A social and cognitive psychological perspective on the assumptions underlying the Rorschach inkblot test

Introduction/literature findings: The century-old Rorschach test is as controversial as it is well-known, and the subject of an ongoing, but still inconclusive debate about its validity and reliability. This debate is not inconsequential, as the test is still frequently used in clinical and forensic work. In addition to the psychometric aspects, there are social and cognitive psychological assumptions that underlie the test and that have hitherto been underexposed. We identify some of these assumptions and examine them with reference to contemporary social and cognitive psychological research. Discussion: Despite empirical evidence for some of the assumptions underlying the Rorschach test, most of them are not scientifically supported, thereby calling into question the scientific foundations of the test. Conclusion: Practitioners and academics should therefore critically reconsider the use of the Rorschach test given the heightened risk of errors in decision-making that it may cause.