Creativity and Emotional Distress on the Rorschach Test
Abstract
While the relationship between creativity and emotional distress has been extensively reviewed, little research has been done on creativity as demonstrated in the Rorschach test. Forty participants were administered the Rorschach as well as the Remote Associates Test (RAT) of verbal creativity. A significant correlation was found between the RAT and the following Rorschach variables: FQminus, (H)+(Hd), M none, MOR, and DEPI. The present findings call for caution when attributing emotional distress on the basis of Rorschach measures, since these measures are also indicative of the individual’s creative strengths. These results concur with recent literature that found a connection between emotional distress and creativity.
Although a positive relation between creativity and psychological problems has often been observed, there have been few studies focusing on creativity and the Rorschach test since researchers have shown more interest in creativity assessed by other means.
Creativity has been defined in various ways. King and Pope (1999), for example, defined creativity as the ability to bring something new into existence, or as the ability to produce novel material when presented with common stimuli.
Witztum and Lerner (2009) reviewed the history of the connection between madness and creativity. From their review, which included a variety of studies among them biographical works of famous artists, it appears that the rate and intensity of psychopathological syndromes is higher in artists, especially in writers, and even more so in poets. Ludwig (1992) studied approximately 1,000 biographies of famous people and discovered a 77% rate of depression in poets, in comparison to 0% in scientific researchers. He claimed that the correlation between emotional distress and creativity is shaped like an upside-down U, that is, very strong in the middle of the curve when emotional distress is mild, but the correlation weakens as the disturbance becomes stronger. Prentky (1989) reviewed studies examining the relationship between creativity and psychopathology and found that the distinguishing feature between psychopathology and creativity is control. While psychotic thinking is capricious and derelict, creative thinking is aimed at a target.
Two large epidemiological studies provide further evidence of the association between mental problems and creativity: Kyaga et al. (2011, 2012) found that patients with schizophrenia and bipolar disorders are overrepresented in artistic and scientific professions, and that being an author increases the likelihood of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, unipolar depression, anxiety disorders, substance abuse, and suicide.
Based on the relationship between creativity and mental disorders, one would expect evidence of mental difficulties in creative people. This together with evidence of creativity could therefore be demonstrated by the Rorschach test, which is commonly applied to reveal psychopathology as well as strengths.
Ferracuti, Cannoni, Burla, and Lazzari (1999) compared the Rorschach test and the Torrance test, which is widely used for assessing creativity. Their results showed that the verbal subtests of the Torrance test were positively related both to space responses (S) and responses with unusual form quality (FQu), while nonverbal measures were positively related with the number of synthesized responses (DQ+). The space and form quality responses represented situations of “thinking outside of the box.” In FQu the subjects gave an unusual response, which was, however, easily recognized by the observer. In S responses, the subjects referred to the white part of the inkblot, a response that is associated with oppositionality, individualism, and/or creativity. Ferracuti et al. (1999) failed to find an association between measures of fluency in the Torrance test and the number of responses in the Rorschach test (R).
Human movement (M) indicates the subject’s ability to see something that is not on the card. Ferracuti et al. (1999) did not find a relationship between M and creativity. By contrast, Dudek (1968) found that numerous M responses reflected greater ease in expressing creativity.
Ferracuti et al. (1999) and Singh, Majhi, and Singh (2007) examined popular responses (P) and found them to be related to creativity. Kogan (2008) explained the relationship between popular responses and creativity by the notion that only when subjects have fully exploited their “regular” responses will they start responding more creatively.
Synthesized responses (DQ+) assess the capacity of original synthesis whereby the subject combines two images into one new image, which is a creative activity. King and Pope (1999) anticipated a relation between DQ+ and creativity, since DQ+ indicates complex thinking, which is related to creativity. This measure was also found by Ferracuti et al. (1999) to be related to creativity.
Franklin and Cornell (1997) evaluated the adjustment levels of teenage girls enrolled in an early college entrance program. The surprising finding in this study was that the Perceptual Thinking Index (PTI) was found to be related with positive emotional adjustment. A deeper analysis of the PTI values, which were higher for these girls, showed that their form quality values were low, that is, they had significantly more FQu and FQminus responses. The authors saw these results as a form of “adaptive regression” that reflects a creative and imaginative orientation to the task.
