Psychometrics: The Meta-Rorschach

A few months ago the 10 official Rorschach inkblots were posted on Wikipedia, along with standard interpretations. Some claim the act nullifies the classic test, while others say the test was worthless in the first place. Everyone's got his own take on the Rorschach test. Look closely at the inkblot above. If you see...

1. An X-Ray

You may be a psychoanalyst. About one in three clinical psychologists—and most Freudians—still regularly use the Rorschach because they feel it gives a rich and penetrative picture of personality. (Studies show it does provide some valid information about intelligence and thought disorders such as schizophrenia and psychosis.)

2. Two Piles of Bull

You've read the copious research showing the test can't assess personality, depression, stress, or antisocial tendencies. Further, IQ tests and clinical conversations provide more insight into smarts and schizophrenia than the Rorschach does. Worse, it diagnoses most healthy adults as having thought disorders.

3. A Victory Flag

You may be a geek. You probably don't care about the validity of the Rorschach, but you believe information wants to be free and you'll fight tooth and email to keep it displayed on Wikipedia. After all, the blots entered the public domain in 1992, 70 years after Hermann Rorschach's death.

4. A Tempest in a Teapot

You've been to a library and seen that volumes explaining the scoring system are already widely available, making the Wikipedia controversy not a big deal.

5. Tea Leaves

You're analyzing the analysts, thinking they project what they want to see onto the results. A few of them have used palm-reading techniques to fool others, and many of them are genuinely mistaken about the test's validity. "It's like astrology in that respect," says psychologist James M. Wood, an expert on the test.

6. A Demon Raping a Clown

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