3 •!

• Determinants

Determinant coding· often seems to be the most complex feature of scoring to

the beginrnft'gc R:drschachet: This imp~~Sit>tt i!: probably created' oecau~e the
, examiner must consider al) of the possibilities that contribute to why an object that
is reported, actually looks like that to the pel'.son. The world is compl'ex and when
we identify things it:l It, we usuaUy ar.e influenced by multiple stimulus1 elements,
such as shape, color, shading>, apparent movement, etc. So too is it with the
Rorschach figures Which, in a mic-tQtos'tnk way, contain many of the visual stimuli
that we find in the environment.

Although. the stimttllJ&, field is. notluag moi:e than a $Orie~ af aFbitrnry form~ '1nd
1
cofors it does hav@ rnany s(!Uen, stfmutu~ fe~r.es or distal bits that aro similar to,
but not exactly the same as, objects known or- imagined by· the person taklng t_h e
teS1, This similarity, which may be.based· on any of the stimulus fea:ttt·res, shape;
color, etc., permi_ts the necessary pt0ress of <Plassification(s) to occur. As noted
e~dier, the proeess of classifying: tfte bl0t--actually creates many more poten:ffal
answers than are rc:quifed. ·nil!.%- s.QJne ·must be di~-cardeci

After several possible a:nswers, are: d'is.~ tted'1 nsuaUy. there a-re stilt more tlran
ei10ugh to meet the demands of the ~k,, an~ aatither selection process occurs.
This fu!al selectio!_l_ is i~fil!¢.~Q. ve!)':_J}larkeq:!y by ~__Q~bits, ~~scmality
_ol.. the p~FSQn, phl&_tl_t~~p5cy.Gh,Qf0gical sta~ of:the inclividual at the Hme of
taking the test. The ~<ls., ~~TI!~esj s~t¾ o o n f : t i c ~ c : a r r-am-
b.ccome infJu~ntial in the: f;t.,"lah~le~cm of the answers that ar.e delivc(!!reu.

Unfortunately, t~ere is n0 way toi •~f/1 this complex intirapsyeltJc. process

accurately ~s it ~ccurs during the- sever.at ~~ndshetween the prese:nt,ition of the
card an_d the de11very of the first answer; ..~~Wever, t~ producl of the process, cite
response itsell usually will c ~ eleme~ts that reflect so~i:: 9f the featuc~s that
have been involved in the process. W'nen those elements an~ codec! cor:re,;:tly, the
(;U<.ks represent something about the psychological operations of the person.

The coding for a single response provides little, if nny, useful mformation about
the psychological characteTictics of the person, but frequency data for each of the
various codes. particulariy for the deteiiniNants, can be used to generate a lnoau
array of information about the psychology of an individual.

The words of the client are the data from which coding decisions evolve.
Unfortuiiate1y, indLv1duals__VJ)l}' in their vocabularit:~-~;~-~1§n~S(~r~~iession.
Thus. while information r:nnc:{'.rning locatiou usuaily i~ ubta;ncd '--JsiJy, inf,H 11:,1!iu11
about the determinant(s) can be revealed in many ways.

In the IDO$l favorable circumstance, the person gives the critical data directly,
as in l! has that general shape or, It's colored like they are or The different shades
 ' .

Chapter 3: Determinants 31

here give that impression.. This is not uncommon among cooperative people who
understand and appreciate the task of the Inquiry but, sometimes, even the
co?perative person does not express the critical information that precisely.

Instead, the verbiage -is -less direct and only contains ch;.::.s to the possible
existence of a determinant. These c:lnes generally occur in the form of key wm tls ·
or hrases, such as those descrihed in Chilpt~r I, and they must be pursuetl
diligently, but non- 1rect y y t e exammer during the -Inquiry, focusing on the
issue, what makes it look like that?

The examiner who is thoroughly familiar with the variety of possible determi-
nants should have little trouble detecting these clues and forming prompts or
questions tbat.:w:ill pursue ihem appropriately. Experience suggests that this kind
of familiarity develops only through practice, and it is for this reason that a
substantial number of varied responses have been included in the Appendix for
practice coding.

.A DETERMINANT CATEGORIES. There artL,broad categories of d e t e ~

each of which represents a way in which the stimulus field may be translated by
the_pers,C>Il: In that context, each r,eflects SOI!!!! aspect of cognitive activity that has
been fovoJved in formulating the_answer. Some have sub-categories to note
different ways in which an element has been used in the answer. Many responses
· will involve more than one category and any category may coexist with any of the
others, or with one exception, may occur independently. The 7 catt;gories are:
. . t . - t -·
1. funn: This detell!llilant is common to almost all responses, either as the
ofilyoetenninant, or combined with other determinants. /
2. Movement This category hasJhree sub-categories, (1) Human Movement - ~ f_
(2) Auimal Movem,ent, and (3) Tnnnimate Movemt:nL All movement
answers are also coded as Active or Passive.
3. Clliomatic Color. Includes ~ g l s , the choice of which depends on the C.
extent to which form is involved in the answer.
4. Achromatic Color. lnclude~3 synibols, the choice of which depends on the
extent of form involvement in the answer.
5. Shading. This category has three sub-cate_gcries, _each with 3 symbols, 1n
account fur different uses of shading, ( 1)Texture, (2) Depth or dime nsion -
ality, _and (3) Diffuse. · -
6. funil Dimension. One symbol is used for responses in which lhe imprcs :
of_dj_!!J<':n_sionality is based 011 size..ou:onto.ur.
7. Pairs and Reflection. Will always involve wme use of form and arc ba~ed
o~ the symmetry of the blots. ·
- - ----------

The 7 categories include, 24 symbols for codfog determinants. They a re shown,

with the criteria for application, m 'fable 5.
 32 A Rorschach W · kb k . . ·
or oo tor the Comprel'l'ensive system
u\BLES:
SYMBOLS AND CRITEruA FOR DETERMINANT CODING
Catcgqi:y
~bol . Clitcrlon.
R>nn F
Fonn answers. Used for. responses based excl~ively on the form
fe:atures of tho bfot
Mo\>cmenr M
Ht:/tnlfff movement response. Usectfur responses involving the
kinesthetic activity of a human, oi of an animal or fictitional
character in huirum-like aruvity.

