Boundary Disturbances Revisited: An Application With an Apperception Test.

A Rorschach study of boundary disturbance and thought disorder by Blatt and Ritzler ( 1974 ) was replicated using the newly developed Picture Projection Test (PPT), a modern alternative to the Thematic Apperception Test (TAT). Twenty-five individuals with pathological Rorschach records were compared to 25 individuals with nonpathological Rorschachs. A coding system for the PPT was devised using concepts from the Blatt and Ritzler study and Rorschach thought disorder variables from the Comprehensive System (Exner, 2003 ). The pathological group showed significantly more boundary disturbance on the PPT. Only one Contamination (the most severe manifestation of boundary disturbance and thought disorder) appeared in the pathological group. The nonpathological group had no Contamination responses. It is recommended that future researchers repeat the study with a psychotic group compared to a nonpsychotic group.