Usefulness of the Rorschach: A Survey of Forensic Psychiatrists

Abstract

A survey study of forensic psychiatrists and other mental health professionals examined their perceptions of the Rorschach Inkblot Technique in criminal forensic work. The three major areas surveyed were (1) frequency of Rorschach use in forensic reports, (2) relative value of the Rorschach in comparison to other diagnostic techniques for forensic evaluations, and (3) a general measure of the respondents’ familiarity with the Rorschach. Forensic psychiatrists were found to be reasonably cautious and selective in their use of the Rorschach, which is appropriate in light of recent validation studies; they were unfamiliar with many of the basic characteristics of this technique, such as the existence of a variety of scoring and interpretation systems.