FM Animal nrovcmen, response. US&t Cot responses Involving a kinesthetic

activity of an anjm~. 1'110 Dl~me!lt pcl(eiv~ must J;e co11gruent
ta Utu species ldenlffl1!4 In 1ha· wn:(ent. Anlntals r.eporre.d in
· movement not common to rheii sp~C$ should be coded as M .

m liJsed':lbr responses involving rhe

bianimate n :<fill7?lent·tespdnse.
mov,ement ol i"-nirnate, inorganic, or in$~nsate objects.
~ t,lc Color C
Pure color respunse, Used for allSWQS based· exclusively on !he
chmn,adc eoloir features of the blot. No form is involved.

Color-fom, ruponse. Used for answers that are fo~mula1ed primarily

because of the chromatic cnlor features ot the blot. Form features ·
are used, but a~-of secondary imponance.

Fonn-eolor r:espti!nse. Used fof answeis-that are created mainly

becaust of fol'l!l< fea«u-C!Ss C.b:to!:113tk<~r is.~ . bu& is of secondary
lm:po~ec. .

Cn Cow, ,iamlng TUJIO/U~- .Used When; the colors of the hlo1 are
identified· by name, MlCI•wi~ the Intention of 1lvlng alrt>.sponse.
Mbromatfr, ColoJ! Pure achromatic color response. Used when lhe resp e is based
e.xcluslvely on the grey, blade, or wliite f~tures of lhe blot, when
they arn c!eaflY; .used l!S, ~for, f!o for-m is involved.

C'F Achromati,; color-fonn response•. Used for responses !hat are c~eated
,. zainly herause of the black, white, or grey features, clearly used as
color. Form features are used, but ar.e 8f secondary importance.

FC Fonn-achromatie color response. Used for answers that are based

mainly on the form featu~es. The achromatic f~tures, cie,irly used
as culor, are also included, but are of secondary 1mpor1ance.

Shading-Thxture T Pure texture response. Used for answers in which t h c ~-

~onnts of the blot ue. 1ransla1ed IO reprcsenr a 1a_::1ual .
phenomenon, with 110 cons1dcra11.on lo !he form featur -S .

TF 7i.,rru.·e-fom 1 response. Tu be used for responses in which .1h2 shading

~fil!lli:S of rhe blot are interpreted as tactual, an<L!~~-~s .:~".'1
secondarily, for purposes of elaborarion and/or clanf1ca110n.
 Chapter 3: Determinants 33
'L\BLE 5 (Continued):
Category
Symbot
Criterion
FT
Fann-texture response. Used for responses tha t are based mainly on
the form f ~ ~ - Shaq(gg _fl!,;IJJJm_Q{Jbe bfor ace lraoslarea as
t~. but are of S~.f9JWi!Q i_l)l.jlOrtance.
Shading-Dimension V
Pure vista response. Used for ~nswers in which the ~~ding features
are interpreted as deplh or dimcnsionall!y. No form is involved.·

VF Vista-fonn response. Used for responses in which the shading features

are interpreted as ~pth or dimensionali ty. FQ[fil_featuresiiiifucmdea;-
but are of secondary imponance.

FV Fonn-vista_response. Used for answers that are based.lil.a.in.lJw>n the

form features of the blot. S ~ r e s are also interpreted to note
depth and/or dimensionali ty, but are of secondary imponance to the
formulation of the answer. · ·
Shading-Diftuse y
Pure ihailing response. Used for responses that arc ~l;!I c~J}Jsivtll,
on the light-dork fcatun,s of the biol that are com letcl formle.~s and
~not invo ve re er rexturc or dirncnst .
}7i'
Shadi11g form r~ponse. Used for responses based primarily on the
-:Ught-darkfeatllrcs of lite bl'ot, not involving texture or dimension.
I' Form features are included, but arc of second.ary imponance.
FY
Fonn-shaaing rt'.sponse, Used for respouses that arc based mainly on

' the forn! features of blot. The light-dark features of the figure, not
used to articulate texture or dimension, are included as elaboration
and/or clarifi.cation and are sxor,dary 10 the use ol' form.
Form Dimension FD
Fonn based dimeruwn'(JI response. Used for answers in which the
imp~sjon of depth, distance, or dimensionality is created by using
the ~ ~of size and/or shape of contours. !f2 usc of shading is
involved in creating this impression.
Pairs & Reilections (2)
The pair response. Used for answers in which two identical objects a re
~ orted, based on the symmetry of the blot. The objects must be
equivalent in all respects, but must not be ide nrificd as being rdiccted
ur 11.~ mirro1 images.
rF
RPflectionfonn resp onse. Used fo r answers in which the blot or blo t
area is repor'tcd as a mtlection or_.m_~~
symmetry of the blo t. The Object or co ntent reported ~no specific
form reguirem_:::Y, as in clo uds, landscape, shadows, .etc.
Fr
Form -reflec:ion response. Used fo r ui1Swers in Which the blot er blo t
area is id~l!!ifi!!4 ~ ~ r·•c~ a mirror imae e. based on !he
syrnm~!!Y_ot, the blot. The sub, tance of the res ponse is based o n _['lr!!!..
.fi:~ and ihe o bject ,c1..ll'ted has a specific form d\;Ulaod.

- - -------
 34 A Rorschach Workbook for the Comprehensive System

CLARIFICATION

A FORM. Them am many ways in which a subjeel may specify t-he use of-form.
r;:;J Prnbably the loa,t frequent;, the u,e of the wo,d_/om,. lnstead, _people
l£.J
form often useof
features thethe
word shape,
object or more commonly, they simply allude to different
reported.

The examiner should .not be conr.e.med if the W©fds, "form," or "shape" are not
tJsed, provided· that the form characteristics to which the individ-.aJ rnfers are
obvious, as ii1, These are the wings, aruj the hody, and 1he lai~ or, 7hi.J is the head
and here are the legs, 411d this i$ the tree IJirink.

The absence of a spe€ifir; fenn- demand for an object does not necessarily mean
the absence of fbrm: For itistance, tho response a rain cloud might not include
any specifi~ foFm use as in, it's ju.st all black like a rain cloud, whk-h would be
<.:oded C'. Converst:ly, the subject might have saldi It's all irregular and rtwre
nanrow at the the lop lik" raili clbud.,, wruch Wll)uld l'>e cOded F.

