RORSCHACH INKBLOT:

LOCATION CODE AND

DEVELOPMENTAL QUALITY

ROSALIE J. DELA CRUZ- CADA

LOCATION SCORES

• indicate which part and how much of the blot area the
concept involves; these areas may be the whole blot or
a usual or unusual part of the blot—whether the subject
uses the whole blot or part of the blot for his response
provides useful information for the understanding of his
personality
MINOR SCORING SYMBOLS
Sometimes needed to describe more specifically how the
concept was formed--
• Commas (,) used to indicate that the subject actually
employs more than one location area
• Arrows () to indicate that the subject's response tends
to employ another location area as an elaboration to his
main concept
• Brackets ( | ) used to indicate that the subject tends to
combine to or more concepts into a single idea.
All letter scores placed after the minor scoring symbols are
additional scores.
GENERAL MEANING AND DEFINITION OF THE
LOCATION SCORE

Location refers to what part of the blot material was used

in the formation of the concept. Location responses may
be differentiated into:

• whole or virtually whole responses

• detail responses
DEFINITION AND SAMPLES OF THE WHOLE SCORE

• The whole response implies the use of the entire blot area or the
intention to use the whole blot area for the formation of a
concept. There are several ways in which the whole blot can be
used. Different scoring symbols indicate these variations:
 Card III: Looks like two
men bowling, facing
each other, just about to
throw the ball, down at
Card I: Looks like a bat or end where pins are
something. (center red), and there
(upper red) are lights
hanging from the ceiling.

Card II: Could resemble two

bears, the heads are here
(upper red), and their legs
are bleeding lower red).
Card I: (whole card
except wing projections)
A cat’s face here without
those parts sticking out on
the side.

Card II: (whole blot

except upper and
lower red) Two bears
dancing with each
other.
Card V: A bat, but these
(side extensions) do not
belong.

Card VI: This looks like

a bear rug except for
this top part.
Card IV: It’s a lobster
because this part (side
extension) looks like the
claw of a lobster.

Card II: A butterfly, all

of it, because these
(lower red extensions)
look like feelers.
Card IX: Can’t seem to
see anything, feelers up
here (upper center D)
Oh, it all must be an
insect.

Card VI: A cat

because these look
like cat’s whiskers and
the rest is the body.
DEFINITION OF THE DETAIL SCORE

• The detail response implies the use of part of the blot in the
formation of a concept. Detail responses are differentiated on
the basis of whether the area is an obvious, easily delineated
and frequently selected portion of the blot or is an unusual area
and less frequently used. The obvious, frequently used areas are
called the usual details and are scored: D or d depending on the
size of the area. The less obvious and less frequently used areas
are called the unusual details and are scored with the symbols
dd, de, di, dr.
DEFINITION AND SAMPLES OF THE DETAIL SCORE

a. The Usual Large and Small Detail (D and d)

The D and d symbols imply the use of portions of the
blot which are clearly set off and are the most
frequently used areas for the formation of a concept.
D refers to relatively large portions of the blot; d to
smaller portions of the blot. The areas represented by
D and d are limited in number and specifically
delineated.
 CARD I

CARD I: LARGE USUAL DETAIL (D)

1. Entire center ("woman's body") with or without lighter gray (transparent skirt) in lower portion
2. Entire side (witch, bear)
3. Lower center without lighter gray (thighs and legs)
4. Entire lower center (bell)
5. Upper side (dog's head with snout outside)
6. Upper third of center (crab)
 CARD I

CARD I- SMALL USUAL DETAIL (d)

1. Upper outer projections (wings)
2. Lower side (lady's head) 5. Upper innermost details (heads)
3. Upper, inner, claw-Iike extensions (hands) 6. Bottom projection (feet)
4. Uppermost projections (bear's head) 7. Small knob-Iike extension at lower side (sheaf of wheat)
CARD II: LARGE USUAL DETAIL (D)
1. Lower red with or without black-red mixture (butterfly)
2. Upper red (Christmas stockings)
3. Entire side black (bear, dog)
4. Upper portion of black (one half to one third)
CARD II

CARD II- SMALL USUAL DETAIL (d)