Shimonaka and Nakazato (1991) used the Rorschach to examine personality changes in older people by performing six measurements over 10 years. A decline in creativity was observed over time, as reflected in a decrease in the variety of contents used. Maintaining the idea that the variety of contents reflects creativity, the present study examined a Sum of Contents measure, calculated as the sum of contents given by the subject, in the belief that this is related to creativity.
Responses involving human figures that are fictional or mythological – (H) and (Hd) – have not been the aim of previous research. These responses are understood as being related to difficulties in identifying with real persons in the life of the individual. On the other hand, they are potential measures of creativity as they require a greater deal of imagination.
Thus, the first aim of the present study was to contribute to the understanding of how creativity can be manifested in the Rorschach scores. To this purpose, we attempted to reproduce previous findings and examine new variables. The reviewed literature found a relationship between the following Comprehensive System (CS) variables: FQu, DQ+, P, S, and various measures of creativity. Regarding FQminus and Sum of Contents, we can infer a relationship to creativity, even though the cited studies did not use a measure of creativity. M has yielded equivocal results and one more variable – (H)+(Hd) – has not been previously studied.
A further purpose of the present study was to investigate the train of research showing a connection between emotional distress and creativity in light of the Rorschach measures. If psychological problems and creativity are related, several characteristics of a creative individual can be foreseen. Firstly, the creative individual is expected to be a self-conscious person, reflected by the FD measure – a measure of introspective ability – and to have a negative self-perception. This self-perception will be represented by the Rorschach MOR measure, assigned to responses that include something ruined, dysfunctional, or hurt and reflect the subject’s self as such. When this measure is present, it implies that the subject is introspecting in a painful manner (Weiner, 2003). Secondly, abstract, amorphous responses coded as M none can be anticipated. These responses occur when intense emotions interfere with clarity of thinking (Exner, 2003). It is also anticipated that the subject will be despondent and suffer from emotional difficulties, checked by the Depression Index (DEPI). Finally, the subject is expected to try to overcome difficulties using sublimation (the act of creation) and intellectualization. The Intellectualization Index (INTEL) offers information regarding the use of a pseudointellectual process that serves to conceal or deny the presence of unwanted feelings (Exner, 2003).
In summary, the present research hypothesized that a positive correlation will be found between the RAT and the following Rorschach measures: P, DQ+, FQminus, FQu, Sum of Contents, M, S, and fictional human figures, (H) + (Hd). In addition, and assuming that there is an association between mental distress and creativity, the present study predicted that positive correlations will be found between the RAT and the DEPI, MOR, FD, INTEL, and M none measures of the Rorschach test.
Method
Selection of Comprehensive System Variables
- –FQminus: Form quality minus answers represent a disregard for or distortion of reality (Exner, 2000).
- –FQu: These are unusual responses easily identified. The proportion of these answers that appear in a protocol represents a tendency to disregard convention (Exner, 2000). Ferracuti et al. (1999) showed that the Torrance test (used for assessing creativity) was positively related to unusual form quality. Franklin and Cornell (1997) found that teenage girls with high emotional adjustment had significantly more FQu and FQminus responses. They claimed that in this group of high-ability adolescent females, these variables could be related to creativity. As virtually no thinking disturbances were noted in these samples, but rather overly original responses, it seems that these two variables also reflect creative thinking. Therefore, we predicted FQminus and FQu to be positively correlated with the RAT test.
- –P: The Popular responses provide information concerning the likelihood that the person will make obvious, customary, or conventional responses in situations where accepted behaviors are easily identified (Exner, 2000). When a subject is given a task with multiple items, we assume he or she will first express the obvious and gradually give more creative responses. Banal responses evoke an abrasive feeling in the subject, who then tries to express more unique responses (Houston & Mednick, 1963). Ferracuti et al. (1999) and Singh et al. (2007) found these responses to be related to creativity and thus we also expected the number of popular responses to be positively correlated with the RAT.