The syrn_bol F Will always be inoludeo with the coding for other determinants
when form featu,es are used; excejii i.f the codc.s M, or m are tL~ only ones
assigned to aQ answer. Fonn is subsumed in the cooes M and -m .

The decision to eodo Fi!!! straightforward when no otl1er determinant is included

in the response. However, examiner$ Soip.ethneutrllggle with the isSUt; of -whetlje£
foJrm is ptimaqr OF seconcJaty:ift an,--ii.~-wei when
imQtbc-.t determinanL is involv«d,
0
1-li:is probably ectHFS most often wl1en chromatic ooJor i<i the other determinant
f Take, for example, the respori~e, A v'4>' pretty flower. The first explanation of
0
t,he client in the Inquiry is, Wel4 it's red like a rose af:l{/ this would be the petals and 'J
the stem is here. There is no question that chromatic color has been used, but the
issue lingers about whether it is primary or secondary'in forming the answer. The 0
combination of w~rds given in the response plus the first Inquiry explanation eou lei Q
t,.e used as a h<'lsis from which to argue in favor of either a CF or FC coding. ·

The examiner should attempt to resolve the issue by a prompt, such as, I'm not
sure I see it as you do, help me. lf the person responds to the prompt by saying,
J
It jus1 looks like a rose, see the petals and the stem, the coding of FC is most J
I

appropriate _as the new informatirm focusc:s on the form. Conversely, if lhe
rnsponse to tJ1e prompt is, lt'.f just sn pre11_v, like a brighr red rose, here are the petals,
the cod;ng
and not theofform.
CF is correct because the individual has re-emphasized the coloring

.)
Unfortunately, some people will respond L.J ar. !nqui;y prurript uy simply
J
rephrasing the things that have been stated earlier, such as, Well, it's iike a rose,
J-
J
'j
 Chapter 3: Determinants 35

it's red and has the petals and stem. When that occurs, the decision about whether
the form use is primary or secondary becomes a judgement call made by the
examiner.

In the example above, some examiners might decide to code CF, assuming that
form use is secondary because the word pretty was included in the original
response and the word red occurred first when the person identified the features
of the object. However, it can also be ar~ued that form use is primary in this
answer because the word pretty was not used again ir: the Inquiry, and the Inquiry
did not include any special emphasis on the color. This position, supporting the
coding of FC, is more conservative and, in this instance, is probably the more
appropriate. Nonetheless, the decision does remain a close judgement call.

The problem of differentiating primary versus secondary use of form will be

addressed again iri several sections of this chapter.

A MOVEMENT. The three codes for movement are quite discrete, and usually
JMl /EMJ J.mj easy to discriminate.
·~_liwnarrMovement is scored for all types of human activity which can range
from ver.y.active movemr-pt such as fighting, jumping, lifting, sawing, etc. to very
Rassive actfyity such as thinking, sleeping, ponde.ring, leaning, looki11g, ere.

Mis not.only coded for the inoveme!}t of human figures, but a1_4for hunian like
figures o r ~ / ; or inanimate.obiects m human activi()'. For example, 'Two bears
playing poker," or '!wo.m~e:cts arguing,",or "A very happy tree" are all scored M.

M is also scPCed when the response involves a sensory e:,q,erience, even though
it may be presented as an abstract, such as, 'That just reminds me of gloom," "It
looks like love to me," or "When I look at this/ hear a loud sound."

The alert student of the Rorschach will recognize that some, or all of these
responses might be formless, and represent those rare instances in which M is
assigned, but no code for form quality is entered.

FM· Animal movement is scored for all tvpes of animal activi!)'. However,
the type of movement must be common to the species. Animals that are reported
in activity that is not common to their species, such as "bears playing poker," "two
insects pushing a whee lbarrow," "a fish standing next to a tree," or ;: "a frog that
is flying" are sccred M.

m: Inanimate mo ;;e ment answers also span a very broad range. They are
probably idemifie d :r. ~,st easily when only the inanimate object is included in th e
 -r

36 A Rorae:.:iach Workbook ror the Comprehensive System

response such c1s, "A cloud rising," "A waterfall," "A flag flying in the breeze," "A~
bullet smashing through something," or "Flames leaping up."

In seme instances the inanimate movement is static. For example, "A wa.L<=
hanging on a gost," or "A skin _stretcnec1; _Of!! -~IJ. ~ry• are both scon:cJ m because ~
there it!J11 _uri11atura{ tension state. If the unnatural tension state does not exist, (,
as in "A rug laying o·n the floor," m would not be scored. For instance, "A hanged
man, dangling from a rope" is coded m, whereas "A dyad person, lying there" is not
coded m. On the (')tlier ham!, A dead person lying there, his head is tilted upw~rd, G
would be coded as an m response. The determination that an unnatural tens10n ,.
ti state exis~s when scoring stati~ objects as m is very important and if the verbiage C,
do~s not .. upport that detenrunat1on, m should· oot be- scbted. I',
. '1
Active-Passive Superscripts. A second coding that must be assigned to all t,
movement responses is a superscript tliac notes whether the movement is active
or passive (a for active, p for passive).

One of the more frustrating issues associate(j with the development of the C:
Comprehensive System ha$ involved attempts to establish precise criteria for the C
application of the a and p superscripts. That obj.ectivc has, neve1 been achieved.
Nevertheless, n:iost people do seem abJe to agree on the meaning of the terms
active and passive when applied to movement answers.

The agreement is especially high when a 'bendtittaF.k," otcomparativ.e reference

point is lJSed by eve~one. The verb tafking,i!s. P,1,'G_b,ibly tb.d best benchmark. Ii
should alwqys be codf!d Wi passive. It can serve,as·· a g06d reference in addressing
questionable responses. For example, Grbs such as-whispering, looking, standing,
slouc~, bending, sighing, etc. are easily defined as E_~iv~hen judged against
the he~ctl~ar~_ while@r~s s~ch as argumg,yelling, glariiig,:T.reaching, lifting, etc.
·are
. .,,
easily. identified as- actzvc m the same conte~
_.I
. .