1. Upper center (castle)
2. Bottom outer projection (hen's head)
3. Bottom projection adjacent to preceding d (Indian head)
4. Upper side projection (stone head)
 CARD III

1. Inner red (butterfly or bow)

2. Outer red with or without tail-like extension
3. Entire lower center (pelvis or mask)
4. Lower center black (Negro heads)
5. Lower side black (fish or hand)
6. Upper side black-head and upper part of body of the usual 7. Middle side black (airplane)
figure (bird on rock, card inverted) 8. One of the two human figures
9. Lower center light gray (ribs)
CARD III

CARD III- SMALL USUAL DETAIL (d)

1. Bottom side portion (high-heeled shoes) with or without lower part of “leg"
2. Top side black (head)
3. Side black lateral protrusion usually upside down as animal head (with tiny white space as eye
CARD IV- LARGE USUAL DETAIL (D)
1. Lower center (animal head)
2. Lower side black and gray sometimes including the upper side portion (boot)
3. Lower side light gray (dog)
4. Entire vertical dark center
5. Inner dark side detail (nuns, card inverted)
CARD IV- SMALL USUAL DETAIL (d)
1. Upper side extension (snake) sometimes with small adjacent portion (dancer with face in adjoining portion)
2. Uppermost portion (flower) sometimes including adjacent shade portion (Japanese face)
3. Outermost lower side extension (head of dog)
4. Lowermost portion of lower center detail (crown)
CARD V- LARGE USUAL DETAIL (D)
1. Entire side with or without light gray extensions (face or figure lying down)
2. Center vertical portion (rabbit)
CARD V

CARD V- SMALL USUAL DETAIL (d)

1. Bottom (tweezers)
2. Side extension (Ieg) sometimes with adjacent thin extension (crocodile's head)
3. Top (rabbit's head), or top without uppermost protrusions, (policeman's head)
4. Contour of lower side detail (profile)
CARD VI- LARGE USUAL DETAIL (D)
1. Entire lower portion (animal skin) or half of lower portion (boat or king's head)
2. Entire upper portion (dragonfly) sometimes including light gray uppermost portion of lower detail
(lighthouse on rock with beacon)
3. Upper black portion only of center column (snake) sometimes without slightly shaded outer portion
4. Entire dark vertical center (spine)
5. Lighter part only of upper portion (wings)
CARD VI

CARD VI- SMALL USUAL DETAIL (d)

1. Uppermost detail (snake's head) with or without "whiskers"
2. Lower lateral extensions (dog’s head)
3. Two inner light gray ovals (mice)
4. Bottom inner projections (birds or eggs in nest)
CARD VII- LARGE USUAL DETAIL (D)
1. Entire bottom portion (butterfly) sometimes each half separate (sheep)
2. Middle third (mask)
3. Upper third, with or without uppermost projection (woman's head)
4. Upper two thirds (dog)
CARD VII

CARD VII- SMALL USUAL DETAIL (d)

1. Dark center bottom detail (canal)
2. Top projections (squirrel's tail)
3. Light gray projections on upper inner corner of top third (icicles)
CARD VIII- LARGE USUAL DETAIL (D)
1. Side pink (animals)
2. Lower pink and orange (butterfly)
3. Top gray portion with or without center line (mountain and tree) sometimes including rib-like figure and/or blue portion
4. Middle blue portion (flags)
5. Rib-like figure in upper center (spine)
6. Bottom pink alone (bullfrog heads)
7. Bottom orange alone
CARD VIII

CARD VIII- SMALL USUAL DETAIL (d)

1. Lateral extensions of bottom orange (lamb's head)

 CARD VIII

CARD IX- LARGE USUAL DETAIL (D)

1. Green portion
2. Orange portion
3. Small inner portion at junction of green and orange (deer's head)
4. Lateral pink (man's head)
5. Entire pink portion plus center line (tree), card inverted
6. Entire pink or either half
7. Center portion between lateral greens (skull)
CARD VIII

CARD IX- LARGE USUAL DETAIL (D)

8. Center gray portion (candle), with or without preceding D
9. Inner pink portion (elephants' heads)
CARD IX

CARD IX- SMALL USUAL DETAIL (d)

