An update on social touch: How does humans’ social nature emerge at the periphery of the body?
Recent research suggests that early physical touch provided by caregivers may play a critical role in cognitive and affective development. The discovery of the C-tactile fibers—which selectively respond to low-speed physical stimulations, such as maternal affectionate touch and caresses—opened a promising field of research into the physiological bases of human togetherness. Notably, C-tactile fiber stimulation is primarily elaborated in a specific brain area (i.e., the insula), which is involved in affective and socio-cognitive skills as well as in the development of an individual’s body image. In the present study, ...
Source: Rorschachiana - August 18, 2022 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Source Type: research
The right hemisphere and ambiguity: A possible role of handedness in Rorschach responsivity.
The Rorschach Test has evolved from an idiosyncratic projective personality test to an evidence-based performance test used widely in forensic settings. The current paper argues that Rorschach researchers should consider the role of two related neuropsychological factors in the assessment of Rorschach responding: the role of the right cerebral hemisphere in the perception of ambiguous figures and the role of individual differences (as a function of consistency of handedness) in responding to ambiguous stimuli. The right hemisphere is more fluent and flexible in the perception of ambiguous stimuli. Moreover, individuals wit...
Source: Rorschachiana - August 18, 2022 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Source Type: research
Hermann Rorschach’s Psychodiagnostics (2021).
Reviews the book, Hermann Rorschach’s Psychodiagnostics: Newly Translated and Annotated 100th Anniversary Edition by P. J. Keddy, R. Signer, P. Erdberg, & A. Schneider-Stocking (translators & editors) (2021). Original work by H. Rorschach 1921. Aschieri maintains tat Keddy et al include additional relevant material that goes beyond the translation of the original 1921 text. Readers have access to the biography of Rorschach, an analysis of the writings that preceded the 1921 book, a translation of a lecture by Hermann Rorschach on the relationship between the test and psychoanalysis that was published right after the publ...
Source: Rorschachiana - May 9, 2022 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Source Type: research
Color and affect: A long, never-ending history.
This work arose from an interest in seeking the origins, in the field of psychological assessment, of knowledge on the relationship between color and affect. This relationship in psychological assessment has existed since Herman Rorschach published his book Psychodiagnostics. In 1967 Beck stated that it was not Rorschach who discovered the relationship between color and affectivity, recognizing that there was evidence that this relationship had been accepted since the early days of civilization. In the 1940s, studies on painting and personality and on the artistic production of psychotic patients began to appear more promi...
Source: Rorschachiana - May 9, 2022 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Source Type: research
On psychosis: An international comparative single case study of the Nancy French, Lausanne, and American Rorschach approaches.
This manuscript presents a single case study of a psychotically disturbed adult male (whom we call “Peter”), focusing on similarities and differences in Rorschach interpretation based on three different Rorschach approaches. Specific questions were raised as to whether the client suffered from a paranoid psychosis (paranoia) or paranoid schizophrenia. Three distinct models of psychopathology and Rorschach interpretation are initially presented. We then address Peter’s psychotic symptoms, according to the Parisian approach (specifically the Nancy French subgroup), the Lausanne Rorschach approach, and the American Rors...
Source: Rorschachiana - May 9, 2022 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Source Type: research
The specific uses of the Rorschach in clinical practice: Preliminary results from an international survey.
We present preliminary results from 342 Rorschach users representing 36 different countries from a survey created as part of the US contribution to a larger international project on teaching and using the Rorschach in different countries. The survey was distributed to R-PAS account holders with a request to forward to non-R-PAS users. Of the respondents, 80% used R-PAS, 35% used the CS, and 17% used both. Overall, 91% used the Rorschach with adults, and 43% and 69% with children and adolescents, respectively. The most common setting was private practice (63%). The most common reason for using the Rorschach was differential...
Source: Rorschachiana - May 9, 2022 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Source Type: research
The effects of subliminal emotional priming on Rorschach responses.
The Rorschach is one of the most popular performance-based tests and it is thought to provide information on relatively stable individual differences, including respondent inclinations and preferences. To investigate the extent to which minor, nonconscious, emotional fluctuations in the respondent’s mind could influence Rorschach scores, we used a backward masking paradigm. More specifically, each Rorschach card was presented on a computer screen twice, once under a neutral and once under an emotional priming condition. In the neutral priming condition, the target stimulus of the backward masking procedure was a neutral ...
