Google doodle marks Hermann Rorschach's 129th birthday

November 9, 2013

Screenshot_1 Celebrating the 129^th birthday of Hermann Rorschach, Google dedicated a doodle on its homepage depicting inkblot testsdeveloped by the eminent psychoanalyst.

Who was Hermann Rorschach?

Born on November 8, 1884 in Zurich, Switzerland, Hermann Rorschach was a Swiss Freudian psychiatrist and psychoanalyst. In 1909, Rorschach graduated in medicine at Zurich. Rorschach was influenced by Eugen Bleuler, a prominent psychiatrist of his time.
He found that different people often interpreted different things in same inkblots. This led him to pursue the test by showing inkblots and analyzing responses. He went on to develop the famous creative projective test, the Rorschach inkblot test. His test was appreciated and used by many psychiatrists. Rorschach passed away on April 1, 1922, at the age of 37.

What is Rorschach inkblot test?

Screenshot_2 Rorschach inkblot test, also termed as inkblot test, is used to examine a person’s emotional and personality characteristics. It is primarily a psychological test considered especially with patients who are reluctant to express their thoughts or thinking processes candidly. In this test, subjects’ perceptions of inkblots are recorded and then examined using complex algorithms and psychological interpretation. In simple terms, Rorschach inkblot test helps in detecting thought disorder of a person.