1. AII or most of upper inner orange projections (lobster claws)

2. Eye-like portion in middle including green and white slits (eyes)
3. Arch-like tight orange at top center
CARD 10- LARGE USUAL DETAIL (D)
1. Outer blue (crabs) sometimes with outer green
2. Inner green, dark portions only (caterpillars)
3. Entire gray portion at top
4. Gray "animals" at top, without inner gray
column
5. Entire inner green
6. Outer gray-brown figures (mice)
CARD 10- LARGE USUAL DETAIL (D)
7. Light portion between inner greens (rabbit's
head)
8. Inner blue (birds)
9. Pink portion separately (mountain)
10. Inner yellow (Iions or dogs)
11. Outer orange (collie dog)
12. Inner orange (wishbone) 14. Gray column at top without gray “animals" beside it
13. Outer upper green (grasshopper) 15. Outer yellow
CARD X- LARGE USUAL DETAIL (D)
16. Pink with entire top gray (flowers),
card inverted
17. Pink with inner blue (man on a
mountain or cliff)
b. The Unusual Detail (Dd)

Dd (unusual detail) signifies use of a portion of the blot

which is not a usual large or small detail area, not a
whole or space area. Dd responses vary with respect
to the size of the area used, placement on the blot or
how clearly it stands out from the blot or other
uncommon delineation of an area generally seen in
another way.
The Dd symbol is subdivided into four scores which are the ones
actually used in the scoring of such responses:

• Tiny detail (dd) refers to responses which use tiny areas which are
easily delineated from the rest of the blot material.
• Edge detail (de) signifies the use of only the contour or outline of
the edge of the blot.
• Inner detail (di) signifies the use of an area inside the blot which is
not easily delineated from the rest of the blot material.
• Rare detail (dr) refers to the use of unusually delineated areas
which may be small or large in size, where the area is not
scorable as dd, de, di, and where it is sufficiently different from a
D, d or incomplete whole that it cannot be scored as such.
DEFINITION OF THE SPACE SCORES

• White space score (S) represents concepts using the

white area which is either inside the blot or surrounding
it. Mere inclusion of a white area in a concept is not
scored.
 2- Tiny detail
(dd): Like a
black bow-tie.

17- White space score

(S): Chandelier
16- White space score (S): crystals.
A ballet dancer on
tiptoes.
11- Rare detail (dr):
A hen.

12- Rare detail (dr):

Like a piece of
burned wood.
10- Inner detail (di):
Woman’s face. Here's
nose, eye, flowing
hair.
7- Edge detail (de):
Coastline. Edge down
here looks like
coastline.
6- Edge detail (de):
Edge gives the
impression of a
face. Outline of
profile, nose,
mouth open, chin.

4- Tiny detail (dd): Two monkeys.

 13- Rare detail (dr):
A dog sniffing on
a pile of refuse.
18- White space
score (S):
George
Washington-face
and tricorn hat.
8- Inner detail (di):
Bird's eyes.
Looks like a
bird's small
eyes.
 3- Tiny detail (dd):
14- Rare detail (dr): A map of Italy.
A witch with a
green skirt
taking off from a
red carpet.
COMBINATIONS OF LOCATION SCORES
• Whole Space (W, S) implies the use of the whole blot in combination with a
white space where the latter is supplementary in the concept.
• Detail Space (D, S) refers to use of a large usual detail combined with a white
space.
• Detail Tendency to Whole (DW) is used in instances where a large detail is
clearly perceived and then the subject attempts to integrate the rest of the
blot material in an indefinite way or the subject during the inquiry enlarges his
percept to include the rest of the blot.
• Details Combined into Whole (DD}W) implies the use of two or more large usual
details for the formation of separate concepts which relate to one another
and are then drawn into a concept which involves the total blot.
 Whole Space (W, S) implies the use of the whole blot in Detail Space (D, S) refers to use of a large usual detail
combination with a white space where the latter is combined with a white space.
supplementary in the concept.

