The Theory of Hermann Rorschach

Abstract: We trace the development of Hermann Rorschach’s ideas, from his early experiments, interests, and his medical thesis (1912) on reflex hallucinations to the writing of Psychodiagnostics ( 1921 ) in order to demonstrate that he was in the process of constructing a global theory of personality. The key to his experimentation with inkblots was the notion of representational or perceptual conflict, the psychological functioning of the tested person being reflected in the way responses are chosen. He conceived personality as a dynamic structure with a psychic apparatus that operates our relationships with the external and internal worlds of experience, thus highlighting the workings of the conscious/preconscious systems.