- –DQ+: Synthesized responses in the Rorschach represent the highest form of analysis and synthesis, and occur more frequently among well-educated and/or more psychologically complex people (Exner, 2000). In these responses the subject combines two images into a new one, which is a creative activity. King and Pope (1999) and Ferracuti et al. (1999) found DQ+ to be related to creativity, thereby confirming this prediction. We expected to replicate this finding with the RAT.
- –M: Human movement responses are related to abstract thinking and ideation (Exner, 2003); however, empirical findings about the relation between M and creativity are equivocal. In the present study we examined the relationship between M and the RAT test of creativity.
- –(H) + (Hd): Responses involving human figures that are fictional or mythological are likely to be selected with a higher frequency by those whose self-image is based less on identification with real persons and more on imagination or internal representations that coincide less with reality (Exner, 2000). These variables have not been the goal of previous research; however, we propose that they might be related to creativity because they involve a greater deal of imagination.
- –S: Space responses. The reversal of figure and ground, or the integration of figure and ground, can be thought of as representing a sense of individuality. If the number of S responses is excessive, this might reflect negativism, oppositionality, and even anger (Exner, 2000). Ferracuti et al. (1999) showed that space responses were positively related to the Torrance test, and therefore we can assume that these responses might reflect “thinking outside the box” or creative thinking. We believe that S responses will be positively correlated with RAT.
- –Sum of Contents: This variable is not measured in the CS and will be calculated as the sum of content categories given by the subject. Shimonaka and Nakazato (1991) computed this variable to show that a decline in creativity in older people is reflected in a decrease in the number of contents used. We hypothesized that this variable is positively related to creativity.
- –FD: These answers are related to a proclivity for introspection. Generally they have a positive meaning, unless they occur with substantial frequency in which case they reflect a form of rumination and can breed unpleasant emotions (Exner, 2000).
- –DEPI: The Depression Index reflects emotional difficulties rather than clinical depression as previously thought (Jørgensen, Andersen, & Dam, 2000).
- –MOR: Morbid responses in the Rorschach are related to a pessimistic ideation and almost always reveal some of the negative impressions a person has about themselves (Exner, 2000).
- –M none: These answers represent instances in which the contour has been disregarded in favor of some internal prompting. They entail the use of chromatic colors, but some involve achromatic or shading features. Both are related to strong affects. M none represents ideational activity that probably is not well controlled (Exner, 2003).
- –INTEL: The Intellectualization Index offers information regarding the use of a pseudointellectual process that serves to conceal or deny the presence of unwanted feelings (Exner, 2003).
The last five variables – FD, DEPI, MOR, M none, and INTEL – are related to affective problems. On the basis of the assumption that creative people are more prone to emotional distress, we hypothesized a positive relation between these variables and the RAT.
Participants
The study comprised a nonclinical sample of 40 young adults (aged 20–35 years) who volunteered: 15 men and 25 women. The average age of participants was 28.7 years, with a standard deviation of 3.4. Participants were recruited for the study by advertisements posted online and on bulletin boards at Tel Aviv University.
Instruments
The Rorschach Test
In the present study, we used Exner’s Comprehensive System (CS; Exner, 2003), the reliability of which has been well established (Meyer et al., 2002) and the validity of which is comparable to other psychological assessment instruments (Meyer & Archer, 2001). Concerning the measures used in the study, the most updated meta-analysis of the validity of Rorschach CS variables found excellent support for M, FQminus, and DQ+, good support for R, MOR, and P, modest support for FQu, S, and DEPI, little support for FD, and no evidence (due to a lack of studies) in the case of M none, INTEL, and (H) + (Hd) variables (Meyer, Dumitrascu, & Bombel, 2013). The Sum of Contents variable is not scored in the CS.
