History Main / InkblotTest

* In ''Kid Eternity'', Kid is given the test by Dr. Pathos. Pathos doesn't question it but grows very frustrated when Kid claims he sees every blot as "[[FreudWasRight a man being swallowed by a giant vagina.]]"
* In ''ComicBook/{{Watchmen}}'' the character Rorschach (!) is given an inkblot test at one point, though not with the normal Rorschach images. What the cards suggest to him is revealed by flashbacks, and it is ''wildly'' divergent from the lighthearted carefree images he ''tells'' the psychiatrist he sees (example: the image that causes him to flash back to the severed head of a dead dog is said to be "a butterfly"). It's implied that the psychiatrist knows Rorschach is lying, but is playing along in the hopes that Rorschach will eventually open up towards him.

* In ''Film/ProblemChild'', the prison psychiatrist is giving a Rorschach test to the Bow Tie Killer, only the "inkblots" are actually bloodstains left by his victims. While the warden is in the room he lies, saying he sees things like butterflies and bunnies hopping across fields. This enrages the warden, and the psychiatrist forces him to leave. Once the warden leaves, the psychiatrist continues the test, and the Bow Tie Killer says he sees blood, and kills the psychiatrist, puts on his clothes and drives out of prison. Why no one was watching what was going on from behind a two-way mirror [[FridgeLogic is anyone's guess.]]

* TruthInTelevision for quite a long time, as shown in 1946 documentary film ''Film/{{Let There Be Light|1946}}''. The inkblot test is part of the therapy that psychiatrists used with the deeply damaged [[ShellShockedVeteran PTSD]] victims at the hospital.
* A viral ad for ''Film/{{Prometheus}}'' takes the form of a Weyland Industries advertisement for the David 8 model of artificial human. This includes David taking a futuristic version of the test; subverted in that his bland corporate-approved responses give [[AIIsACrapshoot no indication of his true nature]] as revealed in the movie and [[Film/AlienCovenant its sequel]].
-->'''Narrator:''' David, what do you think about?
-->'''David:''' I think about anything. (test images) Children playing...angel...the universe...robots...
* ''Film/{{Watchmen}}''. The vigilante Rorschach naturally gets the Rorschach test after his arrest. He responds with BlatantLies about what he's seeing in the images, when they actually remind him of his DarkAndTroubledPast.
-->'''Psychiatrist:''' Tell me what you see.
-->'''Rorschach:''' ''(Flashback of dog with head split apart)'' A pretty butterfly. ''(witnessing his mother prostituting herself)'' Some nice flowers. ''(biting a school bully's face open)'' Clouds.
** Later after Rorschach forces the psychiatrist to give him his mask back:
-->'''Rorschach:''' Your turn, Doctor. Tell me... ''(pulls on mask)'' What do you see?

'''Psychologist:''' Soon as we get through the rest of my vacation pictures.

* During ''VideoGame/Hitman2'' DLC level [[TheCaper in New York's Milton-Fitzpatrick Bank]], one extended method of getting past the security measures is to get legitimately hired there, and in a crucial part of the interview process, you're given a series of inkblot tests to determine your personality and where you'll fit in. This is surprisingly important as there's a correct series of answers to give that will get you the highest-level clearance, and [[MeaningfulBackgroundEvent they're actually hidden in plain sight]][[note]]Specifically, the three portraits in the background of a pile of money, a bullseye, and an eagle represent the correct answers to give towards which prompt[[/note]]. Nonetheless, whichever ones you pick, [[ProfessionalKiller Agent 47's]] interpretations are... [[BlackComedy interesting]].

* ''Series/GetSmart''. Maxwell Smart is given this test and sees every picture as a man and a woman either hugging or kissing. When called on this, he gives the "You're the one with the dirty pictures" response.

* In ''Videogame/BatmanArkhamAsylum'' one of the Joker's interview tapes has him receiving one of these:
-->'''Joker''': ''"Do you want me to look at the ink blots again? The first one is a kitten I had when I was a child, the second is, hmmm let's see... a dead elephant."''

* ''Videogame/DeadSpace2'': Although the test is never given inkblot symbolism is rife in the games start up and promotional materials.

-->-- '''Charlie Gordon''', ''Literature/FlowersForAlgernon'' ([[YouMakeMeSic sic]])

* One of the unseen doctors in ''Webcomic/AwfulHospital'', Dr. Rory Froud is a sentient, floating Rorschach test.

Whenever someone in fiction gives or receives a Rorschach test, the one where the patient looks at a blot of ink and says what he sees, the test is misrepresented. Instead of finding a reason for the patient to see something, the psychiatrist focuses more on ''what'' the patient sees. If the patient sees a butterfly, he's innocent, if he sees a corpse, he's guilty. Also, obsessed characters are always shown to see the same thing, no matter what the blot looks like.

In some comedic situations, inkblots sometimes will be created spontaneously with a sheet of folded paper and whatever ink or inklike substance might be handy. In ''very'' comedic situations, such a blot will spontaneously form a perfectly clear image of whatever the plot requires the character to be diagnosed as obsessed with.

