The Inkblots

'Searls restores much of [the inkblot test's] potency in this rich and resonant book . . . Even in the age of alternative facts, there are still right answers, and wrong ones, and the inkblots still ring true’ Sunday Times ‘A marvelous book about how one man and his enigmatic test came to shape our collective imagination. The Rorschach test is a great subject and The Inkblots is worthy of it: beguiling, fascinating, and full of new discoveries every time you look.’ David Grann, author of The Lost City of Z and Killers of the Flower Moon ‘It seems incredible that no one before Damion Searls has ever written a biography of Rorschach… His early death may have deterred other would-be biographers, but Searls sails past it with style: the second half of his book traces the fortunes of Rorschach’s famous test, which became a household word in America after World War II, when the U.S. Army used it on draftees. Searls uses this unlikely-seeming artifact to illuminate two histories, one scientific, the other cultural, both full of surprises.’ Lorin Stein, The Paris Review ‘This excellent book begins as a biography and becomes, when [Rorschach] suddenly dies of a ruptured appendix at the age of thirty-seven, a cultural history of his creation.’ Harper's The captivating, untold story of Hermann Rorschach and his famous inkblot test, which has shaped our view of human personality and become a fixture in popular culture. In 1917, working alone in a remote Swiss asylum, psychiatrist Hermann Rorschach devised an experiment to probe the human mind. He had come to believe that who we are is less a matter of what we say, as Freud thought, than what we see. Rorschach himself was a talented illustrator, and his test, a set of ten carefully designed inkblots, quickly made its way to America, where it took on a life of its own. Co-opted by the military after Pearl Harbor, Rorschach’s test was a fixture at the Nuremberg trials and in the jungles of Vietnam. It became an advertising staple, a cliché in Hollywood and journalism, and an inspiration to everyone from Andy Warhol to Jay-Z. The test was also taken by millions of defendants, job applicants, parents in custody battles and people suffering from mental illness – or simply trying to understand themselves better. And it is still used today. Damion Searls draws on untranslated letters and diaries, and a cache of previously unknown interviews with Rorschach’s family, friends and colleagues, to tell the unlikely story of the test’s creation, its controversial reinvention and its remarkable endurance. Elegant and original, The Inkblots shines a light on the twentieth century’s most visionary synthesis of art and science.

Leonardo was inspired by the haphazard swirls in marble; Victor Hugo dribbled coffee and wine on paper to create new imagery. Now, noted artist, printmaker, and Broadway costume designer Margaret Peot takes inkblots to new creative heights with this stunning, hands-on celebration of their beauty and potential. She presents the many insights and techniques she has gained throughout her career--from basic tips and information on paper and ink to advanced techniques for transforming inkblots into works of art.

Since its creation more than eighty years ago, the famous Rorschach inkblot test has become an icon of clinical psychology and popular culture. Administered over one million times world-wide each year, the Rorschach is used to assess personality and mental illness across a wide range of circumstances: child custody disputes, educational placement decisions, employment and termination proceedings, parole determinations, and even investigations of child abuse allegations. The test's enormous power shapes the lives of hundreds of thousands of people -- often without their knowledge. In the 1970s, this notoriously subjective test was supposedly systematized and improved. But is the Rorschach more than a modern variant on tea leaf reading? What's Wrong With the Rorschach? challenges the validity and utility of the Rorschach and explains why psychologists continue to judge people by their reactions to ink blots, in spite of a half century of largely negative scientific evidence. What's Wrong With the Rorschach? offers a provocative critique of one of the most widely applied and influential - and still intensely controversial - psychological tests in the world today. Surveying more than fifty years of clinical and scholarly research, the authors provide compelling scientific evidence that the Rorschach has relatively little value for diagnosing mental illness, assessing personality, predicting behavior, or uncovering sexual abuse or other trauma. In this highly engaging, novelistic account of the Rorschach's origins and history, the authors detail the wealth of scientific evidence that the test is of questionable utility for real-world decision making. What's Wrong With the Rorschach? presents a powerfully reasoned case against using the test in the courtroom or consulting room - and reveals the strong psychological, economic, and political forces that continue to support the Rorschach despite the research that has exposed its shortcomings and dangers. James M. Wood (El Paso, TX) is Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, at the University of Texas at El Paso. M. Teresa Nezworski (Dallas, TX) is Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Dallas. Scott O. Lilienfeld (Atlanta, GA) is an Associate Professor of Psychology at Emory University in Atlanta. Howard N. Garb (Pittsburgh, PA) is on the faculty at the University of Pittsburgh and the author of Studying the Clinician: Judgement Research and Psychological Assessment.

This book gives graduate students and professionals a solid understanding of how to integrate the science and clinical art of Rorschach interpretation when working with patients.