Some movement responses are !!!_ways coded passive. They are the answe.r.s in
whicb the movement reported is static. TI1e static feature of the response is
created by a qualification to the answer, in which the QQject, or scene _r~~~- i~
described as an abstract, a caricat~re,~nting, or a picture. These are all coded
asp regardless of the description of the movement reported, such as, "An abstract
of fireworks," "A_.P..<!!.l!!ing Qf !Y!'.C>...4~s.fighting," or "A picture of two men lifting
s~mething~1p." .

Naturally, it is very impo_pant to make sure that the person has truly qu;;,:ifieG.
. a resP-Q.U.Se ra ther than simp~q1:1aflfying word as a manner oLad.iC1J..!.ation.
F~r instance;children- wi1foften use the words "picture" or "painting" in their
responses, referring to the t;ut raiher than to the response itself. Occasionally, an
examiner may not be sure if an individual is qualifying a response or is using an
 Chapter 3: Determinants 37
Octi'-latio., •fyle.. TyP;~Jfy, the latte, w;n oecm <epe.,le<JJy ;, •~emJ «•pome,,
look, hke
(It asked
be a p>et"<e
in the Inquiry.of a bat), b"t when ;,, do"bt,, elatify;ng q""'lion •ho"Jd

Active and Passive in the Same Response,. There are some, answers in which the
a andp superscripts are both assigned to the.same movement determinant. These
are responses in which two or more objects are described iii movement but at least
one is active while the other(s) are passive.

For example, "Two people dancing (active) around aperson standing (passive) in
the middle," is scored Ma-p_ . The detennjnant is e o ~ l y once and conntw
Qnly Qnce in.J1uuceduency-J~11y for M, but both superscripts are counted when
_.~lying the number of actiYeJmd passiye...!!Wvement answers;-

The assignment of both superscripts to a single' movement determinant is done

n w an one ob·ect is involved in the movement Some answe~1
be given in which the ~me object 1s mvplved .in , botl1 active and ,passive
movement, such as, •~ dog SIiting t ~ (pass1Ve)1iowll{lg at the moon (active)."
Wheri this occurs only thct,active mcivcm_!?,!!! is ~oded, FM 0 •

• C!fROMd'J1C COLOR. As.not~d earlier, the ~Ost common dilemma encoun-

[ip"·Cj ~cE]~·~·c .f~c
· _7·ter~ coding chromatic color responses in~olvcs t~e
· . c&tmctiun between J.C 1111d CF, or In the differentia-
tion between C aud c_F. ·The k-.eto
~-tl1e~e i~su~ p~obably rests most with the
accurate identification
.... . ,
of the CF
, . ..
. r.. ·

. ·+fri.J Th"<' • "'""'°'",;, rule of th•mb th,i"" be •pplied ea,ily tO ;<Jentify

CF answers. Most CF responses are readily distinguished because the
.ill! color is clearly evident,-and the form features _
emphasis spans-a consid~rable rang~. For ·example:
ars cJear!J, secandaqr. But that

REsPONSE
INQUIRY
A pretty flower
S: It's a beautiful orange w green leaves & ths is the stem
It's a forest of some sort
S: It's all different ·colored plants and trees
A very exotic bullerlly
S: It's a beautiful red, unusu~I in ils color, the wgs rout
Eggs fried in b UIICr
S: They'r yellow, lik fried In bu1tcr, c the yoke in the cntr
1 0
f these responses should be scored <-"'F becu_use in each the color is
Eac ! d only modest form use has occurred, But in each one the coJ_or was
dommant
not · an d unti'I in the Inquiry. In fact, any
ment1one . or a II coub Id h ave cIeve fop cd into
FC response,s Or even into Pure F answers as illustrated e ow.
1
 38 A Rorschach Workbook for the Comprehenslvo Sys1em

RESPONSE INQUIRY

A pretty flower S: Herc is the stem, these r 1hc leave.~, this is the flower,
its in a Po'·
E: U sald it is pretty?
S: Yes, it bas an orange flower

It's a forest or some sor1 S: U can c the shapes of some trees & bushes and this
might be a road running down the middle

A very exotic bunerfly S: It has very unusual win~, I think tht u fin:! ·;:gs shaped
lik thl on rare butterflies, some r rcd -100 Ilk ths is

Eggs flied" in butter S: Well; it- has an irregular- shape to II, like an egg does
after u break It & this is the yoke
E: U said fried in butter
S: Well, thyr yellow so I thol llty mlghl be frtecj, in butter

Three of these answers (flower, butterfly, eggs) would be scored FC because

color has been used, but the main emphasis js on (orm. The fourth (forest) is.
scored as F because nothing but form has bee;n i~clud~d and the.re is no key word
or phrase that might cause- the examiner to inj~ct a q1,1estiQtl.

-Other- respons~_piay appear to be Pure C ~s~ers at _first glance, but-the coding

of CF is. necessary 1'ei:a~s,e a mode_st _fonfr reqf"i_
t .~ment is inj~cted by the subject.
For example, the jtalicize,d wording in "that red looks like blood mnning down," or
•wow, loQ~ at all .tl:J,~ c0!0rs, like fu.ewerks &,g,lo~_ing·. oJlhf~rd," or "the .pink
reminds m~-ef
st~wb'eJIY ice ere.~ , t,wo·.,if<X?JJS," m!}kes ·-each of these CF
Fesponses even· though fo:r:in use is mirum'a]\. ' .
- . •- • . • • .. . ,• . •J.·-: .(

Quit~ ci_~~ri;-~~J~c~ _t~.at have-I],P-SJ>«:cifi9 fqim

demaniWill be CF,_ buLtliis is
f not a hard-fast rple. For-exampJd?·a person might say, 11zis green is, colorP.d-ii/ce
leaves, like ie_avesiC?.f' 1Jli&~t sec on bush: If no further form elaboration· occurs,
the answer sliciti.lC, 'bfcocled CF. However, the: response could be elaborated, as
in- 'lhk-g,:een, it's colored like a leaf, a leaf from a bush, like a·berry blr4Sh, sec the
way that i! comes to 'ii-p,iint like, what are ihey, raspqerrics 1thin~, they're shaped like
that. The more precise form elaboration would require n coding of FC.
• • .l

