At some point either in a movie or TV you would have seen this random image which may or may not look like a butterfly! The ‘subject’ would be shown these images and then asked “What do you see?”
Nowadays of course you can answer with confidence but at some point in history the answers used to determine whether you have schizophrenia or not!
Now the tests are called the inkblot test and these were created by Hermann Rorschach.
Historically though the Interpretation of inkblots was central to a game called Gobolinks!
Using interpretation of “ambiguous designs” to assess an individual’s personality is an idea that goes back to Leonardo da Vinci and Botticelli!
Rorschach never intended the inkblots to be used as a general personality test, but developed them as a tool for the diagnosis of schizophrenia.
It was not until 1939 that the test was used as a projective test of personality!
The original test uses 10 standardized, ambiguous inkblots to evaluate personality traits, emotional functioning, and unconscious thoughts by analyzing a subject’s interpretations.
Rorschach, nicknamed “Kleck” (inkblot) as a child, was influenced by popular, earlier inkblot games called Klecksography and the work of Carl Jung.
While considered controversial, research shows that when properly administered, the test remains useful for diagnosing mental illness and understanding a patient’s psychological makeup.
In the 1960s, John E. Exner developed the Rorschach Comprehensive System, which is the standard, more valid scoring system used today to mitigate issues with examiner bias.
A more recent modification of the Rorschach Comprehensive System is now the Rorschach Performance Assessment System (R-PAS), which offers modern, international norms.
Of course what’s in anyone’s mind is mystery!
Then again if it’s murder mystery then you can call Shivaji Satam!
For now stop staring at the image on the roof and sleep!
Subh ratri…
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