Symbolic Analysis Cross-Culturally: The Rorschach Test

Is the Rorschach test, a projective technique that involves verbal responses to a series of ink blots, useful in cultures other than the one where it originated? After many years of research the authors have concluded not only that it is but also that "cross-cultural comparison of psychological tests is . . . essential for further research in social psychiatry and psychological anthropology, as well as developmental psychology." Their book is the first systematic presentation of the use of the Rorschach test cross-culturally.

Three different cultures are selected: Japanese, Algerian Arab, and Apache native American. Rorschach testing of members of these cultures corroborates the universality of human associative patterns influenced by affectivity, regardless of culture.

A scoring system developed by De Vos is a major contribution to a new and reliable way of approaching, organizing, and integrating Rorschach responses in diverse cultural settings. With research contributions by Orin Borders, Richard Day, Akira Hoshino, Eiji Murakami, Takao Sofue, and Mayumi Taniguchi, the authors demonstrate how within-group and between-group differences can be methodically studied, to yield new insights into the interrelationship of personality and culture.

George A. De Vos is Professor of Anthropology at the University of California, Berkeley. L. Bryce Boyer, M.D., is Co-Director of the Center for the Advanced Study of the Psychoses in San Francisco.