Remote Associates Test
The RAT was developed by Mednick in 1963 (Mednick, 1963, Mednick & Mednick, 1967) and was chosen for the present study because of its high validity. The rationale underlying this test is that originality is discerned by finding a new way to relate familiar stimuli not previously related to one another (Levin, 1973). The Hebrew version of this test (Levin, 1973) requires subjects to respond to 25 items in 20 min. Each item contains three unrelated words, and the subject is asked to find a word related to all three. The reliability of this test was examined by Mednick (1963), who obtained Spearman–Brown correlations of .92 and .91. The validity of this test was examined by Forbach and Evans (1981), who found a correlation between the test and measures of fluency, flexibility, and originality even after controlling for verbal intelligence. In the Hebrew version, the K–R (Kuder–Richardson) reliability was .81 to .86. In terms of validity, the correlation between this test and the shape invention test of creativity was .31, which is double the correlation between the shape invention test and IQ tests (Levin, 1973).
Procedures
Each participant was first administered a Rorschach test, since this test is the most sensitive to foreign influences. Subsequently, subjects answered the RAT.
Rorschach Administration and Scoring
The test was administered and scored according to the CS (Exner, 2003). The Rorschach was administered by clinical psychology graduate students, who are proficient at giving this test and received additional guidance for the present study.
Reliability of Rorschach Scoring
In order to examine interrater reliability, 13 protocols (33%) were randomly selected and blindly rescored by a senior clinical psychologist and licensed supervisor in psychological assessment. To assess the reliability of the CS scores under investigation, we calculated intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) using a one-way random effects model (McGraw & Wong, 1996; Shrout & Fleiss, 1979). Out of 13 variables, 12 variables showed an excellent reliability score (r ≥ .75), and the remaining one showed a very good reliability score (r = .74, see Table 1 ).
Statistical Analyses
The psychometric properties of Rorschach variables and their correlations with number of responses are shown in Table 2 . For those variables with skewness or kurtosis exceeding two standard errors, we performed Spearman’s correlations instead of Pearson’s. We used t tests for independent samples to compare the present sample with normative data in the CS variables. Two-tail significance levels were provided. All statistical calculations were performed using SPSS 18.0 for Windows.
Subjects in our sample did not differ from a normative Israeli sample of university students (Berant, 2007) in most CS variables included in our study: Means and ranges were similar in both samples (see Table 3 ). Among the Rorschach variables that were the subject of our study, only three (S, DEPI, and INTEL) were higher in our sample compared with the norms (see Table 3). The percentage of subjects falling into the pathological range was higher for our sample – S > 2: 65%, DEPI ≥ 5: 55%, and INTEL Index > 5: 15% – than in the Israeli normative sample percentages, which are 40%, 22%, and 6%, respectively. Since high Lambda scores are characteristic of defensive protocols or avoidant style, and in both cases make interpretation more difficult, we assessed the magnitude of this score in our sample and compared it with the normative sample. The Lambda value was significantly lower in the study sample, and only one subject had a Lambda score greater than 1, which points to a greater openness to experience in our group. Our sample also provided an average of four more responses per protocol. The mean for the RAT test was no different to a normative Israeli sample of university students (Levin & Nevo, 1978; see Table 3). No gender effects were found in the variables of the study.
Results
The results for the correlations between the RAT and Rorschach measures relevant to our assumptions are shown in Table 4 . In order to correct possible bias, the variables that significantly correlated with the number of responses (M none, P, Sum of Contents, and M) or even approached significance ([(H) + (Hd)], S, and INTEL) were divided by R and then we performed Spearman’s correlations.
According to our hypotheses, a significant correlation corresponding to a medium effect size was found between FQminus measures and the RAT score. Contrary to research hypotheses, no correlations were found between M, P, DQ+, S, and Sum Content variables and the RAT score. Furthermore, the FQu measure was found to have a significant but negative correlation with RAT scores.
In accordance with the hypotheses, significant correlations were found between (H)+(Hd), DEPI Index, M none, and MOR and the RAT score, the first two showing medium–large effect sizes. Contrary to the predictions, no significant correlations were found between INTEL and FD variables and the RAT scores. The WSum6 measure, which was examined as a control for the FQminus, was found to be uncorrelated with the RAT (r = –.002, not significant).
