Conceptualization of Children’s Interpersonal Relatedness With the Rorschach: A Qualitative Multiple Case Study

Abstract

In this in-depth, qualitative, multiple case study, we examined Rorschach data as they relate to the interpersonal behavior, experience, and perceptions of an individual. In this study, we addressed the following question: How are the correspondences between Rorschach variables and children's interpersonal behavior revealed? We conducted an examination of the Rorschach variables and criterion data regarding the children's interpersonal functioning through a qualitative analysis of 6 nonpatient girls between the ages of 8 and 11 years old. The results reveal individualized correspondences between Rorschach variables and interpersonal functioning in which some variables proved more fruitful in describing expressed interpersonal behavior than others. Specifically, the variables utilizing human images, such as the HRV and the thematic descriptions, corresponded most highly to real life interpersonal behavior.

An Updated Statement for the Clinical Case Applications Section: Suggestions for Clinical and Empirical Case Reports

“…As can be seen in contemporary published CCA articles, these changes substantially broadened the scope of the journal and led to the publication of many excellent articles. It has helped to highlight the importance of case studies in the personality assessment literature when authors of articles from the CCA section were selected to receive the Martin Mayman Award: (Bram, 2010; Finn, 2003, 2011a; Nichols, 2006; Rivera & Viglione, 2010; Smith, Wolf, Handler, & Nash, 2009). …”

“…Case series allow the authors to discuss similarities and differences in processes and outcomes across the cases and demonstrate replication of outcomes. Authors of case series would likely choose to include clinical vignettes and examples from the cases in lieu of detailed case presentations for each subject, as would be customary in a case study focusing on one or two cases (see, for example, Rivera & Viglione, 2010). …”

An Interpersonal Approach to Rorschach Interpretation

“…There has been much interesting research on aspects of interpersonal functioning on the Rorschach (e.g., Bornstein 2007; Bornstein, Becker-Matero, Winarick, & Reichman 2010; Moore, Viglione, Rosenfarb, Patterson, & Mausbach 2013; Rivera & Viglione, 2010) as well as attachment models (Berant, Mikulincer, Shaver, & Segal 2005). While Finn (2007, 2011) incorporates IPT into his conceptualization of therapeutic assessment, his work focuses more generally on its impact on psychological assessment rather that the Rorschach specifically.…”