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PART ONE History and Development of the Rorschach exne_c01.qxd 9/19/02 11:10 AM Page 2 exne_c01.qxd 9/19/02 11:10 AM Page 3

CHAPTER 1

Introduction

The 10 figures that constitute the stimuli of the not difficult to learn if the student of the test has Rorschach test were first unveiled to the profes- each of three basic prerequisites. sional public in September 1921, with the release of Hermann Rorschach’s famed monograph, BASIC PREREQUISITES Psychodiagnostik (1941/1942). Since that time, the test has generated much interest, extensive A first prerequisite is a reasonably good under- use, and considerable research. For at least two standing of people and the notion of personality. decades, the 1940s and 1950s, its name was al- This does not mean that the Rorschach data are, most synonymous with clinical psychology. Dur- or should be, interpreted directly in the context of ing those years, the primary role of the clinician any particular theory of personality. That proba- focused on assessment or psychodiagnosis. Al- bly is a mistake. Rorschach-based conclusions ul- though the role of the clinician broadened and timately can be translated into any of a variety of diversified during the 1960s and 1970s, the theoretical models concerning personality but, Rorschach remained among the most commonly before doing so, the data should be interpreted used tests in the clinical setting, and that status in a manner that is consistent with findings on continues today. This is because considerable in- which their validity has been based. formation about the psychological characteristics Rorschach interpretation always proceeds with of an individual can be derived if the test is prop- the objective of developing an understanding of erly administered, scored, and interpreted. the person as a unique individual. Stated differ- Most any intelligent person can learn to ad- ently, an awareness that no two people are exactly minister and score (code) the Rorschach. The pro- alike should prompt any interpreter to strive for cedures are reasonably straightforward. On the an integration of findings about characteristics other hand, Rorschach interpretation is neither such as thinking, emotion, self-image, controls, simple nor mechanistic. It is a complex process and so on in a manner that highlights individual- that can be demanding. It is complex because it ity as much as possible. requires the interpreter to maintain a framework A second prerequisite for Rorschach interpre- of logical conceptualization, without which it is tation is a good working knowledge of psycho- impossible to develop meaningful conclusions. pathology and maladjustment. This does not mean The process is demanding because it requires the a simple awareness of diagnostic labels, or a naive interpreter to frequently challenge the integrity assumption that concepts such as normal and ab- of the data. On the other hand, the routines of in- normal establish discrete criteria from which as- terpretation, that is, systematically questioning sets and liabilities can be identified. Rather, a data and conceptually organizing findings, are good understanding of psychopathology and/or

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4 History and Development of the Rorschach

maladjustment evolves from an appreciation of The answer to this question is not as straight- how characteristics become liabilities, and how forward as some Rorschach advocates might various mixtures of liabilities breed forms of in- hope. In reality, Rorschach findings may have ternal and/or external maladjustment. little or no value in some assessment situations. The third prerequisite is that the interpreter For instance, if an assessor or referring party is must have an understanding of the test itself. It convinced that a “hardwired” relationship exists consists of 10 inkblot figures which, when admin- between the presenting symptoms of the person istered in a standardized manner, prompt the in- and the most appropriate treatment for those dividual to make a sequence of decisions that lead symptoms, Rorschach findings will contribute lit- to a series of responses. Once the responses are tle or nothing to a treatment decision. There are coded or scored, compiled sequentially, and used other cases in which the purpose of the assess- as a basis for numerous calculations, three inter- ment is to select a diagnostic label. Rorschach related data sets will exist: findings can contribute to this decision, but it is a time-consuming test and other assessment meth- 1. The verbiage used by the subject when giving ods might achieve the “labeling” objective more answers or responding to questions raised by efficiently. the examiner, The greatest utility of the Rorschach is when 2. The sequence in which the responses have oc- an understanding of a person, as an individual, curred as reflected in both the substance of becomes important for the purpose of selecting answers and the coding or scoring of them, and treatment strategies or targets, or when that sort 3. The structural plot of frequencies for nearly of information is important to other decisions 100 variables from which data for more than concerning the individual. Few, if any, assessment 60 variables, ratios, percentages, and indices procedures can capture the uniqueness of the per- are derived. son as does the Rorschach when used appropri- ately. This is because Rorschach responses are Collectively, these three data sets form the produced by a relatively broad range of psycho- interpretive substance of the test and, typically, logical operations and experiences. will yield enough information to construct a The same functions and experiences that gen- valid and useful description of the psychology of erate Rorschach responses also produce other be- the individual. haviors, such as those observed by friends or relatives, or noted by those conducting formal interviews. Behavioral descriptions of a person that THE UTILITY OF THE RORSCHACH are derived from observations of significant oth- Why bother using the Rorschach? There are many ers or produced from lengthy interviews often are assessment methods that can produce valid and reasonably accurate but, typically, those descrip- useful descriptions of people and, although a tions do not include information about the psy- Rorschach-based description of a person usually chological functions that produce the observed is quite comprehensive, it stems from a rather behaviors. The Rorschach results contain this sort modest sample of indirect behaviors (responses to of information. inkblot figures). Thus, findings and conclusions The nature of the Rorschach task prompts a are mainly inferential. What value do these infer- routine of decision making under the rather un- entially based Rorschach descriptions of people usual conditions of looking at inkblot figures. A have when contrasted with descriptions formu- host of psychological characteristics come into lated after a well-developed interview, findings play when this decision making is required and, from other psychological tests, or a description because of this, the responses tend to reflect the based on the observations of significant others? features of the person as he or she goes about exne_c01.qxd 9/19/02 11:10 AM Page 5

