Temporal Stability in the Rorschach Method : A Meta-Analytic Review

Abstract

The temporal stabilities of the Rorschach method scoring systems were investigated. A comprehensive literature search was conducted to find all test-retest studies, both regular and from control samples in therapy evaluation studies. Meta-analyses were conducted for samples, individual entries, and variables in 36 samples. Separate analyses were made for 10 samples using the Comprehensive System (CS; Exner, 1993). The temporal stability was high, especially those obtained from regression model predictions. The CS consistently shows higher stability than other systems, whereas increasing retest intervals leads to decreasing stability. Shortcomings of the available studies are highlighted and discussed, and recommendations are given for design and methodology.

Relationship of Pretreatment Rorschach Factors to Symptoms, Quality of Life, and Real-Life Functioning in a 3-Year Follow-Up of Traumatized Refugee Patients

“…Variables constituting the Reality Testing component seemed to be more trait-like, according to Grønnerød's (2003) findings.…”

“…RIM results correspond better with more objective, functional measures, like observer ratings and measures of perceptual and cognitive disturbances, than with introspectively assessed criteria, such as self-report on questionnaires (e.g., Bornstein, 2012;Mihura, Meyer, Dumitrascu, & Bombel, 2013). Grønnerød's (2003) examination of RIM variables showed high testÀretest stability, although stability was higher for variables reflecting trait-like aspects of personality, and lower for variables reflecting state-like features of personality. Comprehensive research has documented the reliability and validity of RIM variables (e.g., Mihura et al, 2013), as well as their cross-cultural applicability .…”

Relationship between the Rorschach Perceptual Thinking Index (PTI) and the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) in psychotic patients: A validity study

“…Moreover, previous meta-analyses reported high consistency of the Rorschach variable scores over time in longitudinal testing (Grønnerød, 2003;Grønnerød, 2006). In fact, the perceptual inaccuracy (X-%) and the disordered thinking (WSum6) variables showed retest correlations of 0.85 or higher, both at the one and three year retests in healthy adults and adolescents (Exner et al, 1985;Grønnerød, 2003;Grønnerød, 2006). In particular, severely mentally ill adolescents showed high correlations between initial and retest assessments in the perceptual and cognitive slippage inaccuracy variables, with values ranging from 0.72-0.87.…”

“…Previous studies have already demonstrated that the PTI variables are able to be used to differentiate between psychotic patients and healthy controls both in adults (Dao and Prevatt, 2006;Dao et al, 2008;Ilonen et al, 2010;Mihura et al, 2013;Benedik et al, 2013), and in adolescents (Smith et al, 2001); and that the PTI total score and the PANSS total score are significantly correlated (Dao and Prevatt, 2006). Moreover, previous meta-analyses reported high consistency of the Rorschach variable scores over time in longitudinal testing (Grønnerød, 2003;Grønnerød, 2006). In fact, the perceptual inaccuracy (X-%) and the disordered thinking (WSum6) variables showed retest correlations of 0.85 or higher, both at the one and three year retests in healthy adults and adolescents (Exner et al, 1985;Grønnerød, 2003;Grønnerød, 2006).…”

Do they know what they like? Intra-individual variation of female facial preferences

“…This independence is somewhat surprising, since one might expect that after longer intervals more changes in participants' internal state and living situation could have accrued, which could translate into greater changes in the attractiveness perception. The decrease in test-retest correlations with the increasing interval is well known in psychological literature and pertains to such characteristics as cognitive abilities (SCHUERGER and WITT 1989), personality (ROBERTS and DELVECCHIO 2000;GRØNNERØD 2003), and esthetic judgments of graphic patterns (HÖFEL and JACOBSEN 2003). Interestingly, however, BROOKS (1996) had very similar repeatability of female guppies' choices of males at the intervals of 30 minutes, one day and two days.…”