A Five-Factor Theory Perspective on the Rorschach

Abstract

Many of the constructs the Rorschach is used to assess are related to personality traits included in the Five-Factor Model, but studies to date have not shown convergence between Rorschach and self-report measures of these traits. This poses a problem for the Rorschach, because recent research on the universality, stability, heritability, and consensual validity of traits demonstrate that self-report measures cannot be dismissed. In an effort to understand these issues, we examine the Rorschach from the perspective of Five-Factor Theory (FFT), a systems model of the person. FFT is compatible with the projective hypothesis, but would generally lead to the expectation that Rorschach signs and self-reports should be correlated. Where they are not, the validity of Rorschach measures of personality traits would need to be confirmed by demonstrations of their heritability, stability, and convergence with observer ratings. The Rorschach may be more useful when interpreted in the context of a global psychodynamic assessment. Clinicians who use the Rorschach should gather the data necessary to test its validity as a measure of personality traits and related constructs, and clinicians and researchers should consider the possible use of Rorschach responses in assessing dynamic processes.

No evidence for a role of the serotonin 4 receptor in five-factor personality traits: A positron emission tomography brain study

“…We speculate that the wiring of the 5-HT system predominantly established early in brain development [ 57 , 58 ], rather than dynamic variations in 5-HT tone, is related to long-term stable personality constructs. This also aligns with the notion that NEO personality traits represent stable psychological constructs, which are established early in brain- and psychological development and maturation [ 13 ].…”

“…The Danish version of the NEO PI-R was used to assess personality; this version has previously been normed in a sample of 600 individuals [ 47 ]. The NEO PI-R is a self-report questionnaire comprising 240 items which measures five traits of personality: N, E, O, A, and C, where each trait consists of six facets [ 13 ]. The participants rated each item on a 5-point Likert scale from 0 (strongly disagree) to 4 (strongly agree).…”

“…The five-factor model of personality comprises the personality traits Neuroticism (N), Extraversion (E), Openness (O), Agreeableness (A), and Conscientiousness (C). This model has gained wide acceptance due to converging evidence of its stability, heritability, consensual validation, cross-cultural invariance, and predictive utility [ 13 ]. Importantly, scores on certain five-factor traits, e.g., high trait N and low trait C, have been associated with risk for psychopathology [ 14 – 16 ], which may be related to dysfunction of the 5-HT system [ 17 ].…”

Convergence between Rorschach and self‐report: A new look at some old questions

“…However, it should be noted that these analyses between FFM and Rorschach variables were quite exploratory given the paucity of previous research, and replication will be necessary to further parse the nature of these relationships. Nonetheless, these findings offer promising evidence that meaningful correlations are possible between the performance-based Rorschach and self-reported personality traits, hopefully offering an avenue for future investigation in this largely unexplored area (Costa & McCrae, 2005).…”

Personality and Risk of Frailty: the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing

“…Finally, personality was measured when participants were aged 60 to over 90 years. Once people reach around age 30 years, personality traits tend to show considerable stability over time [63], but there is some evidence for change in personality in old age, perhaps in response to critical life events or major chronic illness [64]. It is possible that the presence of illness and disability at the time of personality assessment may have influenced how our participants responded when asked how much each adjective in the personality inventory applied to them.…”