FC: The .main characteristic of the FC answer is the form emphasis. Often the
color use is almost as.a passing con1111enl •as in, There. rm: two people leaning toward
each ·otlier; ,whispering maybe, they have red hats 01 1. In other instances the col0r
is used more distinctly but remains secondary.to the form. · For instance, 17tes,· an:
two little pink mice, they are pink whw they are first hom, see their liu/e legs and the
head and a ·tail:

FC can al~o be the correct scoring for objccfr th:-11 usu ally an.: for111lt:.ss.
Consider the following three answers:

;J
\

0\
)

Chapter 3: Determinants 39

RESPONSE INQUIRY

The orange there cb fire S: It's the way that you see the orange flames when you
look at a fire

Thi orange re·me of fire S: The nrange looks like flames, sort of darting upward

Tht: orange II flames · S: Thyr darting uJ)wara, ,IJke you nilght see from a camp
fire in which -all the ·Jogs burn evenly creating a
symmetrical impr~loni like the burning on one side
is almost exactly the same as the burning on the other

The rrrst of the three answers would he scored C as there fs uu use of form. The
second should be scored CF because the words darting up h11ve injected a form
requirement. Tim third is clenrly an FC response.- 1n spite of .the fact that the
cplor was inentiened first in the answer, the ov:e'ra:If ernphasis in the response is on
ferm. ·

The majority of difficulties in discriminating the, <;JF frotn fC are c:reated.by the
hurried ex;uniner who dues not take the time·:to :iAquire the issue with one more j~
/ question. ' ·TIJe question ·selected should del~bera !el)i be vague, as in, / don't think J

· Pm seeing it like you-are, can you help me? oti Fthuik /-see it alright, but I'm nor
really siirt; whaNhere is that makes ii look that; _1}he~ead~ed .questions should
not be u_sed ·routinely, and they should ·no,t be expected to solve aJI of the CF
versus·FC dilemmas th.a t will arise. B.ut used wisely, ·they can resolve many issues
. . that can_f~com~ problems when the record is revievyed, . ·I
.. ·vie sJJ-Dawn Prhu;iple. The distinction between C and ·CF is usually less of
·adilemma. Th1;. C answers are often blatapt, -'!._'his red, it's 1ilce blood, all red like
· that, or Jils blue so it co_u ld be water, or Just a -lot ;Of different color~d paim, thar~·
· azi or /t~ ,f?lue;. liJ;e ice gets blue sometimes. These illustrations are the obvious C
. responses, but sometimes an object that 2rdin~ii1y, would bp sc()red as C must be
· coded as ;CF b~cause it is touching a formed o~ject. .
I
For ins·tance, The red must be blood, it's on the~e bears that are probably fighting
with each other. Whereas red blood would typically :bc coded C, the coding is
ste ed down one interval to CF because of the direct roxiroit toa
lorm
dominated object. ·If the response had been, 11110 . beflrs tlza: are fighting, m1ifffc
they tire hurt ~ecause this red back here in the background is like blood, the coding
would remain C beca 11se the blood is not on the bears, even though it is associated
with them.

ConFznning Color Use. Either of two circumstances can occur that lead to a
quandary about whether color has been used. First, many people will articulate:
color to denote the location of an object, such as, This red looks like a buue,fly or
7his: blue is like a spider. Neither of these statements warrants a decision to :ocl~
40 A Rorschach Workbook for the Comprehensive System

E' r lmth might ultimately

for color as both arc simply location definition s. it 1ier O . ., be
1
contain color, but if that is true, the prese nce <1I. co Ior ··1s ·1' dctc rmmant wou u
confirmed' by other wording.
.
The second c1rcumstnnce . morn [rustra 1mg
usually 1s - ,o, r the examiner. It occurs
.
be~nsc an individual hus rl!portr.d an ohject in a colored area of the blot, an~ 11
seems RI most certoin that color has Influenced the formation of the: answer. ul
the person has not reported the color, either directly or through implication.

A good illustrotion of this was noted earlier, This looks like a very beautiful
{tower. Irt tl)e Inquiry; the examlner bases the question on- the key wor?, You
memit'.Jned il is bcautiiul? to whkh the person re 9ponds, Yes, it looks very 111111 and
very delicQte. Color is not coded for this response, even thm1gh the entire area
used ~ight be colored . . The coding must reflect the verbalization of the client.

Direct Unequivocal Co[Qr Use. There are, seme respQpses in which the w~y that
a pe~ 9q _artlculates 8:. co_Jgr makes ll clear thnt the• color ·Is· being u~ed' os n
-·--uc(ej'jfiljffim;-Thele"11reinsta-nces irt which the color :.inti content converge directly.
For example:

.
Tha(,r~d. ,;,r,' looks like b/~o4·10 me
.
·Tlial orange ~ks /iu forest fut
' ' .•. '

.?Tlie·blue i.( t/J ~ater

J~e-gree,; is;the lcti .

th,~~-
' I

In :nswe;s :th~ · uie o'f color ~cems u11-equivocal i:d

should scqrcp.
Hqw~er, ~ost color us~ -is not so obvi.ous, even in many _responses in which the
be
cplor
.
•'ani:I
; \·.
content appeano
:
·converge. For example: ,. " ·
•i.That red could be blood
': '\.: .

, .' ;r1i_ : orange nilghi be afire .or something

-_ ,-

This _b/11e par(might be. water

The_grcr.1! p11~.is probably fl forest

In thes_e :responses, \lie pe rson has not been definite. Instead, th ere is cquiv0cH-
tion ·(coz.ild ,be, mig/11 be, LI· prul>ably). Thus, the examiner should inquire further
to test 1·he ccilor use by __asking, I'm 1101 :;11re 1vh i11 makes it look like ? or
What ls there dbow ir that make:; ir look like ___ ? ---

\
;
I
I
l

Chapter 3: Determinants 41

.A ACHROMATIC COLOR The issues concerning differentiation of the chromatic

W
&1
/C'F//FC'/ color.
color symbols are_also applicable for the cod!ng of achromatic
Achromatic color responses occur_w.ith a much lower
frequency than chromatic color answers, and the majority are FC' answers.

