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Disordered Thinking and the Rorschach: Theory, Research, and Differential Diagnosis

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Disordered Thinking And The Rorschach: Theory Research And Differential Diagnosis presents a comprehensive synthesis of existing research and theory on the use of the Rorschach as a diagnostic instrument. James Klieger is Director of Postdoctoral Psychology Training at the Menninger Clinic, and a teaching associate at the Topeka Institute for Psychoanalysis and brings to bear his considerable experience and expertise in covering the entire range of clinical and diagnostic issues associated with the phenomenon of disordered thinking as revealed on the Rorschach. Kleiger presents the history of psychiatric and psychoanalytic conceptualizations of the nature and significance of different kinds of disordered thinking and their relevance to understanding personality structure and differential diagnosis. The then reviews the contributions of David Rapaport, Robert Holt, Philip Holzman, and John Exner in conceptualizing and scoring disordered thinking on the Rorschach. Kleiger finishes with a detailed analysis of the phenomenological and psychodynamic aspects of disordered thinking itself. A major work of impeccable scholarship, Disordered Thinking And The Rorschach is an valued and impressive contribution to psychoanalytical studies and a highly recommended addition to professional and academic psychology and psychoanalysis reference collections.

I greatly admire the book "Disordered thinking and the Rorschach" by James H. Kleiger. I am writing this as a Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist and Psychoanalyst. Dr. Kleiger does a masterful job of elucidating just exactly what is meant by the term "thought disorder" and cleared away for me the murkiness that has surrounded the term. His introductory chapters lay a solid and interesting foundation for a scholarly tour-de-force and broad-ranging examination of how the Rorschach is useful in helping to understand the different processes that underlie various disorders of thinking. He values historical contributions and shows how these are relevant to current thinking. I left the book with an enormous improvement in my understanding of the Rorschach itself - a test I have wanted to know more about as I have found it to yield valuable information when utilized judiciously by competent examiners - as well as the different types and wide variety of thinking disturbances people may struggle with. I recommend it to my Psychiatric and Psychoanalytic colleagues who would appreciate a well-written and comprehensive examination of these concerns. It definitely expanded my knowledge base on disordered styles of thinking. Kirby Pope, M.D.