The story of the Ink Spots is a rags-to-riches story beloved in American mythology. Goldberg gets behind the glitter of the Ink Spots and the publicity machines of record labels, and provides the story of the group's creation, its music, and its monumental impact on the course of American music. A fascinating story filled with excellently researched information and exciting anecdotes; Goldberg's text brings out the 'authentic' story of the Ink Spots, from their origins in the early 1930s through the tumultuous recording world of 1940s and 1950s America.

For over 90 years, inkblots have been used all over the world by psychologists when evaluating their patients dreams and past experiences. This pack comes with 10 inkblots on beautiful keepsake cards and a small booklet that includes an excerpt from the inventor's only published works, Psychodiagnostik. Studying the cards, you can delve into your psyche and that of those around you. Record your findings in a beautifully designed journal that includes quotes about the mind and imagination. Each person sees the inkblots differently, and your interpretation says a lot about who you are. What do you see? Throughout history, on a quest to "know thyself," many have sought understanding of the vast recesses of the mind. To this end, modern psychology has tried to bridge the gap of understanding by providing many tools for both clinicians and laymen alike, utilizing therapy, art, journaling, and medicine. One of the most prevalent tools from clinical psychology to permeate popular culture is the inkblot test, which has been used all over the world to examine personality characteristics, emotional functioning, and mental health. Originally created in 1921, the test was designed to reflect unconscious aspects of one's personality onto presented stimuli – in this case, 10 inkblots shown one at a time to individuals – who are then asked to describe what it is they see in these ambiguous shapes. In theory, when one is shown nonsensical images, the mind will strive to impose meaning on the image in question. What the person describes gives insight into how they perceive and project meaning onto the world around them, and ultimately, about themselves. The fascination of inkblots has become a staple of pop culture as well. The iconic imagery can be found in everything from photography to advertising (such as the artwork for the hit series Dexter) and writing, such as the character in the graphic novel Watchmen. Art legend Andy Warhol found inspiration in the inkblots to create his 1984 paint series. As part of our collective culture, inkblots have created a tool that has inspired many to continue the journey of self knowledge. Included in The Inkblot Pack are: a 128 page journal replete with quotes on perception, reality and emotion from some of the greatest theorists, writers, and thinkers of our time; 10 inkblots to inspire and provoke response; and a 16-page excerpt from Psychodiagnostik, the book in which the inkblots were first introduced and published. Allow yourself to be inspired by the words of some of our greatest minds as you project your own meaning onto what you see in the provided inkblots, and record it in your journal. The journey to self discovery begins now. A Few of the quotes included in the Journal: "Re-examine all you have been told. Dismiss what insults your soul." - Walt Whitman "The soul that is within me no man can degrade." - Frederick Douglass "Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one." - Albert Einstein "There are two infinities that confuse me: the one in my soul devours me; the one around me will crush me." - Gustave Flaubert "You are a universe of universes and your soul a source of songs." - Rubén Darío "Unexpressed emotions will never die. They are buried alive and will come forth later in uglier ways." - Sigmund Freud "Yes: I am a dreamer. For a dreamer is one who can only find his way by moonlight, and his punishment is that he sees the dawn before the rest of the world." - Oscar Wilde "Those who dream by day are cognizant of many things which escape those who dream only by night." - Edgar Allan Poe

Psychology's most famous theories--played out in real life! Forget the labs and lecture halls. You can conduct your very own psych experiments at home! Famous psychological experiments--from Freud's ego to the Skinner box--have changed the way science views human behavior. But how do these tests really work? In Psych Experiments, you'll learn how to test out these theories and experiments for yourself...no psychology degree required! Guided by Michael A. Britt, creator of popular podcast The Psych Files, you can conduct your own experiments when browsing your favorite websites (to test the "curiosity effect"), in restaurants (learning how to increase your tips), when presented with advertisements (you'd be surprised how much you're influenced by the color red), and even right on your smartphone (and why you panic when you can't find it). You'll even figure out how contagious yawning works! With this compulsively readable little book, you won't just read about the history of psychology--you'll live it!

First authoritative and comprehensive study in the field of Inkblot Personality Test, this book describes the historical roots of the three major projective inkblot measures: the Rorschach, the Holtzman Inkblot Technique (HIT) and the Somatic Inkblot Series (SIS). It presents the extensive psychometric background work accompanying the normative data and diagnostic indicators along with indices for selecting executives in a business organization. The book begins with a detailed history of Hermann Rorschach and his early experiments with inkblots in the diagnosis of mentally ill patients. Special attention is given to the administration and scoring of the Rorschach, with the sections detailing the systems developed by Klopfer and Exner. The HIT and SIS are also reviewed in detail, emphasizing their psychometric qualities.