The criterion indicates that the use of the achromatic features of the hlOI, as
color, must b!f, gcar:...4IJJ.i••J.W.eq«iY.(}£fJJ. Fortunately, .most achromatic color
responses will include the words, "!Jlack," "white," or "grev," used in a manner that
settles the issue quickly. For instance, This bat is black, like most bats, or It's
white ·like snow, or It must be a shadow because it's all' grey. In each of these
answers the use of achromatic color is quite clear.

Two other·key words are often used to convey the use of achromatic colorJjghf__
and dark. Either may be used to denote color, but unfortunately,.c.ithe..r.may.llls.o...
be used to indkate.the.use..of..shad.ing.

For example, "It's all dark lik11 at night," indicatt:s -the use,-oL tlie grey-hlack
features as color, but, ''1t's all dark, like it is deeper here," indicates.the use of the
shading tc,
produce the impression of depth, which is c?4e.(I as vista; and "It's
/ighler up -here like at t~e top of a clouq," indic~tes lht: -use of diffuse shading.

Smoke and - a ses aim t either the use of achromatic

color or diffuse shading features, It is pp~s.iqle that either might be copeci as F
because the person f"1s
to articulate.grey-black features ev~n thougJHlle tcaminer
bas pos.ed a well th'ught through qtiestiCln, but the vast nfflity·of'smolfo and x-
ray answers will have a C' or Y component in the scoring.~ost people a·rticulate
either_smoke or x-ray responses using words ~ch as, It's dark like that. These
answers should be coded for achro~atic colo:;./

Occasionally, a person will say, '[!!~_~ay the col.ors are, and this may, or may not,
signal achromatic color. In these instance< s, tl).e examiner must pursue the issue
further with another question, such as repeating the person's words, or struggle
with the indecision about whether the response should be scored as diffuse shading
or achromatic color.

If the intent is not clear in responses that contain the words light or dark, or the \
phrase, the way the colors are, the coding for diffuse shading should be e ntered. I
Caution must also be used about the key words that convey achroma tic color,

lblack,: white, ~rey, l_ight, _o r dark, beca~se, sometii_nes, they simply denote _Jocat io
selectmn, as m, 'J'JIIS whue pan looks like... or 1hlS dark area could be ... f hus, as
in the case of chromatic color answers, the decision to code for achromatic color
11

hinges on the rule that the intent of the subject is clear and unequivocal.·
 , (

42 A Rorschach Workbook for the Comprehensive System

SHADING - TEXTURE. The decision to code shading appears to be easier for

r.:;:J I 'l'F 11 Fl' I the novice than the decision about which kind of shading has
W · · occurred'. The differentiation is really not complex, a nd can
be based on a process of elimination.

Th{text:u.re synibots)are used to code responses in which the _;;hading features

are employed to create a tactile impressiQ!1, as in,~' ~ h , ~th_z furry, wet,
~tc. The critical i"rne is that the e_erson must convey the use of shadmg features
m some way.
0
CMost people dttnot use tlfe-words1tad~. It is much ;;;.:;re co~on to .hc t t~e
word color employed, as ill; ?J:te way tlie colcrs-. are here., or, The tf.ifjeren~ cownn_g
is like that. h t other instances, a person may indicate, It's the way ~he lznes f! m
0

there, which can sound like-~ ontour use but really is a reference to different levels
of saturation. S.ome people, especially chiidren1 often rub the card to convey the
\ tactil~ impression, _an~ this is .,s._uffi,dent fo:
the coding of texture prowled that the .
, rubbmg occurs at a time when the verbiage used conveys some- sort of tactual _
feature for the object.
Under ideal conditions, an individual will indicate the tactile impression directly,
It !g_Qks._Jike it feeis soft, or, ~It looks like it would feel hot if you touched~it.
However, it is very imp6riartt to avoid tp.e assumption that a resportse.-shanld .bL
cooed as texture simply becaitise the conte~t ~plies that, i~, A pie~e ·of.fur, ot I
because a key word has bcert used that might rmply a tactile unpressmi1, such as
rough or cold.

A piece of fur ca~ be_ d~scribed as _Io~king like that because, It is all irregular
around the edg~, which 1~ :~nfp-1~ F. SUDilarl~, an area can be described as rough t
because, The Imes make_ ~t Look lzke there ar~ mdent~tions there, like bumpy, which
denotes the use of sbadm_g to convey t~e 1mpress1on· oi dimensionality'.. In the
same context, an area nugpt be descnbed as lookin.g cold because Th
• r
different s h a d es o,,Fblue, .["k . .
l e u:e gets when l!'s , .!ally cold. Shading . ·s
' ere are
· d b ·
· · · d"ffu h ct· 1 use , ut m
this case 1t 1s 1 •• s.e _s a. mg. and . no tactile • impression has b een inc · Iu d ed .
Conversely,
· h · textme would
· ,F •
.
b e coded
h "' 1f the response was , These d•H: h d
lJJ erent s . a es o,
,F
blue give t e ;mpress(on
· /"k · o, ice t at J eels really cold or if the
' h d
person a rubbed the ·
card when saymg, l e ice gets when it's really cold.

The subtle differences

· between texture and diffuse s,·h·d d'mg or texture and v·sta
1
·
can often be perplexmg and und erscore the imoo
· r t'a .;ce
. o f ·'a good Inquiry.
• · '

A ~-. [EYJ
SHADING - VISTA.h The vista symbols are ass·igne d when the shad · f
11 VF I F"v ave been used to create'th 1. n . -- mg eatures
[y] LYKJ . 10
siona)jty as in, It's down in e t~,,re s~ n
1
°~
depth or dimen-
edges, h 's h1gher than, It's folded over It's ,., s ?ehmd, Its rounded at the
, - un a~. ·al view uf... etc.
,
-=----- 0
,.. ,
l

t
,
t,
__ --
I

t Chapter 3: Determinants 43

Usually, the presence of the de th or dimension impression is obvious, and the

.- '
task of the examiner is to determine if it is based on t es a mg or if the impression
is simply created beca e th · e or the contour eatures o 7/ie blot. When the
latter occurs~ the coding is 'D and not vista.

