Misuse of Computer Software to Detect Faking on the Rorschach: A Reply to Kahn,Fox, and Rhode

Kahn, Fox, and Rhode (1988) made several errors in their article comparing human judgment versus computer scoring in detecting malingering in Rorschach protocols. The Rorschach interpretation software was designed to make hypotheses based solely on unusual findings among structural variables. It does not make diagnoses concerning psychosis nor is it designed to detect malingering. In claiming that the computer program made such diagnostic statements, Kahn and his associates were attributing to it capacities it does not have. Other problems with their study are discussed in areas of wrong application of Rorschach methodology and poor research design. Given that their study has so many flaws, their results and implications are not valid and can be misleading.