The Influence of Color on Reactions to Ink Blots*

Abstract

The Rorschach technique, despite its widespread clinical apphcation, has remained isolated from the mam body of theoretical and expenmental psychology The reasons for this isolation have been dearly analyzed by Thurstone (6) Among experimental psychologists it has been a commonplace to express the desirability of having the chniaan supply expenmental evidence to establish the saentific respectability of his techniques The experimentalists themselves have shown no eagerness to take over this task which they are more aj^ropnately equipped to tmdertake Moreover, little emphasis has been placed upon the desirability of enriching the field of general psychology by incorporating mto it the lngemous techmques, the remarkabfe insights, and the challenging assumptions of the clinical psychologists This paper presents one of a senes of studies directed toward the expenmental investigation of the processes involved in subjects' reactions to the Rorschach TestThe expenmenter who invades the area of the Rorschach tester has many awkward problems to face He must master the speaallzed lang^uage of sconng and interpretation sufficiently well to enable him to identify the psychological phenomena, and yet he must resist the temptation to become so addicted to this language and way of thinking that he loses all other perspective He must appreciate the special nature of the phenomena, akin to fantasy, produced under the free conditions of the Rorschach testmg procedure and must recognize the difficulties and dangers of attemj^ing to subject them to the conditions of rigid experimental controlThe expenment to be reported deals with the influence of stimulus-color on the reactions to ink blots, the effects of the so-called "color determinant " As originally defined by Hermann Rorschach (5, pp 22-35), color determination meant the actual determination * The wnter is indebted to Mrs. Florence Kuhns iot a large share in the woiic of conducting this expenment

Rorschach Responses and the Influence of Color

“…Since publication of that article, a number of other experiments dealing with the influence of color have appeared, most of which have confirmed the original findings (1,2,3,4,6,7) Results which are at vanance with the study by Lazarus (5) have been reported by Supola et al (8,9) In one article by Siipola, Kuhns, and Taylor (9) a number of criticisms were offered of the Lazarus methodology and conclusions The purpose of the present article is to clarify some of the issues raised by Siipola's data and criticisms, to present reanalyzed data from the onginal study, and to discuss an additional expenment…”

“…The present article has presented a reanalysis of data reported by Lazarus (5) concerning the influence of color on the Rorschach protocol This reanalysis was prompted by some criticisms by Siipola (8,9) Discrepancies between the findings of Lazarus and Siipola remain after the reanalysis and may be attributed in part to the use of usual details by Siipola and complete Rorschach mkblots by Lazarus An experiment is reported in which a senes of usual detail inkblots were colored m such a way that it was possible to compare the effects of congruous color-form combinations with incongruous colorform combinations, black with congruous, and black with incongruous combmations Only a few significant differences in response time and affective value were found as a function of these color manipulations, some of them reversing the predicted directions These effects were considered extremely small in magnitude when other factors such as the effect of blot structure and individual differences in response time are taken into account…”

A study of response to achromatic and chromatic stimuli.

“…The above results also suggest that there is a relationship between the amount of time a subject takes to respond and the degree to which he subsequently discriminates between different stimuli. Support for these findings and rationale is found in the studies of Siipola (1950) and Stein (1949). Siipola's study indicated that when the chromatic variable was added to the stimulus, the normal subject took more time to respond to it.…”

“…Still other investigators have measured different physiological functions of subjects while they were taking the Rorschach (Frost & Rodnick, 1948;Goodman, 1950;Levy, 1950). Another approach has been to extrapolate the color stimulus from the context of the Rorschach test to study response to color itself (Drechsler, 1960;Siipola, 1950). In general, the results of these studies were contradictory with the exception of the extrapolation method in which the findings were more positive.…”

Sources of Utility in Rorschach Interpretation

“…Alternative inkblot instruments have been developed (Holtzman, 19581 Levy, 1948;Harrower, 19451 Zulliger-Behn, 1952), each accompanied by its o~m cache of research. Studies by Lazarus (1949) and Siipola (1950) have stimulated dramatic reconsiderations of the significance of color and color shock in Rorschach theory. Stimulus qualities of the blots have been given increasing attention OUtchell, 1952J George, 1955;Baughman, 1954Baughman, , 1965.…”