The most troublesome differentiatious concerning vista are those involving the
eossibility of texture. For instance, it is relatively easy to discriminate the
) mountain range (vista) from rough sandpaper (texture), but sometimes words like
bumpy, indented, or rough can imply either vista or texture.
)
'l For example, This looks like the brain, see the way the lines are there gives the
impression of the convolutions, it looks very bumpy. This is a vista answer because
)
the shading is used (the way the lines. ate) and there is no implication of tactile
) impression (it looks very bumpy). If the response had been, ...it looks like it would
feel very bumpy if you touch it, texture would be coded instead cf vista.
)
. .

At times, the dimensional quality of a response is subtle and examiners should ,,..
be alert to the necessity of asking a relevant Inquiry question. For instance, a :
.. ·:·;~sponse to Card IV might be, Anionster with his heatf betwe.en his legs. This
might convey dimensionality, eithez: based on form or based on shading. In either
event, the examiner must pursue the issue with a question such as, Thu said his
head is between his legs?

f .A. SHADING - DIFFUSE. Any shadingresplnse-that is not texture or vista is

IYI IYFIIFY I_cod~d ;s diffuse shading~~Ost ofthese decisions are ref~_tive1y .
· · - strrughtforward, although m some cases, as noted earner, a
person may use words such as light, dark, blackness, .etc., in an equivocal manner,
implying either achromatic color or diffuse shading. In those instances, the rule
concerning achromatic color forces the decision. Namely, unless the examiner is
convinced that the light or dark features are being used as achromatic color, the
coding for diffuse shading should be assigned.

·sometimes pe;ople convey diffuse shadilig by mentioning a contrast iP coiors as

in: The different pinh makes il look rot/en, or It has different greys in it, like dun·,,g
a stomi, or The way the coloring comes together gives Lhe ,impression of dried blood,
or The colors are mixed here, like in a fmger painting. '

A FORM DMENSION. FD is cu<leci for answers that involve impres•ions ct depth,

/ .,-,~ distance, or uimen:;ion ihat are not based on shading features. Usually, size
differentiation is the contributing element, such as, The feet 1re so much
hif!j!,cr than the hend, he musr ·be.Jying Llow11, ur It's su small, it m11st be ·way '1ff in
tl1c distam:e, or ft looks like it's in' p~rspective, like I'm lookirig up at him.
 44 A Rorschach Workbook for the Comprehensive System

Sometimes, the absence of some features of an object are translated pY the

imliviJual to mean that depth or <limeusionality exists, as in, I can only see the leg
[ and part of tne arm, so it must be behind this ... These answers are also scored FD.

Some FD answers can be rtlucl'i ftlore subtle and examiners often will have to
work hard to d.etermine if they really should be scored for dimension. For
example, a response might be, A person standing with a hood on. The issue which
must be inquired concerns whether the hood covers anything, such as the face or
part of it, and if so, what gives that impression. In some instances, the hood will
be a two dimensional feature, but in o.ther responses a peFSon will report that, You
can only see part o.f the face. This is an FD answer.

A PAIRS AND REFLECTIONS. Ench of these represents n response in whfoh the

.J person has used the symmetiy of the blot to specify two identical objects.

Pairs are often reported as,

Thent· are two... ," but in many instances the
U/4JJ word two is not included. Instead; a plural of the object may be used as-
in, bears, dogs, people, or a synonym for two may be employed, such as, A couple
of.. Sometimes, a person will- allude to only one object _in the response; This
l looks lik~ a dog, and the_n note .that,_ There is_ _one _on eac;h side, in the .Inquiry.
f When this occurs, the parr should be coded.

In rare instances, an mctividuaf may report that a pair exi~, This looks like two
people, but later in the response, or in the Inquiry will di~rentlate the two, It
l.ooks like a man and a woman. If the objects are differentinted in a n ~ i s
one is bigger, this one is fatter, this one is darker, etc.), the pair .is not coded.
. . . t
·The coding for a pair (2) is placed well to tf1e right of other determinants, and
after the coding for form quality" :This makes-them·easier to identify during the
frequency tabulation.

r:;:;7 The coding of the reflection includes the same requirements as .t he .

L£.!J L.IT.J coding for the pair, that .is, symmet · must be involved and the
objects identical, but the ~rson also reports the object as being reflecte , or a
a mirror imMe. For example, Someone loo/.ing in the mirror, An animal seeing his
reflection in a 'take, or This is all being reflected in the water.

In each instance, the reflec1ion must be based on symmetry and the objects, by
word or implication, are identical. Whereas the c ; 0 or a air is reccm:te&
separately, to the right of the determinant coding, the reflection codesJr and r
are included in the determinant segment of the coding. A pair is n0t r ~
when the reflection determinant is scored. "
 Chapter 3: Determinants 45

MULTIPLE DETERMINANTS - THE BLEND

Most records will contain at least one response in which more than ong_
,.®tenninant exists. This is the Blend. Each determinant is shown in the codin~
separatcJ from each other .!2Y a dot (.) or Blend sifI!!_. · For instance, MP.FCFr
notes that the response contains passive hi,mao. intwem_c*, a, form dominated
col.or feature, and a reflection. ,..,.

Theoretically, there is no limit to the number of determinant combinations that

mig~ occur.(~1ost blends will include two deteri;nj~apt,s;J~l#ougb many will have
thre,$: Mpre than t,hree d.eterminants is v.ery unusual, and as a general rnle,
r_es an three determinants rei::orded slmwd be revi~wed again
t.o insure coding ·accuracy. Nonetheless, soriw ·a~_S)V(?rs are vexy comP. ·an9 tl1 s
compJeXity Will be tepresented in the blend, suc:11- as; ).ff-.mP.ckFT.FD~ wJuch
signifies that the •response contains active hum·fui ·:movement, p~sive inanjmate
movement; a chromatic color form related answer, texture, and
. ' . ..
form
dimension.

·· ~-~-- "_._·,B teridnhoµId ·'oe c;,ded'in--thirordertltiit-ifie a~iennmanishave a eared in the

0

• '

[eiponie~ ·<for :ex~ple; 'if the subject r~po,rt~, ~'TJ1~r,~ 'js a· fire' (Jater.clai:i~~d·to e
'lltased<on 0"Chr~ma{i~~C<?~~r), and there,js a.b,?tte~yfpyi1_1g pverit," Jhe blend would ·
be CFM • ,J0.1Hhe•other·hand, if the re~ponse has been, 'There js a . buttert'/y
· · ••flying over a·fire;"' the' _blend would be Fl(f a. C. ., .