Introduction 5

the routine decision making of everyday living. those directly involved with it were not always Many of these characteristics are not readily ap- clear about Rorschach’s conceptions or inten- parent to the observer of everyday behaviors. Ob- tions, or not always ready to study it in the sort of servations focus on the products of psychological empirical framework that Rorschach established processes, that is, the behaviors. The Rorschach in his own research. findings mainly reflect the processes that gener- Rorschach died at the age of 37, only seven ate behaviors. months after Psychodiagnostik, was published. It is in this context that the Rorschach interpre- The 183 pages (English translation) that comprise tations focus on the psychological organization the monograph are rich with concepts, findings, and functioning of the person. The Rorschach test and case examples, but many issues about which gives greater emphasis to the psychological struc- Rorschach wrote are not fully explained, and some ture or personality of the individual rather than to are addressed briefly, or in a manner that leaves the behaviors of the person. It is the sort of infor- important questions unanswered. This is not sur- mation that goes beyond the identification of prising because Rorschach did not regard his work symptoms and searches out etiological issues that as having yielded a test per se and, by no means, distinguish one person from another, even though considered his work to be complete. Instead, he both may present the same symptomatology. Why viewed his monograph as a report of findings from bother with the Rorschach? If a picture of the in- an investigation into perception. The original title dividual, as a unique psychological entity, will that Rorschach selected for his monograph was, contribute significantly to the well-being of that Method and Results of a Perceptual-Diagnostic Ex- individual by assisting in the selection of a treat- periment: Interpretation of Arbitrary Forms. The ment plan or contributing to other important deci- issue of the title was raised in early August of sions, the few hours involved in administering, 1920, when the manuscript was being reviewed be- scoring, and interpreting the test should be well fore the type setting began. Walter Morgenthaler, a worth the effort. close friend and colleague, who was serving as As noted earlier, anyone intending to develop the professional editor for the project, wrote to skill in the use of the Rorschach should understand Rorschach: the nature of the test and how it works. Some of that understanding is gleaned from history, that is, I take this opportunity to include a word about the title of your work. I believe you are being very how the test originated and how it evolved. modest about it. Your subject concerns more than just Perception Diagnostics, much more than that, THE ORIGINS OF THE TEST— and all together more than a “mere” experiment. I RORSCHACH’S WORK would, therefore, like to suggest as the main title (in caps) PSYCHODIAGNOSTIK (or something Although the Rorschach has become an important similar)....As a subtitle I could see: “Through clinical tool, its development has not always pro- the Interpretation of Chance Forms,” or “Experi- ceeded in a very systematic manner. Notions mental Investigations With the Interpretation of about what the test is, and is not, and how best it Accidental Forms.” (Morgenthaler, 1920/1999) can be used, have varied considerably over time, Rorschach was not receptive to this suggestion and its history has often been marked by contro- and two days later wrote to Morgenthaler: versy. It has often proved baffling to researchers, and very irritating to those advocating the strin- Now about this title. It is not just modesty, I have a gent application of psychometric principles to any sense of responsibility for the title. I have brooded a psychological test. In retrospect, it seems obvious long time about this . . . but nothing has come forth that many of the problems that have marked the that has suited me. Expressions such as Psychodiag- development of the test occurred because most of nostik, Diagnostics of Diseases and Personality, exne_c01.qxd 9/19/02 11:10 AM Page 6

