The Color Response Scale: The theory and research related to a Rorschach ink blot method for evaluating emotional resources

The validity of the Color Response Scale (CRS), a newly developed Comprehensive System Rorschach method for assessing quality of emotional resources via application to the Color determined responses in the record, was tested. Analysis of variance and t-tests assessed significant differences between Good quality and Poor quality Color responses, as determined by the scoring criteria of the CRS, among 7 groups of patients and nonpatients with 50 records per group. Groups tested were Inpatient Schizophrenic, Inpatient Depressed, Outpatient Depressed, Outpatient Nondepressed, Nonpatient Ambitent, Nonpatient Introversive, and Nonpatient Extratensive. Results demonstrated that all nonpatient groups had significantly more Good quality Color responses than all patient groups, and that the Outpatient Nondepressed group had significantly fewer Poor quality Color responses than the Outpatient Nondepressed group. Furthermore, analysis of the relationship between Good and Poor Color for each group, organized according to a Good Color greater than, less than, or equal to Poor Color comparison, demonstrated systematic trends in the expected direction for all groups, ranging from Good less than Poor (G < P) for the Inpatient Schizophrenic group, to Good greater than Poor plus 3 (G > P + 3) for the Nonpatient Extratensive group. More generally, it was found that differences among the groups were better accounted for by variations in Good Color and not in Poor Color, suggesting that in the clinical setting, treatment planning will want to focus on developing emotional factors associated with Good quality Color responses. A theoretical definition of the emotional resources evaluated by the Color Response Scale was advanced which stipulated that factors associated with quality of Color responses are related to aspects of ego organization, object representation, and identity formation.