Today’s Google Doodle shows an animated series of Rorschach tests, the famous test using patients’ interpretations of inkblots as ways to diagnose their problems. The inventor, Hermann Rorschach, was born on this day in 1884, and died of peritonitis at only 37.
This Doodle has an interactive feature, so as the inkblots change you can share what you see on Google+, Facebook, and Twitter; just click on the “Share what you see” link at the bottom. It’s social-media psychoanalysis!
As Search Engine Watch reports:
The Rorschach test, created in 1921, is comprised of 10 symmetrical “inkblot” images. Subjects of the test are asked to interpret what they see in the designs. The test allows for psychoanalysis of the subject’s cognition and personality traits.
[Hermann] Rorschach was born in 1884 and prior to joining the scientific field, was reportedly torn between the arts and sciences. As a child, sources say he was very interested in klecksography – the art of creating images from inkblots. In the end, Rorschach combined his love for the art and his interest in science to create his life’s work in the inkblot test.
Rorschach died in 1922 – the year after publishing his book, “Psychodiagnostik,” which was the foundation of the inkblot test. He was 37.
The Mad Grammarian (and notorious pedant) says : “is comprised of 10 symmetrical . . .” is incorrect. It should be “comprises 10 symmetrical.. . .” It is little wonder people don’t believe in anthropolitical climate change!
Absolutely nothing wrong with “is comprised of” versus “comprises”.
Well, it depends on who your publisher is and whom your intended audience. Ain’t nothin’ wrong with it but usage makes it so. You will not find a reputable publisher publishing for a literate audience that will accept “is comprised of”. Chicago Manual of Style, the bible of serious publishers, eschews the passive form and insists on the active. German scientific writers favored the passive voice as “taking the person out of scientific writing”, but they don’t object to putting the stronger part of their famous broken-in-half verbs at the opposite end of the sentence from the front-end.
Agree with Thanny.
Agreed, it made me flinch, too. However, if I recall correctly, even the very conservative Fowler’s “Modern English Usage” allows the construction due to the vast number of instances of it being used incorrectly by the influential public.
But I do think a good copy editor would fix it.
I agree with you (obviously).The construction is not “wrong”. It is just inappropriate in what is called “serious” writing. A little like wearing patched Levis to your kid sister’s wedding. Or, to be more gentle — the real issue prose stylists might have with it is that it is passive (to be comprised of) rather than active (to comprise), and we tend to pester inexperienced writers about the relative virtue of active voice in most writing.
The widespread confusion among part-time writers between the verbs ‘compose’ and ‘comprise’, due perhaps to illiteracy, dyslexia or lack of childhood exposure to Venn diagrams, is annoying.
Ooooh! One of the ink blots was a kitteh! And it had a moth hovering above it. So what’s the diagnosis?:)
You’re right! Here it is! http://g.co/doodle/xbm54c
I thought I saw a big panda in another.
I can never forget the Emo Phillips routine about his examination by a child psychologist.
“So he showed me a picture and asked ‘What do you see?”, and I said, ‘That looks like standard pattern number three in the Rorschach series for testing obsessive-compulsive behavior.'”
Then there was a lion with a voice so powerful that he all he had to do was sound out and prey would drop dead from the pressure wave. They died of “roar shock”. (I think this one is attributable to Peter Schickele).
Lulz!
That was also used in the movie ‘Wilt’ where Griff Rhys-Jones was suspected of murdering his wife. Police psychiatrist: “What does this look like?” Wilt (sarcastically): “It looks like a Rorschach inkblot test”.
So he was the one who started showing people all the dirty pictures.
I know! How can my shrink say I’m obsessed with sex when he’s the one with all the dirty pictures!
That photo makes Rorschach look like one of the bink lots.
What a charming doodle! And what a intellectually inspired company to choose to brand itself in such a way. You’ve got to admire Google. And that motto (which I’m sure they fall short of on occasion – as we all do)- “Don’t do evil”. In law companies are treated as they are PERSONS before the law – it’s a necessary legal expedient. But it’s true. The personality of the company has the stamp of the personality of it’s founders – and Google has some very academic, very intellectual, and very open leadership. Most companies are not “nice people” but it’s great to see “good guys” do so very well from time to time.
He looks like Brad Pitt.
Yes! Can’t wait for the movie now.
I’ve always regarded Rorschach tests as a form of woo, that said more about the state of mind of the tester than it did the patient. Similar to polygraph machines.
A quick read of Wikipedia suggests (IIRC) that Rorschach intended his test to diagnose one form of mental illness only – schizophrenia, I think it was – and was most unhappy about it being applied wholesale to general psychiatric diagnosis.
Hopefully everyone saw today’s “Brevity” cartoon at:
http://www.gocomics.com/brevity/2013/11/09/#.Un5T1oWKykY