W,S: Looks like a D,S: This part

mask, here are the (D1) looks like a
eyes, mouth, and cat from Alice in
two ears. Wonderland with
big eyes, mouth.
Looks awful.

DW: Two Santa

Clauses (D2) carrying
Christmas trees. The
Detail Tendency to Whole (DW) is used in instances where a large detail is clearly
perceived and then the subject attempts to integrate the rest of the blot material in rest looks like a stage
an indefinite way or the subject during the inquiry enlarges his percept to include
the rest of the blot. setting.
Whole Space (W, S) implies the use of the whole blot in combination with a white space where
the latter is supplementary in the concept.

W,S: A volcano and

this part is the crater,
these are the flames
(D2).

D,S: A fancy
lampshade (D1) with
a white globe
attached to it.

Detail Space (D, S) refers to use of a large usual detail

combined with a white space.
 DD}W: This reminds me
of birds (D8). Here is
one sitting in a nest (D3)
and these (D2) are
flying.

Details Combined into Whole (DD}W) implies the use of two or more large
usual details for the formation of separate concepts which relate to one
another and are then drawn into a concept which involves the total blot.
Whole Space (W, S) implies the use of the whole blot in
combination with a white space where the latter is
supplementary in the concept.
DW: This looks like
W,S: Looks like smoke here (D1). Now I
some land with see it's rising and as it
water surrounding rises, it turns into two little
it and here is a boys.
bay.

Detail Tendency to Whole (DW) is used in instances where a large detail is

clearly perceived and then the subject attempts to integrate the rest of the blot
material in an indefinite way or the subject during the inquiry enlarges his
percept to include the rest of the blot.
 Detail Tendency to Whole (DW) is used in instances where a large detail is clearly
Whole Space (W, S) implies the use of the whole blot in perceived and then the subject attempts to integrate the rest of the blot material in
combination with a white space where the latter is an indefinite way or the subject during the inquiry enlarges his percept to include
supplementary in the concept. the rest of the blot.

DW: Two animals (D1)

W,S: Like the inside D,S: Here are ribs (D5) walking over some
of your body with and these are the beautiful rocks and in the
the ribs showing, all spaces in between. middle, there is water.
these are different
organs.

Detail Space (D, S) refers to use of a large usual

detail combined with a white space.
DD}W: Two witches
(D2) dancing around a
cauldron - there is fire
and smoke (Dl and D6).