Incidentally, most psychiatrists don't value the Rorschach test as it requires that the person administering it to provide much of his own judgment on the patient's answers. However, there are many scoring (and administration) methods. The Exner scoring system is statistically validated and, as such, presents very little "interpretation" issues. Psychiatrists still tend to dismiss it based on how it struggles to consistently be more than about 66% accurate. (Incidentally, some of the factors scored are: how long it takes to come up with an interpretation, how novel or common the interpretation is, how much the interpretation actually resembles the blot, bias towards color vs shape, whether the patient is deliberately being difficult, etcetera.)

Note that any inkblot seen in a movie and TV show will ''not'' be one of the actual Rorschach blots, but a blot made up for that production. The American Psychological Association [[SpoilAtYourOwnRisk has attempted to keep them reasonably secret]] so that when the test is actually administered, the patient's reactions will be spontaneous. However, at this point the test has been widely distributed on the Internet and is now considered defunct. Also, fictional blots are almost universally simple black ink on white paper -- but in the actual test, two of the ten blots are black and red, and three are multicolored.

* [[DiscussedTrope Discussed]] and [[DeniedTrope denied]] by Col. Potter in an episode of ''Series/MASH''. Dr. Sidney Freedman has been called in to help Potter with a bout of depression and Potter tells him to not bother with the Rohrschach Test as all the inkblots look like horses to him.

* Early on in ''ComicBook/DoomsdayClock'', it's revealed that Bruce Wayne has been forced to take one every year by his board of directors due to his eccentric behavior (the board, not realizing he's Batman, think he's just unstable and have taken out Critical Personnel Insurance on him in case he checks out of reality). He uses the opportunity to polish up his RichIdiotWithNoDayJob persona by [[ObfuscstingStupidity saying that each and every blot looks to him like a yacht]].

'''Dr.Masterson:''' "''Absolutely not''."\\

* The ''WesternAnimation/ShaggyAndScoobyDooGetAClue'' episode "Cruisin' for a Bruisin'" has Dr. Phibes being shown inkblots by his moronic henchman Agent 2. Phibes identifies every ink blot as either "dog" (Scooby) or "hippy boy" (Shaggy).

* In the tutorial/character creation part of ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'', inkblots are one of the tests Doc Mitchell gives the player character in order to determine your tag skills, along with a word association test. [[https://www.nexusmods.com/newvegas/mods/36850 A humorous mod]] to the game adds an additional, rather obvious answer to one of the ink blots. Once you see it, it can't be unseen...

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Animaniacs}}'' pokes fun at the inkblot test often enough given that Dr. Scratchansniff fits into the role of the stereotypical psychologist. The first episode "De-Zanitized" has him giving Dot the test. When Dr. Scratchansniff gives the test to Yakko, every picture looks like "girls".

* ''Big Secrets'' by William Poundstone had black-and-white illustrations of each blot, with full descriptions, including colors. Published 1985.

** Earlier in the same episode, XR himself was subjected to an impromptu test with the help of Booster rubbing his face on a dirty serviette. All XR sees in that test are [[BellyDancer Sirenian Snake Dancers,]] including his teammate Mira as one, which Mira herself calls out XR for being [[GettingCrapPastTheRadar "A Sexist Pig."]]

* Early on in ''ComicBook/DoomsdayClock'', it's revealed that Bruce Wayne has been forced to take one every year by his board of directors due to his eccentric behavior (the bopard, not realizing he's Batman, think he's just unstable). He uses the opportunity to polish up his RichIdiotWithNoDayJob persona by [[ObfuscstingStupidity saying that each and every blot looks to him like a yacht]].

* In Robert Pirsig's novel ''Lila'', Phaedrus claims that the true purpose of the Rorschach test is to gauge the subject's imaginative ability, such that if the person says "I don't see anything," or "I see an inkblot," that's allegedly a potential sign of severe mental illness. It should be noted that there is no evidence to support this claim. At most, such responses would indicate a lack of creativity.

* On ''Series/BarneyMiller'' episode "The Psychiatrist", a psychiatrist has the squad look at inkblots. Yemana sees an elephant wearing a hat. "Now turn the picture upside down and tell me what you see." "An elephant standing on his head. Wearing a hat."

* In ''Literature/FlowersForAlgernon'', Charlie is given a Rorschach early on, and to highlight his severe mental retardation, he's unable to understand the concept, thinking that he's supposed to find some sort of hidden picture. A few weeks later, he's given the test again, and gets angry because he thinks they changed the test on him.

* On ''Series/TheGoldenGirls'', Sophia is taking an inkblot test in an attempt to become a nun. She identifies all the blots as increasingly elaborate religious imagery: an angel, a dove perched upon the throne of God, the Blessed Virgin smiling as she pours love upon the hearts of the righteous, until Dorothy interrupts exasperatedly that the blot is obviously "[[Series/{{Dynasty}} John Forsythe]] lying naked in a pool of honey." The nun administering the test agrees.

* In ''Kid Eternity'', Kid is given the test by Dr. Pathos. Pathos doesn't question it but grows very frustrated when Kid claims he sees every blot as "a man being swallowed by a giant vagina."

* In the tutorial/character creation part of ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'', inkblots are one of the tests Doc Mitchell gives the player character in order to determine your tag skills, along with a word association test. [[http://newvegasnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=36850 A humorous mod]] to the game adds an additional, rather obvious answer to one of the ink blots. Once you see it, it can't be unseen...