Measurement of the Individual's Reactions to Color in Ink Blots

Abstract

In a previous expenment we investigated the mfluence of color on reactions to ink blots by a technique in which two independent groups of subjects were presented matched chromatic and achromatic blots (3) This technique was used to demonstrate that when the color vanable is completely isolated it has measurable effects which show up as group differences or trends in both the reaction time and the content of the conceptual responses But such a technique employing mdependent groups for chromatic and achromatic blots has senous limitations from the point of view of providing a solution to the major expenmental and clinical problems in this area The research psychologist mterested in validating the Rorschach technique and the chmcian engaged in applying the test are only lndtrectly interested in group trends They are pnmanly concerned with the problem of measuring accurately the influence of color upon a particular individual's reactions in order to relate this measure to a specific type of personality constellation From the standpoint of experimental design, a technique based upon independent groups can yield measures only of group trends. It cannot provide a valid method of measuring the effect of a given variable upon a particular individual's reactions Measurement of the specific effect of a vanable, hke color, upon particular individuals IS strictly possible only if each subject serves as his own control; comparable chromatic and achromatic data for each subject must be provided.These methodological considerations are important here because we are dealing with the kind of psychological phenomenon which cannot be readily identified by its all-or-none character If color-influenced conceptual responses were always specific to the color series and wholly absent from a matched achromatic series, one might be able to develop a measure of the influence of color upon a specific individual without having to resort to an individual achrcnnatic norm But our previous research showed that most "color-influenced" responses are of the type which can be identified only in

The interaction among anxiety, stress instructions, and difficulty.

“…Eleven of the 13 blots used were details taken from the standard Rorschach blots. Of these, nine were used by Siipola (1950). The blots, their source, and data concerning associated responses appear in Wiener (1954, Appendix B).…”

“…This prediction was tested on a motor learning task, a Rorschachlike perception problem, and a word association test. Siipola (1950) and Siipola, Kuns, and Tay-lor (1950) (1946, pp. 44, SS) indicate that stimulus words associated with longer response times tend to elicit comparatively more response words than stimulus words associated with relatively quick reaction times.…”

Intra-individual response variability.

“…Spontaneous changes in characteristics of responses within one Rorschach examination are discussed by Beck (9). In a study of changes in responses to a modified Rorschach test, Siipola et al (196) found that almost half the responses were changed more or less. Allen et al (2) report that two-thirds of the responses were changed.…”