Scientific American — The current digital motto “information wants to be free” is creating many unanticipated consequences. Here’s a recent one concerning psychology.
Last month a Canadian physician posted to Wikipedia all 10 inkblots of the Rorschach test. After all, the images were made publicly available more than 30 years ago. The test, perhaps surprisingly given its controversial history, is still used to decipher various psychoses. A person’s interpretation of the inkblot can lead to a conclusion of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or borderline personality.
But along with the inkblots came captions posted by an Italian Wikipedia editor listing the most popular answers to what people see in the cryptic symmetrical images (for example, moths, various sea creatures, beastly skin.) And we all know that having the answers before a test renders it futile. A debate has erupted with Wiki editors removing, and then quickly replacing, the images.
So Wikimedia administrators are currently restricting edits to the page until disputes are settled. For now though, the frozen page reveals all inkblots and answers.
I see Jesus fighting a giant chicken… does that make me crazy? What do you see? Remember, no cheating.
I don’t believe it. The Rorschach Test scoring process is many layers deep. “What does this look like” is the topmost thinnest question==almost irrelevant. Its what you do with the followup questions that separate the sane from the LIEBERTARIANS.
I could go on, but then this website would have to be frozen while my revelations got erased. Wasn’t that a Stephen King plot line? Knowing Stephen King plot lines is very, very bad if you want to be tested as sane.
Extra credit if you say “vagina” instead of “wolf” to everything they show you.
Plate 3 looks like an abstract of two humans facing each other. #1 and 5 look like ragged moths. The rest look like someone spilled ink.
I’m not looking. If I ever need psychological help, I don’t want invalid tests…assuming the tests are valid in the first place.
And hey, I’m just two or three huffing trips from needing this stuff, no?
Yep. All vaginas.
I knew a psych guy. He claimed 90% accuracy in diagnosing anything you wish by observing how the testee walked into the room and observing his watch and shoes.
Very Sherlock Holmes don’t you know. I think the correlation comes from the fact that the assessment of crazy and fashion sense are both culturally determined. I think Dogs won’t let you pet them if you are evil though.
Plate #1 is most definitely a Gremlin.
Dogs can smell evil. Unless they’re evil, too.
Virgin Mary is the correct answer on all of them.
#1. You’re tweaking me bobbo.
McCullough, yes, I was. Fun when you can be completely honest at the same time. Thats why I take your counsel to heart.
Well, all I see is a stupid inkblot on a piece of paper.
Sorry, McCullough–according to the Urban Dictionary:
http://urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=tweaking
I was not tweaking you. ((No meth addiction compulsive behavior, no attempt to make you angry)). Just having some “self aware” fun.
#10–flloyd==seeing nothing means you are either retarded, blind, or dishonest and hiding something.
You see, every single Rorschach score will indicate the need for further testing/counseling performed by the psychiatric fraternity.
Why do you think such tests are developed?
#12 – bobbo – Why do you think such tests are developed?
To separate republicans from intelligent people.
Better be careful there Jag. Harp on a theme and your Rorschach will turn monochromatic.
We don’t want that. Further, no test is needed to separate the republicans from the intelligent. They are proud to do that all by themselves.
2 Sea horses, 2 wolf heads, mask, mean jack-o-lantern, a fanged Bat, oh…and a vagina…
Hmm… “No need to chip him boys… he’s never gettin’ out!!!”, says the doc
🙂
Looks like the little demon from Press Your Luck.
I underwent 6 (SIX!) child custody evaluations over 12 years, due to an extremely nasty divorce. (Had the FBI come to visit me during it). For each of these 6 (SIX!) custody evaluations, I got the MMPI and the Inkblots. I thought each was easy, and straightforward. After reading the Wiki entry, I guess I did everything right. Must have, because for a man to get full legal custody in San Francisco County is almost unheard of. Lots of man-hating women judges here. His mother, however, got three hours a week of SUPERVISED visitation. She must have had the wrong answers. Got diagnosed with Fixed Delusional Disorder. All I got was a diagnosis of anger. Duh. Tonight my son, now 17, and I went through the blots. We both saw the same things. Except we both saw a carnival for the last one. I saw the merry go round, he saw the midway. I saw all the same stuff as wiki for the most part. But I saw two Africans dancing around a pot instead of “two humans” for one of them. Lots of bats, butterflys, crabs, etc. The MMPI was memorable for the yes/no answers to statements like:
“I have never seen a car.”
“I have enjoyed smoking marijuana.”
Let’s put those on Wiki, with the correct responses. That way, the whole country will be saner, right?
Oh come ON! Don’t you see two fat prostitutes climbing on their Madame, each holding one of her arms? They have just pulled off her head, and are tilting their own heads back laughing to the sky. The Madam looks quite hefty as well, but she’s not. I can see her silhouette through her dress and she’s quite thin.
Either that, or it looks like a vagina.
Ah, geez.
The inkblots are only one very small part of psych evaluation. I used them during my psych rotations as a med student. Seems to me they taught us there were no “correct” answers. Just the answers that would lock you faster than a back alley hooker can whip out your peepee. The “suggested” answers were just a starting place.
Hell, I didn’t even know they were supposed to be a big secret! It’s not like they’re not published elsewhere. Last time I checked, you didn’t need to show an MD or PhD diploma to go into a bookstore and order a psych textbook.
Much ado about nuthin’.
By the way, since I didn’t go into psychiatry I didn’t keep my list of the answers, but, the blot at the top of this page is obviously two donkeys sexing up a set of conjoined Tijuana twin hookers.
All i see is exploded vaginas
Dog carcass in alley this morning. Tire treads through burst stomach.
I see Satan with a demon at each side.
Its out of print, but you need to find the books “Big Secrets” and “Bigger Secrets” by William Poundstone. They are out of print but they were great for stuff like this. And yes the “answers” were in there.
Back in college, I knew a guy who was a virgin and a psych major. He blew his first big chance at becoming a former virgin by blurting out just at the wrong moment, “Wow, your vigina looks just like a Rorschach Test.
I told my court appointed psych tester that the picture poster above was a double copy of M. Bison from street fighter 2. IMO its a rough picture of him doing one of his attacks. There was another one and I told her it looked like Galaga. I pretty much related most of the Rorschach to images of video games that are burned into my retinas from years of use. I paid 2500 for that psych evaluation.
the results of all of all testing was that I had a low IQ (87) and an extremely high vocabulary, that I should move away from civilization, and become a writer. The shrink was perplexed.
I see a SR71 Blackbird..or the X-Men’s jet. Either way.
Siamese twins with hands raised graphically stitched to Babalonian flying man/lion creature. Kinda. A little. Not clear. Very sketchy.
You know what it really looks like: an blob of ink that was smeared on a piece of paper that was folded over.
Why does the one on the right have two boobs? And why are they not on a body?
The pic looks like a heavily fragmented pelvic bone.
Now does that make me a serial killer or an anthropologist?
Though I would have to admit an anthropologist serial killer would make a great villain in a movie. Have it played by John Lithgow.
Cursor_
Two figures facing each other nose to nose with giant headless chickens behind them.