# Rorschach Ink Blot Test? How does it work?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rorschach-ink-blot-test-how-does-it-work/212121
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [November 8, 2003, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rorschach-ink-blot-test-how-does-it-work/212121 "2003-11-08T22:17:41Z")
**Posts on this page:** 7
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Jodocus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jodocus)
#### Post date: [November 8, 2003, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rorschach-ink-blot-test-how-does-it-work/212121/1 "2003-11-08T22:17:41Z")
I was wondering how shrinks use this test to determine whether someone is nuts or not. I am also curious about how they use word association test to determine someones mental state as well.
Thanks for the info!
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### Author:  [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)
#### Post date: [November 8, 2003, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rorschach-ink-blot-test-how-does-it-work/212121/2 "2003-11-08T22:29:28Z")
A recent thread on one of your subjects, with some links: [The inkblot test - what is it for?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=218010)
[Here](http://skepdic.com/inkblot.html) is the Skepdic’s Dictionary entry on the Rorschach Ink Blot Test.
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### Author:  [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)
#### Post date: [November 8, 2003, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rorschach-ink-blot-test-how-does-it-work/212121/3 "2003-11-08T23:24:14Z")
Recent issues of Skeptical Inquirer have also published articles about the Rorschach. I haven’t saved them, but basically, there’s no science behind it. The “success” of early practitioners was based on conscious or or unconscious cold (or warm) reading techniques.
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### Author:  [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)
#### Post date: [November 9, 2003, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rorschach-ink-blot-test-how-does-it-work/212121/4 "2003-11-09T00:38:53Z")
You are supposed to give creative answers like “I see a vagina hacked up with a machete belonging to a disembowelled woman who has been tortured to death”. Those who administer the tests give extra points for such creative answers. 😉
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### Author:  [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)
#### Post date: [November 9, 2003, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rorschach-ink-blot-test-how-does-it-work/212121/5 "2003-11-09T04:27:56Z")
Dog.
With head split in half.
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### Author:  [@Meeko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meeko)
#### Post date: [November 9, 2003, 6:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rorschach-ink-blot-test-how-does-it-work/212121/6 "2003-11-09T06:30:39Z")
In short,
It doesn’t.
-Meeko
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### Author:  [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)
#### Post date: [November 9, 2003, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rorschach-ink-blot-test-how-does-it-work/212121/7 "2003-11-09T15:24:52Z")
This has been discussed recently, so I’ll close this thread and direct further comment to thread linked to above by **Ringo**.
bibliophage
moderator GQ