NCJ Number
197795
Journal
Journal of Police and Criminal Psychology Volume: 17 Issue: 2 Dated: Fall 2002 Pages: 63-70
Date Published
2002
Length
8 pages
Annotation
This article discusses the potential uses of the Rorschach Comprehensive System in the pre-employment screening of police officers.
Abstract
The Rorschach Test is a personality assessment method originally published by Hermann Rorschach in 1921 for the purpose of more effectively diagnosing psychopathology. The test consists of 10 inkblots, 5 of which contain only black ink and another 5 that contain at least some colored ink. The person being tested is asked by the administering psychologist to describe what each blot represents to him/her by responding to the question, "What might this be?" The test is interpreted by scoring each response according to Exner's coding system, which has been established as reliable. Although the Rorschach Test is valid for detecting psychopathology, it remains to be determined whether it can predict future performance by police officer candidates. Although there are no data on the successful use of the Rorschach in selecting police officers, the test has been used effectively in various other nonclinical settings, including employment-related screenings in other fields. Recent literature in the field of personality assessment suggests that the Rorschach and self-report inventories, especially the MMPI-2, complement each other and provide far more information when used together than either test used alone (Ganellen, 1996). In order for the Rorschach to be considered acceptable as an assessment tool for the screening of police applicants, further research must be done to determine its effectiveness in this area. The focus of such research should be on whether the Rorschach Test can predict future job performance as a police officer. 19 references