Date of Award

1-1-1983

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Psychology

Abstract

The present study was undertaken to determine whether an over-emphasis on whole vs. large detail locations on the Rorschach Inkblot Test, as assessed by the W/D ratio, would be manifested in individual differences in information processing style. It was hypothesized that subjects with W/D ratios weighted in the whole direction would perform better on visual information processing tasks which require global analysis of the stimulus configuration and which ostensibly are mediated to a greater degree by the right hemisphere. Conversely, it was hypothesized that subjects with W/D ratios weighted in the large detail direction would perform better on information processing tasks which require attention to the local aspects or details of the stimulus field and which ostensibly are mediated more by the left hemisphere.Subjects at the two extremes in terms of W/D ratio were chosen to perform six perceptual tasks which were believed to tap such individual differences. These perceptual tasks were administered to 40 subjects (20 females, 20 males) who had been placed in one of two testing groups, namely, "whole" vs. "detail," as the result of having achieved extreme Rorschach W/D ratio scores in the whole or large detail direction after participating in a large group Rorschach administration for screening purposes. There were 10 females and 10 males in each group. In addition to performing the six perceptual tasks, these extreme "whole" and "detail" subjects took an individually-administered Rorschach under standard conditions.The results indicated only a weak relationship between the subjects' classifications as "whole" vs. "detail" information processors and their performance on the selected perceptual tasks, and suggested that the Rorschach Inkblot Test is not as accurate a test of individual differences in information processing style as was assumed. It seems that the Rorschach can, however, offer some information about how individuals scoring at one extreme of the W/D ratio may perform on tasks which require processing of ambiguous, incomplete visual configurations. Recommendations for future research in this area are presented, and suggestions are made regarding particular stimulus variables to be taken into account in any future investigations of this nature.

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