Abstract: To date, no interrater reliability study of the Rorschach Performance Assessment System (R-PAS) has focused exclusively on school-age children. Because child protocols are quantitatively and qualitatively different from adult protocols, interrater reliability could differ across age groups. This study sought to examine the interrater reliability of the R-PAS variables in a clinical sample of school-age children. The sample comprised the files of 60 children 6–12 years old with substantiated maltreatment reports (most in out-of-home care). All of the children received a psychological/neuropsychological assessment as part of the regular Child Protection Services (CPS) trajectory. The majority of children had a neurodevelopmental disorder, the most common being attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and developmental language disorder (DLD). R-PAS protocols were coded by two trained coders. Interrater agreement proved good to excellent (intraclass correlation over .59) on the vast majority of R-PAS variables (92%). Specifically, reliability proved poor for 2% of the variables (one variable), fair for 7% (four variables), good for 23% (14 variables), and excellent for 68% (41 variables). Mean ICC was .80. The only score with poor interrater reliability was CBlend. The mean ICC was comparable for children with and without DLD. Overall, the results indicate that the R-PAS possesses good-to-excellent interrater reliability even with young and vulnerable children. Study limitations include a restricted clinical sample and the highly intensive training of the two coders.
Abstract: Multiple studies have found that people with trauma and abuse histories are more likely to see trauma-related images (e.g., aggression, physical damage) as coded in the Trauma Content Index (TCI) when responding to the Rorschach inkblot stimuli. In a sample of 60 adult female outpatients, this TCI research replicated with the R-PAS Critical Contents% ( r = .44) and a new behavior-based Rorschach measure of trauma re-experiencing, the Trauma Experience Index (TEI; r = .48). Further, the TEI added statistically significant ( p = .002) incremental validity to Critical Contents in predicting lifetime abuse history with a combined magnitude of R = .57. Given that no TEI norms currently exist, we examined scoring the TEI as simply present or absent, which resulted in large effect size associations with lifetime abuse (.51) and intimate partner violence intensity (IPV, .59). The presence of even one aversive reaction to the inkblots – without even mentioning a distressing event – was associated almost as strongly with lifetime abuse (.45) and IPV (.48) as the full TEI. These effect size magnitudes are especially impressive given that meta-analyses find that the average effect size for R-PAS variables is around r = .30. A link to refined TEI coding guidelines with excellent coding reliability (ICC = .86) is provided.
Abstract: Empirical work on feigning in the Rorschach task is scattered across decades and different methods, leaving the overall landscape of this research largely unmapped. This scoping review examines feigning studies using the Rorschach to determine their characteristics, variables hypothesized to be impacted, and the frequency of research on these variables. We also assess study quality, focusing on the reliability and blinding of the assessors, and offer recommendations for future feigning research. We searched online databases to identify relevant studies. From each, we extracted over 40 categories of information across three levels: study level (e.g., author, year, language, Rorschach system), comparison level (e.g., within vs. between contrast, malingering context, students vs. nonstudent), and variable level (e.g., variables studied, hypothesized vs. not). Out of 350 studies screened, 22 met the inclusion criteria, encompassing 41 group comparisons (e.g., feigning group vs. comparison group). This review systematically identified study-, comparison-, and variable-level features, highlighting gaps in the literature and proposing standards for future research. The few available studies vary in method, design, and specific characteristics. This review improves upon previous reviews and provides a foundation for meta-analytic studies on the effect of feigning on individual Rorschach variables.
: The Rorschach Test has played a pivotal role in research on dissociative identity disorder (DID), offering valuable insights into dissociative processes and distinguishing DID from other disorders. This article provides a narrative review of the historical application of the Rorschach in DID assessment and synthesizes key findings accumulated over time. It focuses on three main areas: (1) distinctive features observed in Rorschach protocols across multiple self-states within a single individual, (2) diagnostic markers of DID identifiable through Rorschach data, and (3) findings from studies comparing selected variables from Exner's Comprehensive System across normative samples and various clinical populations. Particular attention is given to three constellations of variables reflecting overactive projection, trauma-related manifestations, and disturbances in thought process. The accumulated evidence confirms the Rorschach's contribution to understanding dissociative phenomena and points to the need for continued development of its clinical and research applications.