6 History and Development of the Rorschach

and the like seem to me to go much too far. seems less plausible than the fact that Rorschach ...Perhaps later, when there is a norm created himself developed considerable artistic skill dur- through controlled investigations, such an expres- ing his youth. Even before reaching adolescence, sion can be used. For now it strikes me as being too he was in the habit of making pencil sketches in pompous....So I should like to ask you to let the small notebooks, and during adolescence created title stand as it is. (Rorschach, 1920/1999) many very detailed ink drawings. In late adolescence and through the remainder of his life, he But this did not end the matter and, for the next painted extensively with water colors. Most of his several days, Morgenthaler continued to argue sketches and paintings are relatively small, and forcefully for a title change, emphasizing that are quite remarkable for their realism and ex- the original title could create difficulties in mar- quisite detailing. In fact, this skill probably con- keting the book. Before the end of the month, tributed substantially to the creation of the 10 Rorschach acquiesced, “Not very happily I yield, figures that were published with the monograph but your arguments are weighty and so I can do and comprise what has become known as the nothing else.” Rorschach Test. The reasons for Rorschach’s decision to inves- It is very probable that his close friendship tigate the use of inkblots as a way to detect char- with a classmate from the Kantonsschule, Konrad acteristics of people are not fully clear. It was not Gehring, played an initial role in stimulating his an original idea, but his approach was distinctive. exploration of the use of inkblots with patients. There had been several attempts to use inkblots The Klecksographie game had flourished in Eu- as some form of test well before Rorschach began rope for several decades by the time Rorschach his investigation. Binet and Henri (1895–1896) began his psychiatric residency in 1910 at the had tried to incorporate them into their early ef- Münsterlingen Asylum on Lake Constance. The forts to devise an intelligence test. They, like game was a favorite of both adults and children, many of their day, believed that the inkblot stimu- and had several variations. Inkblots (Klecks) lus might be useful to study visual imagination. could be purchased in some stores or, as was more They abandoned the use of inkblots because of commonplace, players of the game could create group administration problems. Several other in- their own. Sometimes, it was played by creating vestigators in the United States and Europe pub- poem-like associations to the blots (Kerner, lished articles about the use of inkblots to study 1857). In another variation, a blot would be the imagination and creativeness (Dearborn, 1897, centerpiece for charades. When children played 1898; Kirkpatrick, 1900; Parsons, 1917; Pyle, the game in school, they or the teacher usually 1913, 1915; Rybakov, 1911; Whipple, 1914). It would create the blots and then compete in devel- is doubtful that any of this work stimulated oping elaborate descriptions. Rorschach’s original study, but it is likely that he Konrad Gehring became a teacher at an in- became familiar with much of it before he wrote termediate school close to the Münsterlingen his monograph. Asylum, and he and his pupils often visited the It is certain that Rorschach often played the hospital to sing for patients. Gehring had discov- popular Klecksographie (Blotto) game as a youth. ered that if he contracted with his students to In fact, he even had the nickname “Klex” during work diligently for a period of time and then per- his last two years in the Kantonsschule, which mitted them to play Klecksographie, it not only might have reflected his enthusiasm for the game. provided an incentive, but his classroom manage- Ellenberger (1954) has suggested that the nick- ment problems also were reduced considerably. name may simply have evolved from the fact that This routine caused Rorschach to question Rorschach’s father was an artist, but that notion whether Gehring’s gifted pupils demonstrated exne_c01.qxd 9/19/02 11:10 AM Page 7

