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.

Acknowledgments

We thank Gerald McGlone, S.J., who administered and provided the initial scoring for the Rorschach’s. We also thank Marni Greenberg, Sonya Wood, Michael Stanfill, and Jared Wilke, who assisted with the preparation of this manuscript. This article is based on a doctoral dissertation conducted at the California School of Professional Psychology at Alliant International University, San Diego, California, in 2002.

Notes

¹To limit the length of this article so that it might be considered for publication, and in response to helpful editorial review, we eliminated a number of Rorschach variables from consideration. We omitted Form Quality because it is not in the interpersonal cluster and its relationship to interpersonal functioning is more distal. There is also some controversy about its normative distribution (Viglione & Meyer, 2008). There was only one Personalization among the participants, and the child and collateral interviews did not produce much relevant information about it, so we omitted this variable. We excluded the a:p variable because there was only one case when the value for passive movement exceeds the value for active movement by more than 1 point. We did not consider the Coping Deficit Index and other actuarial indexes. As suggested by the reviewers, other variables outside of the interpersonal cluster might be considered, and they could add depth to the presentation and important information for the literature. Interested readers who would like to examine the raw data and foundations for the conclusions in more depth are invited to review the original dissertation (Rivera, 2002).

²A selection of Thematic Apperception Test (TAT; Murray, 1943) and Children’s Apperception Test (CAT; Bellack & Bellack, 1949) cards were administered to all participants to address interpersonal issues. To limit the length of this article, while maintaining the purpose and most important findings of this study, we do not mention CAT and TAT results. We found that although the results of the CAT and TAT were interesting, data gained from the interviews and interactions with the researcher was sufficient if not excessive.

³To review the reliability information for each case, see the original dissertation (Rivera, 2002).

⁴We did not address Reflections (r = 0) for Miss Rules because they were not in the interpretive range, and it was deemed that no important and relevant information emerged from the interviews.