Discussion
The present study found creativity to be related to the CS variables of FQminus and (H)+(Hd). The study also found signs of mental distress associated with creativity – DEPI, MOR, and M none – which supports the contention that there is a connection between creativity and psychopathology. Furthermore, unlike previous studies that focused on clinical populations (Kyaga et al., 2011, 2012), the present study provides empirical evidence among a nonclinical sample representative of a young normative population.
The finding that FQminus is significantly correlated with the RAT creativity test is interesting since the classic indication of FQminus is the difficulty to perceive reality. The current results support Franklin and Cornell’s (1997) hypothesis that FQminus, which they found to be correlated with good adaptation, can indicate creativity. Furthermore, the finding of the present study is consistent with Mednick (1963), who claimed that the level of originality of a given response is inversely correlated with its frequency in the population.
FQu was not found to be positively correlated with creativity measured by the RAT, but these parameters were actually found to have an inverse correlation. This result differs from the study performed by Ferracuti et al. (1999), who reported a positive correlation between FQu and the Torrance test. Theoretically speaking, it is possible that FQu responses, which reflect a precise yet rare perception of the inkblot, are not as creative as FQminus responses, which indicate a perception distant from the inkblot. Our results suggest that FQminus and FQu are therefore not continuous, since FQu does not represent a new and original response.
Another measure found to be related to creativity by Ferracuti et al. (1999), the synthesized response (DQ+), was not significant in the present study. A possible explanation is that Ferracuti et al. (1999) compared the Rorschach with the Torrance test, which has some visual tasks, while the present study compared the Rorschach with the RAT test, which is a verbal task. While both tests check creativity, they address different aspects of this trait.
Another aspect of the present results is the complex relationship that exists between intelligence and creativity. For example, it is possible that DQ+, contrary to our hypotheses, does not reflect creativity, but instead tests intelligence. Acklin and Fechner-Bates (1989) found that DQ+ indicates a special ability for solving problems, and indeed it was statistically correlated with IQ.
In this study, several CS variables related to mental distress, such as DEPI, MOR, and M none, were associated with creativity. The DEPI is considered a measure of abated mood. Jørgensen et al. (2000) asserted that the high variability among cases with significant depression indices raises doubt about this index’s specificity. Exner (2003) reviewed several studies and concluded that a significant index indicates an affective problem rather than a specific diagnosis. Nevertheless, this index is a measure of emotional difficulties, and Franklin and Cornell (1997) found a negative correlation between mental adaptation to college and the DEPI. In the present study a number of measures within this index showed a tendency to be correlated with creativity: S, FD, and INTEL. Although these correlations did not reach statistical significance, all these variables are included in the DEPI, which was found to be significantly correlated with the RAT scores. The morbid responses (MOR) point to a connection between psychological difficulties with self-image and creativity. According to Weiner (2003), this measure usually indicates low self-esteem and the perception of one’s body as defective. A correlation was also found between M none and RAT scores, indicating emotional flooding that compromises clarity of thought (Exner, 2003).
A significant correlation was found between (H)+(Hd) contents (fictional human objects) and creativity, which is perhaps not surprising since fictional human figures also indicate a rich fantasy world. It is interesting to note that although our predictions about this variable were related to the use of fantasy, this measure is also related to difficulties with self-image, as it is assumed to reflect an unreal perception of the self (Exner, 2003).
The creative person, based on the measures related to the RAT in the current study, is a person suffering from mental distress who exhibits signs of depression and mental difficulties (DEPI), who might be emotionally overwhelmed (M none), and whose self-evaluation is defective (MOR) and unrealistic [(H)+(Hd)].
Since the present study connected creativity with more measures that point to emotional distress it seems that the verbal test (RAT) has a closer correlation with emotional distress than the visual parts of the Torrance test. Similarly, Witztum and Lerner (2009) quoted studies that show that the relation between psychopathology and creativity is stronger in authors and poets than in artists. In the present study, a verbal test for creativity was used (Levin, 1973), which is thus related to verbal creativity, such as that of poets and authors, and less to visual creativity such as that of artists.
