Rorschach Inkblot Movement Responses as a Function of Motor Activity or Inhibition

Abstract

Previous studies testing the hypothesis that movement perception in Rorschach is related inversely to motor activity and directly to motor inhibition obtained inconsistent results. The present study attempted to integrate the conflicting data by examining the influence of two situational variables. The perception of movement was expected to be influenced by the interaction between the type of motor activity/inhibition and the timing of the response to the Rorschach blots. Three types of motor activity/inhibition were manipulated: 1) Overt activity, 2) Active inhibition, 3) Passive inhibition. The Rorschach blots were responded to either during or after the motor activity/inhibition task. There were different hypotheses for human movement (M) and animal movement (FM) responses, derived from the different theoretical meanings of these scores. The main hypotheses were that only 1) during overt motor activity and 2) after active motor inhibition, respectively, more animal (FM) and human (M) movement responses would be produced than under the control condition. One hundred and five male high school students randomly assigned to seven experimental groups responded to five Rorschach cards. The mean scores were analyzed by a two-way ANOVA with a single control group. Both hypotheses were confirmed. The increase in “M-thinking” after the active motor inhibition and in “FM-thinking” during the overt motor activity were explained as derived respectively from the notions of the experience of delay of action and immediate impulse gratification.