Rorschach Egocentricity Index and self-concept in children and adolescents

In a sample of 65 child and adolescent psychiatric inpatients, the hypothesized relation between the Egocentricity Index from the Rorschach and standard self-report measures of self-concept was not supported. Although the sample as a group had a markedly low mean Egocentricity Index, self-reported self-concept was at a normative level. The validity of the Egocentricity Index and self-report measures of self-concept is discussed, and guidelines for their interpretation are presented.     

The Rorschach Comprehensive System Egocentricity Index in psychiatric inpatients

This paper reports an exploratory study of potential correlates of Exner's Rorschach Egocentricity Index, a measure of self-focusing, in a sample of 70 psychiatric inpatients. We examined the relationship of the Index of the MMPI Ego Strength scale and to other MMPI and Exner Comprehensive System Rorschach variables, using Pearson Product-Moment correlations with partialling of the number of Rorschach responses. There were seven meaningful significant correlations between the Index and Rorschach variables: M, FM, X +%, F +%, Lambda, D, and A%. The Index-MMPI correlations were not significant. Sex differences and differences between these intercorrelations and some reported by Exner (1983) are discussed.     

Brief Rorschach Records With Children and Adolescents

In order to determine the frequency with which children and adolescents give brief Rorschach ( R < 14) records and to test the hypothesis that brief records represent a resistance to testing, the psychological evaluations of 439 admissions to an inpatient unit were reviewed. Of the records reviewed, 16.6% were found to contain less than 14 responses. When the complete test protocols of those subjects who provided brief records were compared with those of a matched group, it was found that the group with brief records failed to complete the other parts of the evaluation significantly more often than did those subjects who did not give brief records. There was no significant difference between the two groups on IQ scores or on self-report scores of depression, anxiety, and social desirability. Results are interpreted as supporting Exner's (1988) hypothesis that brief records represent a form of resistance to being tested.     

Rorschach Protocols From Children and Adolescents Diagnosed With Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

Rorschach protocols from 35 children and adolescents with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and 35 with oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) were compared. Both groups revealed significant differences from the normative tables on the same 12 variables: SCZI, DEPI, CDI, X+%, EgoC, Afr, T, EA, P, WSumC, RawSumSS, and WgtSumSS. However, as predicted, 4 of those variables, the Schizophrenic Index (SCZI) and 3 of the criterion tests that comprise it (X+%, RawSumSS, and WgtSumSS) were significantly different between the PTSD and ODD groups, with the PTSD group responding with more extreme scores. These findings contradict Exner's (1993) statement that only people with schizophrenia can be "defined or conceptualized as having both the problems of disordered thinking and inaccurate perception" (p. 356). Children and adolescents with PTSD also display these problems when trauma interrupts the child's naive belief that the world has predictable rules, the people in it are trustworthy and fair, and punishment and pain are consequences of bad behavior. When young victims cannot comprehend or make sense of what has happened to them, life becomes irrational, illogical, and confusing. Exner's SCZI does what it was designed to do: identify individuals with disordered thinking and inaccurate perception. Therefore, SCZI should be renamed the Perception and Thinking Index (PATI) to reflect its function rather than a diagnostic category.     

Criterion Validity of the Rorschach Developmental Index With Children

The Rorschach Developmental Index (DI) is a composite measure of psychological development. The aim of this study was to examine the criterion validity of the DI by investigating its relationship with age, nonverbal intelligence, and the impact of institutionalization in a sample of Brazilian children. The sample included 231 children, ages 7 to 11, who were either living with their families or in an institutionalized setting. The results indicated that the DI is strongly associated with nonverbal intelligence. Multiple regression analysis revealed that 71% of the variability in the DI was associated with nonverbal intelligence, whereas age explained only 2%. Moreover, the DI scores and nonverbal intelligence scores were significantly lower for children living in institutionalized settings. The DI appears to be effective in assessing various levels of psychological development, especially when expressed in cognitive ability. The DI was developed in the United States, and this study suggests that the DI can be adapted to diverse cultures, regions, or languages.     

The Egocentricity Index and Self-Esteem in court ordered psychiatric evaluations

An attempt was made to test the hypothesis that the Egocentricity Index (Exner, 1974), a ratio which incorporates pair and reflection responses, is related to self-esteem. Sixty criminal defendants referred for psychiatric evaluation were routinely administered the Rorschach. After all other testing was completed the subjects were asked to complete the Coopersmith Self-esteem Inventory. Results found no significant relationships between the Egocentricity Index and self-esteem as measured by the Coopersmith. It was recommended that the Egocentricity Index not be used as a measure of self-esteem until research evidence to support its use in this manner is provided.     

Self-Concept and Moral Reasoning among Batswana Adolescents

Abstract

On the basis of Herzberg, Mausner, and Snyderman's (1959) motivatorhygiene theory, it was hypothesized that intrinsic but not extrinsic work values would be inversely related to stress. Also investigated was the question of which work values provide the most relief from stress. Elementary school teachers and administrators (N = 607) from nine school boards in southern Ontario completed a survey that included Pines, Aronson, and Kafry's (1981) stress scale and Elizur's (1984) work values scale. Almost all of the 12 intrinsic work values investigated were negatively correlated with stress, but the 4 extrinsic work values studied were not consistently related to stress. Five work values explained 11% of the variance in physical stress, 9 work values explained 22% of the variance in emotional stress, and 6 work values explained 26% of the variance in mental stress. Four work values emerged as meaningful predictors of all three types of stress: being esteemed by others, achieving through work, doing meaningful work, and being able to use one's knowledge and abilities.     