The present study has several limitations. Owing to the complexity of psychological variables, effect sizes in this field were rarely large. One methodological limitation of this study was the small sample, which made it difficult to achieve significant findings given that we dealt with medium effect sizes. An additional methodological limitation was an insufficient random sample. It is very likely that the population responding to bulletin notices advertising a Rorschach study is a specific population. It is probably an educated group familiar with the Rorschach test and does not reflect the general population. However, we found that our sample was very similar to a normative sample of university students and thus it was at least representative of this group. Since the majority of the participants were students, they most probably pass the threshold of intelligence required for the correlation with creativity, and thus some of the information important for this study is missed. On the other hand, this population enabled the examination of creativity without the need to include a variable of intelligence. Besides being educated, another possible bias is that this population could also be in distress, since volunteering in a research study may be a cry for help, which was partially confirmed by the high percentage of subjects with a positive DEPI. An additional limitation is that there was no content analysis of the Rorschach, as is customary in clinical diagnosis, which would help validate the study.
The results of this study are significant for the Rorschach’s use in diagnosing emotional distress. It appears that one has to take great caution before diagnosing emotional distress on the basis of measures found by this study to be related to creativity. The Rorschach test examines the hidden and unconscious layers of the mind. Creative people cope with their “inner darkness” and emotional distress by using their creative forces, thus their experiences and behavior do not correspond to psychopathology. For these people, creativity is a need, not a bonus. This understanding has clear implications not only for diagnosis, but also for future treatment.
Nevertheless, according to this study, creativity and emotional distress are not mutually exclusive, and they are quite likely to appear together in the Rorschach test. This study helps identify patients whose creativity should be harnessed for their therapy. Their creativity must be recognized as one of their strengths, which can contribute to treatment. There is room for more research on creativity, Rorschach results, and emotional distress. Future studies can use additional creativity tests in order to circumscribe the complexity of creativity. We would recommend using large samples of subjects to strengthen the validity of the test. It would also be worthwhile to examine where intellectualization fits into the relationship between emotional distress and creativity. Perhaps, as knowledge grows about creativity and its expression in the Rorschach, a Rorschach creativity index can be created. This index could serve as a warning sign against wrongful diagnosis of psychosis as well as a measure for creative forces. This measure could be very valuable for matching treatments to patients.
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Summary
While the relationship between creativity and emotional distress has been extensively reviewed, little research has been done on creativity as demonstrated in the Rorschach test. Forty participants were administered the Rorschach as well as the Remote Associates Test (RAT) of verbal creativity. The present study found creativity to be related to the following Rorschach measures: FQminus, (H)+(Hd), M none, MOR, and DEPI. A complex image of the creative person is achieved. The creative person, based on the measures related to creativity in the current study, is a person in mental distress. There are signs of depression and mental difficulties (DEPI), he or she might be emotionally overwhelmed (M none), his/her self-evaluation is defective (MOR) and unrealistic [(H)+Hd)]. The creative person uses originality (FQminus), as well as nonconformist “thinking out of the box” (S) as a means to cope with the “inner darkness” in their soul. These results concur with recent literature that found a connection between emotional distress and creativity.
This study has repercussions for the Rorschach’s use in diagnosing psychopathology. It appears that one has to take great caution before diagnosing emotional distress on the basis of measures found by this study to be related to creativity. Creative people cope with emotional distress by using their creative forces. Their creativity must be recognized as one of their strengths which can contribute to their successful treatment.
Résumé
Bien que la relation entre la créativité et les problèmes émotionnels ait été largement étudié, peu de recherches ont été effectuées sur la créativité telle qu’elle se manifeste dans le test de Rorschach. Quarante participants ont passé le test de Rorschach et le Test d’Associations Remote (Remote Associations Test - RAT) sur la créativité verbale. Cette étude a révélé qu’il existe une corrélation entre la créativité et les suivant variables de Rorschach: FQ-, (H)+(Hd), M none, MOR et DEPI. Ainsi, nous obtenons une image complexe de la personne créative. La personne créative, d’après les variables liées à la créativité de la présente étude, est une personne en détresse. On trouve des signes de dépression et de difficultés mentales (DEPI), des signes d’émotion débordante et non contrôlée (M none) et une estime de soi faible (MOR) et irréaliste]H)+(Hd)]. La personne créative utilise l’originalité (FQ-), ainsi qu’un mode de pensée non-conformiste (S) pour faire face aux coins obscurs de son esprit. Ces résultats renforcent les données citées dans les études récentes ayant trouvé une connexion entre la détresse émotionnelle et la créativité.
