Psychological Basis of the Relationship Between the Rorschach Texture Response and Adult Attachment: The Mediational Role of the Accessibility of Tactile Knowledge

J Pers Assess. 2016;98(3):238-46. doi: 10.1080/00223891.2015.1099540. Epub 2015 Nov 16.

Abstract

This study clarifies the psychological basis for the linkage between adult attachment and the texture response on the Rorschach by examining the mediational role of the accessibility of tactile knowledge. Japanese undergraduate students (n = 35) completed the Rorschach Inkblot Method, the Experiences in Close Relationship Scale for General Objects (Nakao & Kato, 2004) and a lexical decision task designed to measure the accessibility of tactile knowledge. A mediation analysis revealed that the accessibility of tactile knowledge partially mediates the association between attachment anxiety and the texture response. These results suggest that our hypothetical model focusing on the response process provides a possible explanation of the relationship between the texture response and adult attachment.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Models, Psychological*
  • Object Attachment*
  • Rorschach Test*
  • Touch Perception
  • Young Adult