Multiple Emotion Regulation in Rorschach Color Responses

Abstract

Abstract. While color-related responses to the Rorschach test have been interpreted as reflecting respondents’ emotional characteristics, their validity has been criticized. Since Rorschach validity should be confirmed by both unconscious and conscious processes, this study focused on implicit positive attitudes toward emotion regulation (considered an unconscious mechanism that motivates regulating emotions) and emotion-regulation strategy. In total, 39 undergraduates (two of whom were excluded from the analyses) completed the Rorschach test, the Implicit Association Test (IAT; measures implicit attitudes toward emotion regulation), and a questionnaire about emotion-regulation strategies. The results showed that positive attitudes toward emotion regulation increased participants’ form-chromatic color (FC) responses, and people who habitually used adaptive strategies to regulate emotions gave more FC responses with high form quality. These results support the interpretation of FC as a mature and controlled emotional response. Additionally, affective ratio (Afr) scores positively correlated with the behavioral suppression of emotions. This result suggests that high Afr, which activates reactivity to Rorschach color cards, can be interpreted as emotional excitement caused by the dysfunction of emotion regulation.