Rorschach test

[rawr-shahk, rohr-]

noun

Psychology.

1. a test for revealing the underlying personality structure of an individual by the use of a standard series of 10 inkblot designs to which the subject responds by telling what image or emotion each design evokes.

Rorschach test

/ ˈrɔrʃax, ˈrɔːʃɑːk /

noun

1. psychol a personality test consisting of a number of unstructured ink blots presented for interpretation

Rorschach test

1. A psychological test in which a subject's interpretations of a series of standard inkblots are analyzed as an indication of personality traits, preoccupations, and conflicts. The test is named after its inventor, Swiss psychiatrist and neurologist Hermann Rorschach (1884–1922).

Rorschach test

1. A test for personality traits that relies on the subject's interpretations of a series of inkblots. The test was developed by Hermann Rorschach, a Swiss psychiatrist of the twentieth century.

Word History and Origins

Origin of Rorschach test¹

1925–30; named after Hermann Rorschach (1884–1922), Swiss psychiatrist

Word History and Origins

Origin of Rorschach test¹

C20: named after Hermann Rorschach (1884–1922), Swiss psychiatrist

Example Sentences

With the devastating prospect of a labor apocalypse threatening baseball’s future, the Milwaukee Brewers have emerged as a major-league Rorschach test.

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But Hess noted that the compact has become something of a “Rorschach test.”

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“It’s a Rorschach test of how it resonates with a viewer based on their own experience,” Lower says of her character’s neutral expression.

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But one particular photo of Kabosu in 2010 broke through: eyebrows raised and with a look, much like a Rorschach test, that could be read as knowing, mischievous or amused.

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The government app — known as CBP One — has become a key piece of that debate, and a sort of Rorschach test.

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