Introduction 7

more fantasy in their inkblot responses than did months. It was during that time that he renewed the less gifted pupils. In 1911, a brief “experi- his close friendship with Walter Morgenthaler, a ment” ensued, lasting only a few weeks, but the senior psychiatrist at the hospital. It is very evident procedure and results caused Rorschach to be- that Morgenthaler stimulated Rorschach’s think- come intrigued with the management potential ing about the potential usefulness of inkblots, that the game seemed to offer, and also provoked and he played a key role in the publication of an interest in making comparisons between the Rorschach’s monograph. Klecksographie responses of Gehring’s male ado- In 1915, Rorschach obtained a position as a Se- lescent students and his own adult patients. Thus, nior Psychiatrist at the Krombach Mental Hospital in a very casual and unsystematic manner, they in Herisau, and later became the Associate Direc- worked together for a brief period, making and tor of that facility. It was at Herisau, in late 1917 testing out different inkblots. or early 1918, that Rorschach decided to investi- It is possible that little would have come from gate the Klecksographie game more systemati- the Rorschach-Gehring “experiment” had not an- cally. It is likely that the stimulus to that decision other event occurred during the same year. was the publication of the “Doctor’s Thesis” of This was the publication of Eugen Bleuler’s Szymon Hens, a Polish medical student who stud- famed work on Dementia Praecox in which the ied under Bleuler at the Medical Policlinic in term schizophrenia was coined. Bleuler was Zurich. Hens developed his own series of eight one of Rorschach’s professors and he directed inkblots which he group administered to 1,000 Rorschach’s Doctor’s Thesis, which concerned children, 100 nonpatient adults, and 100 psychotic hallucinations. The Bleuler concepts intrigued patients. His thesis focused on how the contents of the psychiatric community, but they also posed responses were both similar and different across the very important issue of how to differen- these three groups, and he suggested that a classi- tiate the schizophrenic from those individuals fication system for the contents of responses with other forms of psychosis, especially those might be diagnostically useful (Hens, 1917). with organically induced dementia. As almost a There is no doubt that Rorschach questioned passing matter, Rorschach noted that patients the conclusions offered by Hens. Hens’ approach who had been identified as schizophrenic seemed to classification was very different from the one to respond quite differently to the Klecksographie Rorschach and Gehring had conceptualized in game than did others. He made a brief report of their casual 1911 exploration. Unlike the Hens this to a regional psychiatric society, but little in- emphasis on classifying content, Rorschach was terest was expressed in his apparent finding. interested in classifying other salient characteris- Thus, Rorschach did not pursue the matter with tics of the responses. He was familiar with much any thoroughness for several years. of the literature on perception and seemed in- In 1910, Rorschach married a Russian, Olga trigued with, and influenced by, the concepts of Stempelin, who was studying medicine in Switzer- Ach, Mach, Loetze, and Helmholtz, and espe- land. They agreed to ultimately practice in Russia. cially the notion of an apperceptive mass. That Rorschach completed his psychiatric residency in concept is subtly pervasive in much of his writing. 1913 and moved to Russia with the expressed in- Rorschach began his systematic investigation tention of remaining there for quite some time. He with the premise that groups of individuals, when obtained a position at the Krukova Sanitorium presented with a series of inkblots, would be dif- where he worked for about five months, but then ferentiated by the characteristics of their re- returned to Switzerland and accepted a position as sponses to the question, What might this be? It is a resident psychiatrist at the Waldau Mental Hospi- evident that one of his basic postulates was that tal near Bern, where he was to work for the next 14 this variation of the Klecksographie procedure exne_c01.qxd 9/19/02 11:10 AM Page 8