. •. .JU~eJJjeJ ·uiitisua ..- : . '• . . r F:to b~ inlluded se arately in

---:-::;:-;r;-a~Jend~' Asstiming~that such a response is coded COffCCtly, it ·~ignals some sort O
.,:.. JI ¥Cry COtjcr.ete~gnidve functioning, becam;e this-t!dding iiuJicates·that more than
. ·"·'.'one ,ob ·e"ct ha " "' - . - •. . answer but no
relationship has been s eci !Ef.

For example, There are two people, and a hutte_rfly, .arid_ they arc picking something
up. This' r.espon~e almp,st sounds like two response~; onecoI_1ceruing two P,eople
, ' and the second the 'butterfly. The examiner must exercise caution to insure that
' ,this is ·not :the:case. The In9uiry to this answer .may .provide 'the best ill~str~ tion:
E: (Rpts Ss response)
S: Yes, here are the people, sec their heads an 1 ' legs
E: You mentioned that there is a bu11ert1y there
S: Yes, right in 11{e middle
E: You mcmioned thai the people arc picking something up
S: Yeah, this here, maybe it's a pol
E: I'm not sure I'm seeing the buuerny like you lll'C
S: It's right there, see it lrns wings

The procequre for the Inquiry ha~ been tc take each component in the order
in
that they were given the response. The butte:fly ;1as been querieJ twice. The
person has reaffirmed the people, something that they are picking up, and the
 46 A Rorschach Workbook for the Comprehensive System .

butterfly. But there is no integration of the butterfly with the people or the pot.
0
Consequently, the appropriate coding is M .F.

Had the butterfly been mentioned last in the origjnal response, These are two
people picking something up, and there is a butterfly there, the examiner should ask,
al the beginning of the Inquiry, after repeatiqg the response verbatim, Did you
mean those as separate answers? However, wlten the unrelated object has been ·
injected in the midst of an answer, that question is not appropriate. Instead, the
examiner must att~mpt to address, the issue Jess directly, as in the illustration, by
asking something,specific about .e.acli of the oomponf:jnts in, the. r.esponse. This
tactic w:11 usua:tlY, cause the person to indica,te, / didn't mea.n them together; but-
whim t.l;lat does. runt or.our, thlll entry Qf F, a1ono in a blA!:t1d, i.s: t.orte:~t.

It isalso -urttisual, but not impmsibl'e for a blend m corttain: mote th-arron<f ld'nd· .
6>f shaditig cle'termirtanr, .suth as· or FT.FY., but word c~ution is :.., Pm of
't
~eq~ired. The f~,111.e we>;rds or phrase fatmat b.e. cod,ed.twi<fe.: f~t ~amplf! ·These
d~tk:~~?~~ft!!ljc'ifi/~blifotiy,:()_~ei~ dte teropta-!ion to cotfsf~~fdfffris~-·shading_
(d'ark wa'1Y 1t11~~):as·we1f,as text~ (1\ltry), bf.tt it -is•·fttc:fd;uk wav(lines.:ttrat creat~
t~ .ta._ettl~'lli~t~ ssfett
• --:.•• • • , ,_ ' •• _;,' • ; V ,.1,/ 1 •
·

_A,blen'd 't~~t::~iriipossifJ1e ;is one:ront::1lnlng .m70 or,.~!)f/;.:liCHfe!i f<)r·the sawe {_(

deJ~trfrin:ahksu~h:,fisJF<;::.e);.~ fY;Yf;-~r:Ft':C'. ..These ~
Me·eri6:rieoiis!sc'6ies!'. . It -~
-~~. is oo~ifutt:,~ome:ansvi~ci' might tf)pta:in mu1tip1e objec~-,-tha~ .~ouJd ,gualify(for · ,·
-,> v duf~en_~!~jeg~rlet,i~~;~~:ts!i$e ''.ije}i~~~t. j4o~e~r;.•nr time :a,'.i t~pon~e ·-,-ti
,:,:
~ -r
coiitAfrt~:~l~e.pi~tt~at~~:fo,1~~~t~ii'.t ~te.gones :of,the~~e.'determinani, the , ,:~
:, • co,:Je th~t'::4- Jtvolyes',Jhe.;!tast forlfr -eriipha.s1s ;should :be used. . . .
' ~i\.. ~ •~.:•.,.•, ,
"C • ' "-"r••- ~• ..-• - •"'-•-,_.,,
> ,_ • . • •: . • ~ •• ... .,o , , _ ,. , . , . . . _ ....::,..., . . . I

... .l~:it~f~,1~1~~~:h~t~i~~s~,r1a,t~a,~ ~{t,~il:dlia({Oll,'·'~~ .a~_fi.;;{;ii -afaa1~re- .

re.4 l!(}~rzlJ.Jre,;ft-!J~nQa,(}?J:14f.rn:~<Qfdl,fl.t?,1!,IY :the red lzf:ll.'i
l>e.scor~d-.FC -b~t .. ' Li
~t(AF~f~R§ficis:~"~j,:~if ~ _f~~ji~l)ent, 'iheJed down _fiei~ '4 blood an _· the~. . '~
ftiJi~, >tljf~J!i.~eftws>tild :be -~e9~tt,FM~-CF; -~

A svi(~f:~{~!;b~;l~ -'b~ tlbvicnts -~al·mas~ery_ot thp. crite_ri~ ·for oeteffi!inants }(

·1;
,, is cr~~~;il}tf ~~~ ~iq~akadmirifotrat},on of ,the fos_t. That ~owledge f6fqi~ :~c .(
~~-·
t :.
~' }?a~l~:fdr ~~~~_oll_lpet~~l !1;1!Jui!Y \\fhich;_in turi:i, l(?ads 'to correct coding, and..iofrect ,..,
t, detehpipipfcqcHii~ uHimat~ly ·provides so'me of the richest interpretive data 'that i(
I
•. is gleap~d.:fro,fn the test. . .
:'-,· ;,
' ·, ·. , . . · ' . . ._·.