Rorschach inkblot test

I was always interested in the Rorschach test. It is interesting how the psychologist can tell about you just by watching in how you respond to each drawing.

In the standard test protocol you are given the cards one at a time in a specific order, and the psychologist is supposed to place them directly in your hands facing "up" and in a particular orientation. The order is not supposed to vary. The genuine Rorschach cards are numbered on the back primarily for the psychologist's use. If you notice the numbers or remark on them, a note is supposed to be made about this. The cards themselves are large, about 6 3/4 by 9 inches and are made of a stiffened cardboard or, in modern variations, a textured plastic that mimics the feel of cardboard. Five of the cards have purely black and white images, two of the cards are black, white, and red, and the last three cards have various colors of ink used in the blots.

During the test the psychologist or psychiatrist will record everything you say; some use a tape recorder so they can extract more detailed notes later, after the test is over and you have left. It used to be that the notes were taken in a special shorthand that was specifically developed for the Rorschach test, although these days many psychologists rely more on tape recordings and will only make cursory hand-written notes during the test. Often the psychologist will attempt to shield his or her note-taking from you so as not to distract you or make you nervous (presumably skewing the test results).