8 History and Development of the Rorschach

might ultimately lend itself as a way of differen- Rorschach typically made his inkblots on tis- tiating schizophrenia. sue paper. A large number of them were donated Rorschach made dozens of inkblots in prepar- to the Rorschach Archives and Museum in ing for his experiment. It is certain that he made 1998–1999 by his son and daughter, Wadim and at least 40, and tried out different combinations Elisabeth Rorschach. They had been safekeeping of 15 to 20 at the onset. Shortly after beginning a large quantity of their father’s papers, proto- this pilot work, he decided against using simple cols, tables, correspondence, figures, and artwork inkblots. He did not write much about that deci- until a satisfactory site could be established for sion. His failure to do so, plus the manner in their storage and display. Between 15 and 20 of which he described the “Apparatus” in his mono- the tissue paper blots have some similarity to the graph, caused many to assume that the figures of published figures, but none contain the exquisite the test are largely ambiguous inkblots. But that detailing that is evident in the figures used in the is not true. test. Seven or eight of the tissue paper blots might Each of the figures in the test contain numer- easily be confused as being the published figures ous distinctive contours that are reasonably com- at first glance, but even a casual comparison re- mensurate with objects with which most people veals the published figures are much more pre- have familiarity. Nonetheless, for several decades cisely detailed. after the test was published, most who used and It is possible that Rorschach discovered some researched it were unaware of the substantial fre- method for creating much more detailing when quency of potentially reasonable answers that creating inkblots, but it seems more likely that he seem to be readily available to most people. There used his considerable artistic talent to detail and are probably several reasons for this, beginning embellish the figures that he produced, and add with Rorschach’s report of his experiment. In the some of the colorings. In doing so, he added many monograph, Rorschach wrote, “The production of more contours and colors to those that appeared in arbitrary forms is very simple: a few large ink the original blot. He did this to ensure that each blots are thrown on a piece of paper, the paper is figure contained numerous distinctive features folded, and the ink spread between the two halves that could easily be identified as similar to objects of the sheet” (p. 15). This description carries the stored in the memory traces of the individual. implication that the stimulus figures are ambigu- This was important in constructing the figures be- ous inkblots. Beyond this point in the monograph, cause the premise underlying his experiment was he discontinued the use of the term inkblot based on the perception of arbitrary “forms.” (klecks) and referred to the materials as pictures Rorschach did not elaborate further on the man- (bilder), plates (tafeln), or figures (figurs). ner in which the figures were created, but he did He also wrote, “Not all figures so obtained briefly mention the importance of “two or three can be used, for those used must fulfill certain parallel series” that he was creating, or intending conditions...the forms must be relatively sim- to create, with the objective that each parallel fig- ple...[they] must fulfill certain requirements ure should be designed so that, “the number of an- of composition or they will not be suggestive, swers should compare favorably. Plate I of the new with the result that many subjects will reject series should give approximately the same number them as “simply an inkblot . . .” (p. 15). Most of F’s and M’s as Plate I of the original, and so on. who are familiar with the monograph have Plate V of the parallel series should present an ob- tended to assume that the figures he selected for ject equally easy to recognize . . .” (p. 52).1 use in the test were selected from a larger group of inkblots that he created, but that assumption 1 The fact that Rorschach failed to emphasize the exquis- probably is not entirely correct. ite detailing of the figures created for the test tended to exne_c01.qxd 9/19/02 11:10 AM Page 9

