Episode 41: Personality, Pathology & Rorschach with Dr. Benjamin Berry

Mind Dive

As Benjamin Berry, Ph.D. pursued his undergraduate studies in experimental psychology, he became drawn to the field of psychological research and the science of measuring social attitudes to explore implicit pathologies. After studying under current leaders in Rorschach administration, Benjamin continues to apply his research methods to improve his understanding of psychotic processes and psychopathology.

This episode of Menninger Clinic’s Mind Dive Podcast features Dr. Berry, an accomplished psychologist, joining hosts and colleagues, Dr. Kerry Horrell and Dr. Bob Boland, for a conversation on performance-based personality testing and assessing personality pathology in adolescents and adults.

Dr. Berry is an assistant professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Baylor College of Medicine. He is also an award-winning staff psychologist at The Menninger Clinic where he spearheads the Adolescent Treatment Program.

“So, the Rorschach test really kind of came out of the psychodynamic tradition. Since that time, it has become a lot more flexible, and a lot more […] empirically driven, rather than theoretically driven,” said Dr. Berry. “There was a time when we thought of it as a projective test where the defense mechanism of projection was a key player in how a person constructs responses. We don't necessarily think of it that way today.”

Dr. Berry’s approach to the Rorschach test gives the test subject a cognitive task, making it a structured observational experience, which produces more data for researchers. Similar to other performance-based tests like the one for ADHD, it allows researchers to observe a person’s reactions and compare them to baseline norms. Decades of standardized data allow Dr. Berry to score and compare a person’s results to better understand their individual pathology, making the test a reliable and practical diagnostic tool.

A key example of the Rorschach’s usefulness is its ability to uncover subtle signs of psychosis, especially in early or mild stages of progression. Dr.Berry’s work at Menninger has revolved around using the test as a way of analyzing speech patterns to diagnose personality disorders and lingering effects of psychotic episodes. Despite misconceptions around the Rorschach test, Dr. Berry and the Menninger Clinic effectively use the test as part of their diagnostic toolkit.

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