Some Developmental Aspects of Primary Process Manifestations in the Rorschach

A group of 27 male subjects were administered the Rorschach at ages 14 and 24. The protocols were scored for the main categories of the Holt Primary Process scoring system. A comparison of the two age groups indicates that at age 24 there is a decrease in the percentage of primary process responses and an increase in “adaptive regression.” Individual differences for all the primary process scoring categories remained highly consistent for the 10-year period spanned by the data. Adaptive regression was found to be significantly correlated with IQ, field independence (RFT), and Rorschach ratings of intellectualization at both ages. The results were viewed as suggesting that primary process manifestations on the Rorschach seem to be mediated by stable aspects of an individual's cognitive abilities and cognitive style.