| The purpose of this study was to explore language-based personality differences in fluent Spanish-English bilinguals using the Rorschach Inkblot Test. The literature on bilingualism, cross-cultural, and cross-lingual assessment were reviewed in depth. The Rorschach was administered twice to six fluent Spanish-English bilinguals, once in each language, with a two-week interval between assessments. The participants were also interviewed about their subjective experience of the assessments. Comparisons were made between the sample's scores and the RCS non-patient sample, as well as across language administrations, to explore differences in perceptual complexity, cognition, affect, interpersonal closeness, and coping style. Significant differences were found between the sample and the RCS norms in measures of perceptual accuracy, conventionality, cognitive slippage, ideation, and responsivity to affect, as well as diagnostic indices and coping styles. Cross-language differences were found in measures of cognitive slippage, diagnostic indices, coping styles, and the qualitative experience of the subjects. The findings were reviewed in light of the literature, particularly the concepts of linguistic independence and the Dual-Self phenomenon. The findings of the study call for more inclusive norms and caution and cultural sensitivity when using the Rorschach to assess fluent Spanish-English bilinguals. |