Cette étude a des répercussions sur l’utilisation du test de Rorschach dans le diagnostic de la psychopathologie. Il faut être prudent avant de diagnostiquer des troubles émotionnels sur la base des variables qui ont été trouvées avoir un lien avec la créativité dans cette étude. Les personnes créatives font face à leurs problèmes émotionnels en utilisant leurs forces créatives. Leur créativité doit être reconnue comme l’un de leurs points forts pouvant contribuer à la réussite du traitement.
Resumen
Si bien la relación entre la creatividad y los problemas emocionales ha sido ampliamente estudiada, poca investigación se ha hecho sobre la creatividad tal cual se manifiesta en el test de Rorschach. El test de Rorschach y el Test de Asociaciones Remotas (TAR) sobre la creatividad verbal, fueron administrados a 40 participantes. La presente investigación ha revelado que existe una correlación entre la creatividad y las siguientes variables del test de Rorschach: FQ-, (H)+(Hd), M none, MOR y DEPI. Es así que obtenemos una imagen compleja de la persona creativa. La persona creativa, según las medidas que están relacionadas con la creatividad en el presente estudio, es una persona angustiada. Uno encuentra señales de depresión y dificultades mentales (DEPI), está abrumado emocionalmente (M none) y su autoestima es negativa (MOR) y poco realista [(H+Hd)]. La persona creativa hace uso de la originalidad (FQ-), así como de un modo de pensar no conformista (S) para hacer frente a la “oscuridad interior” en su alma. Estos resultados están de acuerdo con las más recientes investigaciones que conectan los problemas emocionales con la creatividad.
El presente estudio tiene repercusiones con respecto al uso del Rorschach en el diagnóstico de la psicopatología. Hay que actuar con prudencia antes de diagnosticar trastornos emocionales sobre la base de las variables que resultaron estar relacionadas en este trabajo, con la creatividad. Las personas creativas hacen frente a sus problemas emocionales por medio del uso de sus fuerzas creativas. Su creatividad debe ser reconocida como uno de sus puntos fuertes, que pueden contribuir al éxito del tratamiento.
要 約
創造性と情緒的苦悩の間の関係性を包括的にレヴュー調査してきたのであるが、ロールシャッハテストにより明らかにされる創造性に関する研究はほとんどされてこなかった。40 名の研究協力者に言語的創造性の Remote Associate Test（RAT）だけでなくロールシャッハが施行された。本研究によれば創造性はロールシャッハ法の次の測度関連していることが明らかとなった。それは、形態水準マイナス、(H)+(Hd)、Mnone、MORそしてDEPIである。創造的な人物の複雑な表象が作り上げられた。今回の研究における創造性に関連する測度にもとづくと、創造的な人は精神的な苦悩にある人である。うつと精神的困難のサインがあり（DEPI）、彼／彼女は情緒的に圧倒されているかもしれず（Mnone）、彼／彼女の自己評価は欠陥があり（MOR）、非現実的である [(H)+Hd]。創造的な人は独創性をもちいており（形態水準マイナス）、同時に、彼らの魂の“内的な暗さ”に対処するために“型にはまらない発想をする”（S）非協調的な人である。この結果は、情緒的苦悩と創造性の間の関連性を見出した最近の文献と一致している。
この研究は精神病理を診断するロールシャッハ法の利用法に大きな影響を与えている。本研究によって見出された創造性と関連している測度にもとづいて情緒的苦悩の診断を下す前に非常に注意をしなければいけないようである。創造的な人は彼らの創造的な力をもちいて情緒的な苦悩に対処している。彼らの創造性は治療の成功に貢献する彼らの力の一つと認識されるべきである。