Details Combined into Whole (DD}W) implies the use of two or more large
usual details for the formation of separate concepts which relate to one
another and are then drawn into a concept which involves the total blot.
SYMBOLS USED FOR CODING THE LOCATION OF
RESPONSES
2- Particles of dust. (dd) 12- Stage curtains being pulled apart, 4- Head of a bird.
6- Middle looks like a figure without a center shows lighted stage. Stage Could be an ant
head, with a belt. Collar, belt and curtains would bunch this way. Stage is eater head
belt buckle like a doll or figurine, white from bright lights. (W,S) because of the
The man could have wings; more of 16- Skate in middle, ocean fish. Shape, tail snout. (d)
a man than a woman, sort of a coming out. (S)
superman with wings. (D, W) 22- Blurred man. Saw eye, nose and
20- Birds perched out, up. Birds moustache. (di)
perched, wings up. (dr)
34- Indian profile, outline of nose and strong 46- A bagpipe.
jaw. (de) Tube, wind bag, shape. (D)
40- Vise holds tools, holds things together. 47- Map of ltaly.
Sections of vise that grasps things. (d) General shape of ltaly. (D)
73- Happy little clowns looking at each 58- Antennae of insect.
other. Forward portion of insect doesn't fit into any standard category.
BaId, grotesque, gleeful clowns. Rather strange. (dd)
Little tall hats, faces sticking out 62- Back of rabbit's ears.
playfully. (d) Two ears back of rabbit's head. (d)
75- Woman's figure without a head. 64- Two ladies in turbans playing cards.
Belted with bustles, busts, a They look like they are not trying very hard to hide their hands.
manikin. (D) Don't know what this is. (dr)
71- Head of a teddy bear.
Head of a soft stuffed animal, ears floppy. (D)
9- A woman diving.
14- Face of a woman.
A jackknife dive into the sea. (d)
Head of woman, hand over forehead
24- Two witches in dark part.
contrasts to white of forehead. (dr)
Caps, noses, scrawny incomplete figures,
17- Craggy mountain area.
standing there. (D)
Craggy dark wood area, irregular formation
bare as you see in mountains sometimes.
(dr)
26- Dog face with one eye sticking out,
28- Female figure resting. Not too clear.
something like my dog - this one looks
Arm bent, body reclining, female Ieg. (dr)
angry.
45- Couple of horses with elongated faces scooting
Only eyes frightened, distrustful like wild
out of thing, look like Picasso horses.
eyes. (di)
Jaw out, foreleg coming out, rushing out at great
30- Imperial German Eagle type. Too vague
speed, almost horizontal. (d)
to me so I can't describe it. (dr)
41- Foot upraised. Almost a dance
movement. (D)
53- Snakes ready to come up. Indian snake charmer's.
Snakes head up, ready to come up. (d)
55- See a couple of eyes in middle of things, eyes of insect in
wrong spot.
Might be. Some bugs have eyes all over, caterpillars have
two rows of eyes, these eyes are like that. (di)
56- A leg--could be an animal walking toward you.
Here is the leg, the rest is some sort of animal. (DW)
13- Cat's whiskers but no cat, just 15- Child sticking its tongue out. 7- A mole.
whiskers. (dd) Upturned nose, looks A mole in climbing position but
impish. (D) not moving. (D)
25- A dog's face. 19- Could be two tigers climbing
Like a collie. (S) up on mountain. All rest part of
mountains. (DW)
31- A piece of moldy bread. Shading-mold 29- Female organ.
forming on bread mass. (D) Center organ, Iine of opening, dark area around,
35- Cat-like head with whiskers. Cat head and black hair around the opening. (d)
whiskers. (d) 49- Scotties.
43- Head, eyes, long forehead, nose, jowls, I don't know why I see scotties, I don't like them. One
beard. seems to be attached to the head of another. Maybe
Nose, eyes, and beard of a man. (dr) they're toys that are stuck and one is broken off at the
head. (dr)
32- Animal figure made of white, hooded effect almost to eyes.
Eyes, snout, fur, irregular shape white fur, hooded effect. (D,S)
38- A Viking ship with headmast. Here's the headmast, is that what they call
it? About half of the ship is here. (dr,S)
39- Lobster claw.
Coming up out of the water, things seem to be dragged up with it. (dr)
50- Back of skull.
Back of skull, open areas. (D,S)
63- Colon. 59- An animal head, some kind of
Looks like a picture of a colon. terrier. (d)
(dd) 66- Head of stone, looks like a
stone monument.
Head here- a monument. (D)
11- Something or something's shoulders holding something up. 8- Glow worms.
Here are the hands, something could be crouching with the Just plain worms. (D)
hands holding up the end. (DW) 10- Dancers stretched out on floor in
18- Chinese hands with long fingers coming down. (dr) costume. Dancers resting on arm
23- Animal figure. stretched out on floor. (D)
Eyes, ears, nostrils, looks like animal, incomplete head.
(D,S)
37- Clothes line with clothes hanging on it. (d) 27- Little dog, whole body - Iike when
42- An hourglass. held up in arms and it’s kicking. (D)
Not a good one, distorts time because not the 36- Wishbone.
same size on top and on bottom. (S) Shape. (D)
51- Looks like a little pig. (dr) 61- Things playing on little
A pig romping. Square Part here the nose. bagpipes.
60- I think my guts look like that. Dribbles out into sort of
Part of intestine's humpy outline here like you see in drawings. I ectoplasm, like babies' round
suppose it's the color, it all looks like intestines opened up. (D) shape and pug noses, blowing
65- < Old woman bent over scrubbing. Apron tied up behind her. (D) bagpipes. (dr)
72- Carrot.
Color and shape (dd)
SYMBOLS AND CRITERIA USED FOR DEVELOPMENTAL
QUALITY
EXAMPLES OF CODING FOR LOCATION AND
DEVELOPMENTAL QUALITY
REFERENCES