Rorschach Assessment of Senior Adults

Irving B. Weiner, PhD, ABPP, is a retired professor of psychiatry and behavioral neurosciences at the University of South Florida. He is a past president of APA Division 12 (Clinical Psychology), APA Division 5 (Quantitative and Qualitative Methods), the Society for Personality Assessment, and the International Rorschach Society. His published books include Psychodiagnosis in Schizophrenia (1966), Principles of Rorschach Assessment (2nd ed., 2003), Principles of Psychotherapy (3rd ed., 2009), the Handbook of Personality Assessment (2nd ed., 2017), and, with Shira Tibon-Czopp, Rorschach Assessment of Adolescents (2016). Liat Appel, PhD, is a clinical psychologist who is currently involved in an international research project on senior adults at Goldsmiths, University of London. Dr. Appel lectures in various clinical programs in Israel and practices clinical psychology in Tel- Aviv. She is a coauthor of the Rorschach Reality–Fantasy Scale (RFS-2, 2016). Her recent publications include an article on adolescents with psychosomatic disorders in Rorschachiana (2011); a coauthored article on national trauma in Psychology (2011); and a coauthored article on Shedler–Westen assessment in Psychoanalytic Psychology (2012). She was the 2016 recipient of the Society for Personality Assessment Exner Scholar award. Shira Tibon-Czopp, PhD, ABAP, is a clinical psychologist and visiting research fellow at Goldsmiths, University of London, where she co-conducts an international project on personality and attitudes in senior adults. She has been lecturing in various clinical programs in Israel and has worked in inpatient and outpatient public clinics. Some of her recent publications include an essay on the Rorschach Inkblot Method in the Encyclopedia of Adolescence (2012); a coauthored book with Irving B. Weiner entitled Rorschach Assessment of Adolescents (2016); and coauthored articles on the Rorschach Reality–Fantasy Scale and Rorschach psychometric validity in the Journal of Personality Assessment (2016).

Preface

Acknowledgments

About the Authors

Part I Introduction

Chapter 1: Current Research and Perspectives on Aging

Neuropsychological Research on Aging

Psychodynamic Perspectives on Aging

Conclusion

References

Chapter 2: Historical Developments in the Rorschach Assessment of Senior Adults

Early History

Standardized Data for Senior Adults

Historical Developments in Applying the Rorschach as a Neuropsychological Tool

Conclusion

References

Part II. Conceptual Considerations

Chapter 3: Effective Utilization of the Rorschach Task in Clinical Gerontopsychology

The Nature of the Rorschach Task

Interpretive Significance of Test Behaviors

Comments

Expressive Style

Interpersonal Style

Conclusion

References

Chapter 4: Parameters of Rorschach Interpretation

Protocol Validity

Interpretation of Structural Variables

Cognitive Functioning

Affective Experience

Interpersonal Relatedness

Self-Perception

Interpretation of Thematic Imagery

Identifying Responses Rich in Thematic Imagery

Formulating Interpretive Hypotheses

Judging the Plausibility of Thematic Interpretations

Sequence Analysis

Conclusion

References

Part III. Normative Rorschach Data for Senior Adults

Introduction to Normative Rorschach Data for Senior Adults

References

Chapter 5: International Normative Data for Nonpatients

Interpreting Rorschach Cross-Cultural Normative Data

Normative Data for Senior Adults in the Twenty-First Century

Implications of the Normative Data

Conclusion

References

Chapter 6: Developmental Issues

Basic Developmental Concepts in Aging

Applying the Rorschach for Assessing Developmental Personality Changes

Rorschach Assessment of Younger and Older Senior Adults

Cognitive Functioning

Affective Experience

Interpersonal Relatedness

Self-Perception

Conclusion

References

Chapter 7: Patients with Alzheimer’s Disease

Cognitive and Emotional Symptoms in Alzheimer’s Disease

Rorschach Assessment of Patients with Alzheimer’s Disease

Cognitive Functioning

Affective Experience

Interpersonal Relatedness

Self-Perception

Conclusion

References

Part IV. Applying Rorschach Assessment of Senior Adults: Case Illustrations

Introduction to Case Illustrations

Chapter 8: Dementia: "Old miners" or "Happy clowns?"

Background Information

Interpretation of Rorschach Data

Conclusion

References

Chapter 9: Bipolar Disorder: "A broken heart, ruptured in some way"

Background Information

Interpretation of Rorschach Data

Conclusion

References

Chapter 10: Korsakoff’s Syndrome: "Reminds me of my life"

Background Information

Interpretation of Rorschach Data

Conclusion

References

Chapter 11: Therapeutic Assessment of Acute Depressive Reaction: "Disgusting creatures"

Background Information

Interpretation of Rorschach Data

Conclusion

References

Chapter 12: Traumatic Stress Condition: "Two people helping each other, but it’s hopeless"

Background Information

Interpretation of Rorschach Data

Conclusion

References

Chapter 13: Manic Defenses: "Could be a conflict but it’s nice to me"

Background Information

Interpretation of Rorschach Data

Conclusion

References

Chapter 14: Medical Condition and Somatization: "A slight indication of a butterfly"

Background Information

Interpretation of Rorschach Data

Conclusion

References

Chapter 15. The Aprés Coup Effect: "Like a butterfly that is folded"

Background Information

Interpretation of Rorschach Data

Conclusion

References

Chapter 16: Fibromyalgia and Alexithymia: "It’s better not to think about it than to suffer"

Background Information

Interpretation of Rorschach Data

Conclusion

References

Chapter 17: Obsessive-Compulsive Personality: "I’m looking for a symbolic response"

Background Information

Interpretation of Rorschach Data

Conclusion

References

Part V. Conclusion

Chapter 18: Concluding Remarks+

References

Index