Introduction 9

After a few months, he had created a series of seemed to hold. Several pleaded with him for a loan 15 or 16 figures that seemed most useful for his of the figures he was using so that they could try purpose. He used at least 15 figures through them out and numerous colleagues encouraged much of 1918, and possibly into early 1919. Then, Rorschach to publish his findings in a form from apparently after reviewing his findings, reduced which others could learn to use the method. Gradu- the series to 12 figures, and continued to admin- ally, Rorschach became enthusiastic about this ister the 12 figures until circumstances caused prospect, but encountered a significant obstacle him to eliminate two more. when he proposed the work to several publishers. During the period from 1917 to 1919, he main- They were uniformly negative about the printing of tained frequent contact with Morgenthaler and the inkblot figures, citing the complexities and ex- also presented three brief papers concerning his pense involved. One publisher expressed interest, experiment at professional meetings. It was in this provided that the printing of only one figure would time frame that Morgenthaler encouraged him to be required. Another agreed to publish a manuscript publish information about his experiment and, by but with the proviso that the number of figures be mid-1919, Rorschach became convinced that his reduced to six. Rorschach rejected these possibili- work had progressed sufficiently to warrant publi- ties but continued with his work, adding more sub- cation. He was especially interested in having the jects to his samples. figures that he was using printed in a standard for- It was at this point that Morgenthaler inter- mat so that they could be used by the numerous ceded on Rorschach’s behalf. Morgenthaler was, colleagues who had expressed interest in his work. at that time, a consulting editor for the firm of The data that Rorschach had analyzed by mid- Ernst Bircher, a publishing house specializing in 1919 were sufficient for him to demonstrate that medical books. Morgenthaler had agreed to the method he had devised offered considerable organize a series of works, to be published by diagnostic usefulness, especially in identifying Bircher, concerning various issues in psychiatry. schizophrenia. In the course of the investigation, He was also well along toward the completion of he also discovered that clusterings of high fre- two books to be included in the series. One of quencies of certain kinds of responses, mainly these, planned as the first in the series, was a movement or color responses, appeared related to book about one of Morgenthaler’s patients named distinctive kinds of psychological and/or behav- Wölfli, which attracted much interest after it was ioral characteristics. Thus, the method seemed to published (Morgenthaler, 1921/1992). It con- have both a diagnostic potential and the possibil- tained considerable artwork that was difficult to ity of detecting some qualities of the person reproduce accurately. The manner in which which, in the terminology of contemporary psy- Bircher addressed the problem of the Wölfli art- chology, would probably be called personality work convinced Morgenthaler that he could also traits, habits, or styles. deal successfully with the problems involved in In addition to Morgenthaler, other colleagues, reproducing the blots that Rorschach had created, including Bleuler, were impressed with Rorschach’s and he appealed to Bircher to undertake the publi- experiment and the diagnostic potential that it cation of Rorschach’s monograph. Bircher agreed, somewhat reluctantly, but some compromises were necessary. Bircher re- reinforce the notion that the figures are largely ambiguous, an assumption that played an important role when fused to reproduce more than 10 inkblot figures the projective psychology movement evolved two decades and also decided that those used by Rorschach later. He also included information about his investiga- were too large. Although probably dissatisfied, tion that seemed to support that notion and led those working to develop the test into a direction that, gener- Rorschach agreed to rework the various data ta- ally, ignored the stimulus properties of the figures. bles that he had created so that they would reflect exne_c01.qxd 9/19/02 11:10 AM Page 10

10 History and Development of the Rorschach

the accumulated findings for only 10 figures. He basic target population. True to his casual 1911 also agreed to a one-sixth reduction in the size of observations, the schizophrenic group did re- the figures, but even well into 1920, before the spond to the figures quite differently than did the final manuscript was submitted, appealed for at other groups. His major thrust avoided and/or least one more figure to be added to the series.2 minimized content and, instead, focused on the After the final manuscript was submitted in development of a format for classifying responses July 1920, Rorschach had to reduce it by more by different characteristics. He developed a set of than 60 pages because of cost factors, but more codes, following largely from the work of the significant problems occurred as the proofs of the Gestaltists (mainly Wertheimer), that would per- figures were created. When they were reproduced, mit the differentiation of response features. One some of the colors were altered substantially, es- set of codes, or scores as they have come to be pecially on Cards VIII and IX, and a much greater called, was used to represent the area of the blot differentiation in the shades of grey and black to which the response was given, such as W for were produced in the achromatic figures. Whereas the whole blot, D for large detail areas, and so on. three of Rorschach’s original figures (IV, V, and A second set of codes concerned the features of VI) had been created with almost no shading, the the blot that were mainly responsible for the iden- printing process created very notable contrasts in tification of the image reported by the subject, the tones. Ultimately, Rorschach accepted these such as F for form or shape, C for chromatic “glitches” as offering new possibilities (Ellen- color, and M for the impression of human move- berger, 1954), but it is clear that he was not enthu- ment. A third set of codes was used to classify siastic about them at the onset. Proof versions for contents, such as H for human, A for animal, An all of the original figures were made at least for anatomy, and so on. twice, and as many as four proofs were created for Rorschach sternly cautioned that his findings some of the plates. Finally, in October 1920, were preliminary and stressed the importance of Bircher wrote to Rorschach, “. . . the glitches can much more experimentation. It is apparent that he no longer be changed...I cannot do it because looked forward to much more research with the each print costs too much.” method and invested himself vigorously in it dur- The manuscript was finally published in Sep- ing the next several months. But then tragedy tember 1921. Much of it is based on the findings struck. On April 1, 1922, he was admitted to the that had accumulated for 405 subjects, of which emergency room at the Herisau hospital after hav- 117 were nonpatients that he subdivided into “ed- ing suffered abdominal pains for nearly a week. ucated” and “noneducated.” The sample also in- He died the next morning from acute peritonitis. cluded 188 schizophrenics who comprised his He had devoted less than four years to his investigation of the “Blotto Game.” Had he lived to ex- 2 Although Rorschach used 12 figures well into 1919, tend his work, the nature of the test and the there is a definite possibility that he anticipated using direction of its development might have been only 10 figures in the final set well before that time. Some of his correspondence to colleagues, contributed to much different than proved to be the case. the Rorschach Archives and Museum by his son Wadim It is evident that Rorschach was disappointed and daughter Elisabeth, in 1999, includes letters in which about the seeming indifference to his work after 10 figures are mentioned. Whether these were written Psychodiagnostik was published. The only Swiss prior to his verbal discussions about a monograph with Morgenthaler is not clear, but clearly raises the possibil- psychiatric journal did not review it and other Eu- ity that he was not disappointed, as I have suggested, ropean psychiatric journals did little more than about having only 10 figures printed. It also seems likely publish brief summaries of the work. The mono- that the two figures that were deleted from the 12 blot series were ultimately included in the parallel series that graph was a financial disaster for the publisher. became know as the Behn-Rorschach. Only a few copies were sold before Rorschach died exne_c01.qxd 9/19/02 11:10 AM Page 11