Source: Rorschachiana - May 9, 2022 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Source Type: research
A commentary on “Developments in the Rorschach assessment of disordered thinking and communication” (Kleiger & Mihura, 2021).
This comment reviews current instruments for disordered thinking and communication and discuss the hypothetical (incremental) utility of the Rorschach in research and in clinical practice. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: Rorschachiana)
Source: Rorschachiana - September 23, 2021 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Source Type: research
Developments in the Rorschach assessment of disordered thinking and communication.
In its first 100 years, the Rorschach has been heralded as a valuable method for investigating disturbances in thought organization and reasoning. It has survived periods of intense scrutiny and criticism, as contemporary researchers continued to demonstrate the empirical validity of the Rorschach as a measure of disordered thinking (Mihura et al., 2013). It is fitting to mark the centenary of Rorschach’s “experiment” by summarizing contemporary contributions of the Rorschach Performance Assessment System (R-PAS) and reviewing the empirical and conceptual bases for using the inkblots to assess disordered thinking and...
Source: Rorschachiana - September 23, 2021 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Source Type: research
A commentary on “A systematic narrative review of evaluating change in psychotherapy” (Aschieri & Pascarella, 2021): More rigor is needed in research on the Rorschach and treatment change.
This comment provides a discussion and critique of the Rorschach inkblot test. The current authors argue that a lot more rigorous research, is needed to determine whether and how to use the Rorschach to evaluate treatment change. The commentary builds on the recommendations of Aschieri and Pascarella by offering several specific ideas for how to improve research on the Rorschach as a measure of treatment outcome. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: Rorschachiana)
Source: Rorschachiana - September 23, 2021 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Source Type: research
A systematic narrative review of evaluating change in psychotherapy with the Rorschach test.
We describe the limitations of the studies included in this systematic review and propose strategies to increase the effectiveness of using the Rorschach to evaluate treatment outcome. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: Rorschachiana)
Source: Rorschachiana - September 23, 2021 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Source Type: research
A commentary on “Eating disorders and the Rorschach” (Guinzbourg de Braude et al., 2021).
This comment discusses the Rorschach inkblot test, eating disorders, and diagnosing personality disorders. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: Rorschachiana)
Source: Rorschachiana - September 23, 2021 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Source Type: research
Eating disorders and the Rorschach: A research review from the French school and the comprehensive system.
We present the main results of the different studies separately and then comment on some similarities and differences in the findings. We find that the results of these studies are complementary on certain aspects of functioning found in anorexia nervosa as compared with other categories of eating disorders. Both sets of studies underline the self-centeredness of anorexic patients with their difficulty in communicating their feelings and thoughts. In both types of study, treatment is understood as relying on an integrative and multidisciplinary model that seeks to modify the eating behaviors and to improve ego functions in...
Source: Rorschachiana - September 23, 2021 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Source Type: research
A commentary on “The Rorschach and violent crime” (de Ruiter, 2021).
One individual’s violence and its origins can be as unique as his or her Rorschach responses. Dr. de Ruiter’s succinct review (2021) demonstrates that the Rorschach provides a wealth of information about cognition and personality, and that at this time there are no reliable Rorschach correlates for the prediction of future violence. The nuances of personality features gleaned from a performance-based measure, while clinically informative, cannot predict whether or not an individual will act violently. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: Rorschachiana)
Source: Rorschachiana - September 23, 2021 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Source Type: research
The Rorschach and violent crime: A literature review and case illustration.
This article provides a review of Rorschach studies on relevant Rorschach variables, including those with different forensic samples. Empirical findings are mixed; there is not a one-on-one relationship between certain Rorschach variables and forensically relevant traits, such as psychopathy or hostility. This does not mean the Rorschach cannot provide useful information in answering psychological questions before the court. A case illustration of a male college student, who committed a (first) violent offense, illustrates the unique contribution of the Rorschach for understanding the psychological dynamics behind a violen...
Source: Rorschachiana - September 23, 2021 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Source Type: research
