corr0134: November 2011 Archives

The Rorschach Inkblot Test is known as the best projective measurer. It was created by psychiatrist Hermann Rorschach in the early 1920's. The test consists of ten symmetrical inkblots, five in black and white and five containing color. The test is frequently used today. It is know to be used on subjects about 6 million times every year!

The test is done by asking subjects to look at each inkblot and having them tell what the ink blot looks like to them. The examiner then takes the information collected and places personality traits with the results. An example is that obsessive-compulsive people usually pick out tiny details in the blots.

This test is important because it is one of the most commonly used tests today to find personality characteristics. There is a lot of skepticism of the Rorschach test. Many believe that the results are not that valid and believe that a lot of psychiatrists rely too heavily on the Rorschach results because it overshadows more important valid information.

It has been shown that most people prefer average looking people over exotic, unique looking people. Judith Langlois and Lori Roggman state that being average isn't necessarily a bad thing. They found that people preferred average faces 96% of the time! This is quite shocking to most people because everyone seems to have a preference for some unique look. Some believe the reasoning behind this is because people who are average tend to have more symmetrical faces. People are known to be more attracted to symmetrical features. I find this research interesting because it is something that people don't really think of too much about. It never comes to a person's mind that the reason they think someone is attractive is because they are average looking.

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