Introduction 11

and before the House of Bircher entered bank- Kerner, J. (1857). Klexographien: Part VI. In R. Pissen ruptcy. Fortunately, the subsequent auction of (Ed.), Kerners Werke. Berlin: Boag & Co. Bircher goods left the monograph and the 10 plates Kirkpatrick, E. A. (1900). Individual tests of school in the hands of a highly respected publishing house children. Psychological Review, 7, 274–280. in Bern, Verlag Hans Huber. Huber’s reputation Morgenthaler, W. (1992). Madness and art. The life and works of Adolf Wölfli (Trans.). Lincoln: Uni- for quality publications, plus a few favorable re- versity of Nebraska Press. (Original work published views of the monograph, stimulated interest in 1921) pursuing Rorschach’s work further. However, Morgenthaler, W. (1999). Correspondence to Rorschach Rorschach’s death, and the fact that the figures dated August 9, 1920 (Trans.). In Lieber Herr Kol- created in the printing were somewhat different lege! Bern, Switzerland: Rorschach Archives. (Orig- than those used by Rorschach in his experiment, inal work published 1920) posed a significant problem for those who would Parsons, C. J. (1917). Children's interpretation of try to continue his work. But, as discussed in the inkblots: A study on some characteristics of children's imagination. British Journal of Psychology, next chapter, those were only the basic seeds of 9, 74–92. problems for those who became interested in de- Pyle, W. H. (1913). Examination of school children. veloping and using Rorschach’s method. New York: Macmillan. Pyle, W. H. (1915). A psychological study of bright and dull children. Journal of Educational Psychol- REFERENCES ogy, 17, 151–156. Binet, A., & Henri, V. (1895–1896). La psychologie Rorschach, H. (1942). Psychodiagnostik (Hans Huber, individuelle. Annee Psychologique, 2, 411–465. Trans.). Bern, Switzerland: Verlag. (Original work Dearborn, G. (1897). Blots of ink in experimental psy- published 1921) chology. Psychological Review, 4, 390–391. Rorschach, H. (1999). Correspondence to Morgen- Dearborn, G. (1898). A study of imaginations. Ameri- thaler dated August 11, 1920 (Trans.). In Lieber can Journal of Psychology, 9, 183–190. Herr Kollege! Bern, Switzerland: Rorschach Ellenberger, H. (1954). Hermann Rorschach, M.D. Archives. 1884–1922. Bulletin of the Menninger Clinic, 18, Rybakov, T. (1911). Atlas for experimental research on 171–222. personality. Moscow, Russia: University of Moscow. Hens, S. (1917). Phantasieprüfung mit formlosen Whipple, G. M. (1914). Manual of mental and physical Klecksen bei Schulkindern, normalen Erwachsenen tests (Vols. 1 & 2). Baltimore: Warwick & York. und Geisteskranken. Zurich: Speidel & Worzel.