Attitudes toward the Rorschach Test Expressed in Book Reviews: A Historical Perspective

Summary A survey of book reviews pertinent to the Rorschach Test published in the Mental Measurements Yearbook series reflects the changing attitudes which can explain the Test's declining popularity and indicate what the future holds. A major shift from optimism to pessimism was seen; authors were criticized for not reacting to the research literature or altering their systems, for their overemphasis on scoring, for their ignoring of rival Rorschach schools, and for their lack of links with theoretical psychology. Considerable controversy surrounds the issue of content analysis. Also indicated is a growing methodological sophistication and increased attention to non-projective determiners of the response. It is concluded that regarding the Test as a standardized interview may presage the future utilization of the Rorschach.