyer, Gregory; Jordan, Ryan J; Converse, Gregory L; Evans, Jenny; MacDermott, Devon; Moore, Raeanne
description
Variability in the number of Rorschach responses (R) has stimulated controversy among clinicians and researchers for many years, and recent research reveals that R is much more variable than previously thought. Because R is correlated with other scores, its excessive variability may reduce the reliability, validity and clinical utility of these other scores. We present two experimental studies and additional results from other clinical datasets with the aim of developing a new administration procedure to diminish variability in R by reducing the number of very short and long records. In the first experiment, protocols were obtained using standard Comprehensive System administration or an alternative where we encouraged a second response if only one was given to a card and allowed only four responses on each card. This alternative method reduced the proportion of short records but produced an undesirable number of long records. To minimize the proportion of long records, in a second experiment, we added an instruction to give two or maybe three responses per card when introducing the test. Comparisons to CS administrations revealed that this procedure reduced variability in R by limiting the proportion of both short and long records. This reduced range was largely retained in an outpatient sample of older respondents with schizophrenia and a mixed clinical sample. Thus, we recommend this method of optimizing the range of R, which has since been included with very minor changes in the Rorschach Performance Assessment System.