Correlates of the Egocentricity Index in Child and Adolescent Outpatients

This study examined the Rorschach and MMPI covariates of Exner's Egocentricity Index, 3γ + (2): R, in a sample of child and adolescent outpatients (n = 46). Consistent with previous findings on adult psychiatric inpatients (Barley, Doff, & Reid, 1985), significant positive correlations were obtained between the Index and M, FM, χ + %, and D when controlled for the number of protocol responses. The Egocentricity Index was negatively associated with lambda and, in a subsample of adolescents (n = 19), depression scores. The index bore no significant relationship to either Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) validity or clinical scales, also congruent with earlier investigations. Implications for the interpretation of childrens' Egocentricity Indices are discussed.     

Correlates of the Egocentricity Index in child and adolescent outpatients

This study examined the Rorschach and MMPI covariates of Exner's Egocentricity Index, 3r + (2): R, in a sample of child and adolescent outpatients (n = 46). Consistent with previous findings on adult psychiatric inpatients (Barley, Dorr, & Reid, 1985), significant positive correlations were obtained between the Index and M, FM, X + %, and D when controlled for the number of protocol responses. The Egocentricity Index was negatively associated with lambda and, in a subsample of adolescents (n = 19), depression scores. The index bore no significant relationship to either Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) validity or clinical scales, also congruent with earlier investigations. Implications for the interpretation of childrens' Egocentricity Indices are discussed.     

MMPI correlates of Exner's Egocentricity Index in an adolescent psychiatric population

This research examined the relationship between Exner's Egocentricity Index (EI) and Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) Scales 2, 4, and 9 in an adolescent psychiatric population. Subjects with a low EI had significantly higher MMPI Depression (D) scale elevations compared to those with a high EI. Furthermore, of the adolescents who had Scale 2 scores in the clinical range, 68% also had an EI in the bottom half of the distribution. There was no relationship between the EI and MMPI scales 4 and 9. These findings are discussed in light of the generally poor correlations between MMPI and Rorschach variables.     

Rorschach Erlebnistypus and Problem-Solving Styles in Children

This study was designed to determine whether introversive versus extratensive children differed, on the basis of their Rorschach Erlebnistypus score, with respect to their approaches to three subtests (Block Design, Object Assembly, and Mazes) of the Wechsler intelligence Scale for Children-Revised. it was thought that the extratensives would manipulate the test materials more and make more mistakes than the introversives, owing to the notion that introversives would internalize more of their manipulations and attempted solutions. Analysis of the data revealed mixed results.     

The Effects of Using the International Versus Comprehensive System Rorschach Norms For Children,Adolescents, and Adults

Currently, there is some debate about whether to use Comprehensive System norms (CS; Exner, 2003 Exner, J. E. (2003). The Rorschach: A Comprehensive System: Vol. 1. Basic foundations (4th ed.). New York, NY: Wiley. [Google Scholar]) or the Composite International Reference Values (CIRV; Meyer, Erdberg, &; Shaffer, 2007 Meyer, G. J., Erdberg, P., &; Shaffer, T. W. (2007). Toward international normative reference data for the Comprehensive System. Journal of Personality Assessment, 89(Suppl. 1), S201–S216.[Taylor &; Francis Online], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) when interpreting Rorschach Inkblot Method (RIM; Rorschach, 1921 Rorschach, H. (1921). Psychodiagnostik [Psychodiagnostics]. Bern, Switzerland: Bircher. [Google Scholar]) protocols administered with the CS method. The goal of this study is to assist clinicians in making this decision by providing information about the effects of choosing one option or the other. Accordingly, this research evaluates the effects of using the CS versus CIRV norms with children, adolescents, and adults. First, we identified 43 variables for which the CS and the CIRV for children and adolescents differ from each other by at least a Cohen's d value of .50. Next, we evaluated whether these divergent variables are the same as those previously identified as divergent for the adult population. Results showed that for both children and adolescents, as well as for adults, relying on CS norms versus CIRV would result in interpretations that are more pathological in terms of (a) perception and thinking, (b) psychological resources and cognitive and emotional abilities, and (c) representations of human relationships. A discussion on the clinical effects of using one versus the other set of norms follows.     

Rorschach Object Relations of Adolescents Who Committed Homicide

We investigated the object relations of adolescents who committed homicide. A clinical sample of 55 adolescents who committed homicide did not differ from a comparison group of nonviolent delinquents on Rorschach measures of object differentiation, mutuality of autonomy, and aggressive content. However, the subgroup of adolescents who committed homicides in the context of another crime (e.g., robbery or burglary) did manifest significantly lower object relations (poorer object differentiation and more victim responses) than the subgroup of adolescents whose homicides were committed in the context of an interpersonal conflict or dispute with the victim. These findings support the need for differentiated classification of violent individuals as urged by Megargee (1970) over 20 years ago.     

儿童功能性躯体化症状研究述评

功能性躯体化症状(Functional-somatic Symptoms, FSS)是指无法用医学知识解释, 或经医学治疗后无改善的躯体不适症状, 多发于儿童和青少年群体, 常伴随焦虑、抑郁等心理障碍共同发生。儿童FSS的发病受多方因素的影响, 包括社会文化、年龄、性别、家庭环境、生理易感性等。各个心理学流派从不同视角提出了儿童FSS的心理理论模型。心理干预, 尤其是认知行为疗法和放松–生物反馈疗法对治疗儿童FSS有较好的效果。